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The differences between customer relations associates and customer service managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a customer relations associate, becoming a customer service manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a customer service manager has an average salary of $61,487, which is higher than the $35,656 average annual salary of a customer relations associate.
The top three skills for a customer relations associate include customer relations, processing orders and problem resolution. The most important skills for a customer service manager are strong customer service, payroll, and customer satisfaction.
| Customer Relations Associate | Customer Service Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $35,656 | $61,487 |
| Hourly rate | $17.14 | $29.56 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 187,813 | 313,110 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A Customer Relations Associate is primarily in charge of assisting clients by answering inquiries, troubleshooting problems, and promptly and efficiently resolving issues to ensure client satisfaction. They typically communicate with clients through calls, correspondence, or even through appointments. There are also instances where they may refer them to other specialists, offer products and services, discuss product specifications, arrange payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive relationships along the way. Moreover, a customer relations associate maintains records of all transactions, reporting to managers regularly.
Customer service managers are in charge of overseeing a group of customer service associates. They ensure that key metrics are met by the employees. These metrics usually include average handling time and customer satisfaction ratings. They also give coaching to employees who might need additional guidance in reaching team goals. Customer service managers are expected to have had experience on the operations floor to balance their role as a strategic leader and a people manager. They should have customer service skills, decision-making skills, and communication skills.
Customer relations associates and customer service managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Relations Associate | Customer Service Manager | |
| Average salary | $35,656 | $61,487 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $35,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | KLA |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a customer relations associate and a customer service manager in terms of educational background:
| Customer Relations Associate | Customer Service Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between customer relations associates' and customer service managers' demographics:
| Customer Relations Associate | Customer Service Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 10% |