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The differences between customer relations associates and senior customer service specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a customer relations associate and a senior customer service specialist. Additionally, a customer relations associate has an average salary of $35,656, which is higher than the $35,466 average annual salary of a senior customer service specialist.
The top three skills for a customer relations associate include customer relations, processing orders and problem resolution. The most important skills for a senior customer service specialist are client facing, customer support, and inbound calls.
| Customer Relations Associate | Senior Customer Service Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,656 | $35,466 |
| Hourly rate | $17.14 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 187,813 | 219,308 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Senior Customer Service Specialists perform directly around customers in a company. They are typically needed to answer customers' requests, respond to an inquiry, and resolve issues and complaints. Their duties may include data entry, file keeping, and general paperwork. Also, they supervise some representatives, monitor their progress, and serve as their mentors. Candidates for the position must have strong communication skills, analytical, and computer savvy. Additionally, they must possess relevant experience as a junior customer service representative and have excellent leadership skills.
Customer relations associates and senior customer service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Relations Associate | Senior Customer Service Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,656 | $35,466 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a customer relations associate and a senior customer service specialist in terms of educational background:
| Customer Relations Associate | Senior Customer Service Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer relations associates' and senior customer service specialists' demographics:
| Customer Relations Associate | Senior Customer Service Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% | Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 7.6% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |