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How to hire a customer relations specialist

Customer relations specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring customer relations specialists in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a customer relations specialist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per customer relations specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 350,733 customer relations specialists in the US, and there are currently 215,862 job openings in this field.
  • Jeffersonville, IN, has the highest demand for customer relations specialists, with 6 job openings.

How to hire a customer relations specialist, step by step

To hire a customer relations specialist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a customer relations specialist:

Here's a step-by-step customer relations specialist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a customer relations specialist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new customer relations specialist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a customer relations specialist do?

A customer relations specialist is responsible for providing high-quality services for customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints about the company's goods and services. Customer relations specialists update customer accounts on the database, recording their transactions accurately, and posting their payments timely. They may also sell new products and services to the clients, demonstrating features and usability, processing orders, and confirming delivery details. A customer relations specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain healthy business relationships with the customers.

Learn more about the specifics of what a customer relations specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a customer relations specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect customer relations specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents customer relations specialist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Customer Relations SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Customer Relations SpecialistCustomer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.$12-25
    Customer AgentA customer agent provides friendly service to external and internal customers. Customer agents talk to customers on behalf of businesses and companies... Show more$12-18
    Customer Service ProfessionalA customer service professional is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, resolving complaints, and updating the customers of goods and services for generating revenues and profitability to the company. Customer service professionals process order transactions, administering payment plans and adjusting service features in meeting customers' needs... Show more$12-40
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Customer Relations
    • Data Entry
    • Work Ethic
    • Customer Retention
    • Outbound Calls
    • Schedule Appointments
    • Background Checks
    • Service Appointments
    • Propane
    • Strong Customer Service
    • Customer Complaints
    • Customer Inquiries
    • Customer Accounts
    • Customer Satisfaction
    Check all skills
    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.
    More customer relations specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your customer relations specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A customer relations specialist can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, customer relations specialists' average salary in alaska is 43% less than in massachusetts.
    • Seniority. Entry-level customer relations specialists 48% less than senior-level customer relations specialists.
    • Certifications. A customer relations specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a customer relations specialist's salary.

    Average customer relations specialist salary

    $37,827yearly

    $18.19 hourly rate

    Entry-level customer relations specialist salary
    $27,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 14, 2025

    Average customer relations specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Maryland$49,965$24
    2New York$49,076$24
    3Connecticut$47,582$23
    4District of Columbia$47,401$23
    5California$45,730$22
    6New Jersey$42,615$20
    7Rhode Island$41,850$20
    8Texas$40,629$20
    9Washington$39,541$19
    10Missouri$39,209$19
    11Arizona$37,432$18
    12South Carolina$36,803$18
    13Michigan$36,652$18
    14Indiana$35,124$17
    15Ohio$34,911$17
    16Minnesota$34,857$17
    17North Carolina$34,743$17
    18Florida$34,117$16
    19Georgia$34,110$16
    20Oregon$33,883$16

    Average customer relations specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Deloitte$61,238$29.44514
    2Sun Solar$46,880$22.54
    3Dominion Energy$45,753$22.00
    4Abt Associates$45,479$21.86
    5American Senior Benefits$45,175$21.723
    6Columbus McKinnon$43,946$21.131
    7City of Sunny Isles Beach$43,925$21.12
    8Altice USA$43,801$21.062
    9Bridgewater State University$43,697$21.011
    10Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems$43,588$20.968
    11Carnegie Mellon University$43,079$20.711
    12Sewon America$42,907$20.63
    13BridgePoint Healthcare$42,483$20.42
    14AMAX$41,645$20.02
    15Park Ave Motor Corp$41,461$19.93
    16SMS group$41,196$19.813
    17UPS$40,892$19.6640
    18White Plains Hospital$40,178$19.32
    19Ambient Corporation$39,998$19.231
    20Maxim Healthcare Group$39,921$19.191
  4. Writing a customer relations specialist job description

    A customer relations specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a customer relations specialist job description:

    Customer relations specialist job description example

    The Grace Company helps connect people to their passions. We strive to provide new opportunities to a larger community by making what they love more accessible. From the services we offer, to the inception of a product's design, we focus on providing the best customer experience possible. Our purpose is to enrich people's lives, and love seeing their craft be used to enrich the lives of others.

    Our Customer Relations team builds strong relationships with direct customers, dealers, and distributors. Team members take in-bound customer service / sales calls while coordinating with dealers and potential dealers regarding sales, promotions, and marketing campaigns. Select travel to national and international trade shows and events is also an opportunity.

    Responsibilities will also include detailed verbal and written communication in the English language to build relationships, drive business growth, and increase revenue. Candidates must have a confident and dynamic personality with a willingness to wear different hats regarding additional responsibilities and assigned tasks. Other responsibilities and qualifications include:

    Excellent time management, the ability to correctly assess customer and dealer needs and define the correct actions/resources required to meet their needs.

    The ability to work with customers, dealers, work associates, and to work individually or with a group successfully.
    A willingness to fully participate and take a proactive approach regarding business initiatives. This is a full-time position. Hourly wage will range between $16.83 - $22.12 ($35,000 - $46,000 annual) depending on skills and experience. Grace Company is a leader in our industry, with over 35 years of experience creating innovative products for quilters. Employee Benefits Paid holidays Paid vacation along with a generous personal-time accrual program Employee-friendly work environment including schedule flexibility Convenient commute with easy access off I-215/UT 201 IRA Retirement Plan with Company matching funds

    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

    To find customer relations specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any customer relations specialists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level customer relations specialists with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your customer relations specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit customer relations specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting customer relations specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new customer relations specialist

    Once you have selected a candidate for the customer relations specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new customer relations specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a customer relations specialist?

Before you start to hire customer relations specialists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire customer relations specialists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $37,827 per year for a customer relations specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for customer relations specialists in the US typically range between $12 and $25 an hour.

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