Customer relations manager vs customer support manager

The differences between customer relations managers and customer support managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a customer relations manager, becoming a customer support manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a customer support manager has an average salary of $91,598, which is higher than the $66,782 average annual salary of a customer relations manager.

The top three skills for a customer relations manager include customer issues, customer relations and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a customer support manager are project management, CRM, and technical support.

Customer relations manager vs customer support manager overview

	Customer Relations Manager	Customer Support Manager
Yearly salary	$66,782	$91,598
Hourly rate	$32.11	$44.04
Growth rate	8%	10%
Number of jobs	61,089	128,995
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	42	47
Years of experience	4	6

What does a customer relations manager do?

Customer relations managers focus on maintaining close connections with customers. It is done through marketing strategies that will continue to engage customers daily. Constant communication creates a closeness with customers and, in the end, solidifies trust and confidence in the company's products and services. The role of the customer relations manager is crucial for maintaining a solid customer base for the company. A customer relations manager must have good communication and interpersonal skills.

What does a customer support manager do?

The responsibilities of a customer support manager revolve around overseeing the performance of customer support staff to ensure that all clients get optimal service. They mostly delegate tasks, address and resolve issues, manage schedules, train new employees, produce progress reports, assess performances, and set sales targets. There are also instances when one must respond to calls and correspondence, offer products and services, and manage the budget. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach sales targets while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Customer relations manager vs customer support manager salary

Customer relations managers and customer support managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Customer Relations Manager	Customer Support Manager
Average salary	$66,782	$91,598
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $104,000	Between $64,000 And $130,000
Highest paying City	Pleasanton, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Washington
Best paying company	Amazon	Amazon
Best paying industry	Automotive	Finance

Differences between customer relations manager and customer support manager education

There are a few differences between a customer relations manager and a customer support manager in terms of educational background:

	Customer Relations Manager	Customer Support Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Customer relations manager vs customer support manager demographics

Here are the differences between customer relations managers' and customer support managers' demographics:

	Customer Relations Manager	Customer Support Manager
Average age	42	47
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	8%

Differences between customer relations manager and customer support manager duties and responsibilities

Customer relations manager example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and optimize websites, blogs, social media pages, twitter accounts.
Work within standing orders to help patients effectively manage their diabetes though medications and other specialty consultations.
Provide oversight and direction to the employees in the operating unit in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures.
Collect and distribute payroll bi-weekly.
Complete payroll information require to include punch details and other payroll information as needed.
Develop and cultivate vendor relationships constructing a prefer supplier base internally to be leverage across client base.

Customer support manager example responsibilities.

Manage global on-boarding program for new and existing SaaS customers.
Design, develop and implement internal applications to manage the SaaS and CDN platforms.
Manage one-on-one relationship with larger customers and sales reps. set up and test EDI transactions for new customers.
Lead the companywide roll-out of a new ticketing system, Zendesk, from evaluation and purchase through implementation.
Manage UNIX system support including IBM platform direction, research, sizing, proposals and weekly performance reporting.
Manage POS and desktop support help desk function for all of Wendy's company-own restaurants and corporate/field office locations.

Customer relations manager vs customer support manager skills

Common customer relations manager skills

Customer Issues, 15%
Customer Relations, 13%
Customer Satisfaction, 12%
Dealership, 9%
Customer Complaints, 6%
Warranty Claims, 4%

Common customer support manager skills

Project Management, 9%
CRM, 5%
Technical Support, 5%
Salesforce, 4%
Account Management, 4%
Customer Satisfaction, 3%

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Customer Relations Manager
Customer Relations Manager vs Customer Support Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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