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What is a customer relations specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Matthew McConn
introduction image

As a customer relations specialist, you'll be responsible for building and maintaining lasting relationships with customers through timely and accurate communications. You'll maintain and update documents related to customer accounts and business reports. Additionally, you'll assist the technical and marketing teams in developing marketing materials and proposals. Furthermore, you'll confirm new customers before referring them to the appropriate sales manager. Also, you'll assist in developing sales and marketing strategies. Likewise, you'll develop and maintain sales incentive programs.

The basic educational requirement is a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, most employers prefer a bachelor's degree in a related field. Candidates must have at least three years of relevant work experience. You must possess problem-solving, multitasking, attention to detail, customer service, and communication skills. You must also be proficient in Microsoft Office. Customer relations specialists earn an average gross salary of $38,549 annually. This falls between $27,000 and $55,000.

What general advice would you give to a customer relations specialist?

Matthew McConn

Associate Professor of English Education, Department Chair, Binghamton University, SUNY

It's best to be fully certified before you sit for an interview. That means completing the EdTPA and all certification exams. Students tend to put off the EdTPA portfolio, and it hurts their chances when interviewed, since administrators would have to risk the applicant not passing their exam. However, during the pandemic, there have been some alternative options for candidates, so I would strongly recommend they familiarize themselves with those alternatives.
ScoreCustomer Relations SpecialistUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $37,827

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%

Asian 7.45%

Black or African American 11.66%

Hispanic or Latino 19.47%

Unknown 5.26%

White 55.46%

Gender

female 68.21%

male 31.79%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Customer relations specialist career paths

Key steps to become a customer relations specialist

  1. Explore customer relations specialist education requirements

    Most common customer relations specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    52.1 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

    High School Diploma

    13.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific customer relations specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Relations37.14%
    Data Entry10.05%
    Work Ethic8.87%
    Customer Retention4.52%
    Outbound Calls4.51%
  3. Complete relevant customer relations specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New customer relations specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a customer relations specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real customer relations specialist resumes.
  4. Research customer relations specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage software maintenance renewal partner and assist with upselling additional and higher functionality licenses to increase revenue.
    • Verify insurance eligibility and benefits of patients that are being provide oxygen home and travel units and durable medical equipment.
    • Create Powerpoint company informational videos.
    • Communicate with customers and FedEx to facilitate resolutions of any shipping or delivery issues.
  5. Prepare your customer relations specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your customer relations specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a customer relations specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable customer relations specialist resume templates

    Build a professional customer relations specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your customer relations specialist resume.
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    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
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    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
    Customer Relations Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for customer relations specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a customer relations specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first customer relations specialist job

Zippi

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Average customer relations specialist salary

The average customer relations specialist salary in the United States is $37,827 per year or $18 per hour. Customer relations specialist salaries range between $27,000 and $52,000 per year.

Average customer relations specialist salary
$37,827 Yearly
$18.19 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do customer relations specialists rate their job?

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Customer relations specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024
Pros

remote job, more schedule flexibility

Cons

very low salary, no career growth, very stressful and not rewarding


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

I resolved consumer and retailer questions. That is gratifying.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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