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The differences between customer service agents and customer service desks 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 desk. Additionally, a customer service desk has an average salary of $34,599, 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 desk are service desk, customer service, and strong customer service.
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Yearly salary | $29,598 | $34,599 |
| Hourly rate | $14.23 | $16.63 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 219,115 | 233,256 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| 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.
The responsibilities of working in a customer service desk primarily revolves around ensuring customer satisfaction by responding to their inquiries and concerns. There are instances when it is required to provide directions, locate products, make reservations, and resolve various issues. There may also be administrative tasks such as handling and making calls, assisting customers in filling out forms, preparing paperwork and reports, arranging records, and coordinating with various staff members to ensure that a customer receives quality service.
Customer service agents and customer service desks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average salary | $29,598 | $34,599 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $25,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Atwater, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Uline | SAIC |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a customer service agent and a customer service desk in terms of educational background:
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer service agents' and customer service desks' demographics:
| Customer Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |