How to hire a customer service advisor

How to hire a customer service advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step customer service advisor 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 service advisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new customer service advisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a customer service advisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The customer service advisor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A customer service advisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, customer service advisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of customer service advisors.

   Type of Customer Service Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Customer Service Advisor	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-18
   Service Agent	A service agent is a professional whose primary function is to provide a friendly service to internal and external customers about the organization's products and services. An agent should be people-oriented, highly motivated with a positive and friendly attitude... Show more	$10-18
   Customer Care Representative	A customer care representative is responsible for providing resolution with the customer's concerns, following the business' procedures and strategic processes. Customer care representatives must have exceptional customer service skills to address their clients' concerns efficiently and accurately, as well as having extensive knowledge of the products and services their company offer... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Taking Care
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Standard Operating Procedure
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Care
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Complaints
   • Strong Work Ethic
   • Work Ethic
   • Oil Changes
   • Customer Issues
   • Manufacturer Recommendations
   • Automotive Services
   • CSA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the largest client pool in all of Finland, and update the CRM accordingly.
   • Manage bi-weekly payroll duties and employment documentation.
   • Provide excellent customer service and maintain cleanliness of work area
   • Used all CRM systems to provide exceptional service to customers for the entire order process cycle
   • Process all pick tickets and assign carriers, handle all shipping issues and RA's support other CSR's when need.
   • Maintain stores organization, appearance, and cleanliness through corporate guidelines for visual merchandising inventory updates and standards.

   More customer service advisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the customer service advisor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A customer service advisor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a customer service advisor in Oklahoma may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level customer service advisor. Additionally, a customer service advisor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average customer service advisor salary

   $15.40hourly

   $32,029 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level customer service advisor salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average customer service advisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$37,776	$18
   2	Oregon	$37,720	$18
   3	California	$36,486	$18
   4	Maryland	$35,988	$17
   5	Washington	$34,576	$17
   6	Minnesota	$34,375	$17
   7	Nevada	$34,255	$16
   8	Arizona	$32,568	$16
   9	Rhode Island	$32,526	$16
   10	Wisconsin	$32,173	$15
   11	Pennsylvania	$31,556	$15
   12	Iowa	$31,514	$15
   13	Texas	$31,396	$15
   14	Michigan	$31,381	$15
   15	Kansas	$31,364	$15
   16	Ohio	$31,331	$15
   17	Illinois	$31,222	$15
   18	North Carolina	$30,985	$15
   19	Nebraska	$30,548	$15
   20	Missouri	$30,514	$15

   Average customer service advisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Teledyne Technologies Incorporated	$46,146	$22.19	5
   2	Portland General Electric	$43,114	$20.73	3
   3	UC Santa Barbara	$42,653	$20.51
   4	Schnitzer Steel	$42,492	$20.43
   5	Uline	$40,006	$19.23	29
   6	USAA	$39,306	$18.90	67
   7	PerkinElmer	$38,664	$18.59
   8	ALLIANCE DOOR PRODUCTS	$38,470	$18.50	1
   9	McKesson	$38,426	$18.47	10
   10	HSBC Bank	$38,395	$18.46	5
   11	Washington County	$38,060	$18.30	1
   12	Experis US Inc	$37,849	$18.20
   13	GEICO	$37,395	$17.98	50
   14	Morrow	$37,126	$17.85	2
   15	LendingClub	$36,980	$17.78
   16	Genesee & Wyoming	$36,930	$17.75	2
   17	Bryant & Stratton College	$36,777	$17.68	9
   18	Paychex	$36,622	$17.61
   19	Renesas Electronics	$36,253	$17.43
   20	FedEx	$35,987	$17.30	116

4. Writing a customer service advisor job description

   A good customer service advisor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a customer service advisor job description:

   Customer service advisor job description example

   Someone with great customer service skills and is very organized should apply. No RV knowledge necessary to start. We will teach the RV part.
   
   Cheyenne Camping Center is a family owned RV dealership that has been in business since 1966. We continue to operate out of a single store, not spread out over several states. With fewer than 60 employees with an average tenure of nearly 12 years, you know who you’re working with every day because you are part of the family.
   
   We are looking for a people oriented, fun and professional individual who wants to be a part of our family.
   
   We offer on the job training as well as factory schooling for an individual who desires to exceed and further develop a wide range of skills related to customer service RV systems knowledge.
   
   We also have an air condition shop. We are also not a flat rate shop. We believe in doing the job right no matter how long it takes, not trying to beat the clock.
   
   We also offer paid vacation, health insurance, and a 401(k) with 3% of our gross pay contributed by the company each year.
   If you feel you would fit in with our family, please apply to begin a great future. Ideal candidates would meet most or all key requirements: 1+ years of experience in service writing, an RV related field, or similar profession. Excellent customer service skills Assist others in performing work as a team Ability to explain technical diagnoses and needed repairs to non-mechanical individuals which may include other teammates and customers as required. Continuously learns new technical information and techniques in order to stay current with rapidly changing RV design. Keep shop management aware of repair problems as they occur, and document with pictures for supplements. Maintains an organized work space. Computer skills. Close attention to detail. Benefits: Competitive pay based on skill level Health care 401(k) Retirement Plan Paid Holidays Paid Vacations Paid Training Heated and A/C facility Duties include but are not limited to: Make appointments for customers at our shop and all over the U.S. Walk through RV with customer and check in for service Write Repair Orders Take pictures of warranty repairs Work with factory warranty representatives Work with customers to solve problems in person and by phone Work with RV Techs to find the best solutions for repairs Order parts for repairs through our parts department Keep customers updated on the status of their repairs. If this is you, please email a resume. We are looking to fill this position as soon as possible. Job Type: Full-time Pay: $14.00 - $18.00 per hour Company DescriptionGreat family owned company with many long term employees with room to advance.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right customer service advisor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your customer service advisor job on Zippia to find and recruit customer service advisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit customer service advisors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 service advisor

   Once you've decided on a perfect customer service advisor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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