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The differences between customer service agents and customer service consultants 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 service agent and a customer service consultant. Additionally, a customer service consultant has an average salary of $37,471, which is higher than the $29,598 average annual salary of a customer service agent.
The top three skills for a customer service agent include check-in, reservations and inbound calls. The most important skills for a customer service consultant are strong customer service, customer service, and strong problem-solving.
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,598 | $37,471 |
| Hourly rate | $14.23 | $18.01 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 219,115 | 225,026 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Customer service agents are employees assigned to answer incoming calls to their company's service hotline. They are equipped with proper training on company products and policies so that they can assist customers. Agents answer customer's inquiries, guide them through steps that they may need to take, and take note of customer complaints. For unsatisfied customers, agents try their best to resolve the concerns or transfer the complaints to related departments. They also try to mitigate any problems that may arise. Customer service agents should be patient, and should also have good communication and problem-solving skills.
A customer service consultant is responsible for addressing the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding the company's services and resolving complaints to provide the best customer service and satisfaction. Customer service consultants also sell new goods and products to the customers, demonstrating features and benefits before proceeding with the orders, payment, and delivery details. They develop excellent sales pitches to attract customer to purchase items which would generate more revenue resources and profits for the business.
Customer service agents and customer service consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Consultant | |
| Average salary | $29,598 | $37,471 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $20,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Uline | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a customer service agent and a customer service consultant in terms of educational background:
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer service agents' and customer service consultants' demographics:
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Consultant | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5% | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |