How long does it take to become a Customer Service Agent?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a customer service agent. That is the time it takes to learn specific customer service agent skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

What are 3 important qualities of customer service?

The 3 important qualities of customer service are professionalism, patience, and a "people-first" attitude. To get an idea of why the "three P's" matter, first, let's break down what they are. The first "P," professionalism, refers to the attitude you take towards your customers. Even when a customer is upset or behaving immaturely, it's up to you to diffuse the situation, if possible, and do what you can to represent your brand in a positive light.

What is the role of customer service agent?

The role of a customer service agent is to resolve issues in a quick and friendly manner. Customers are important because they drive revenues; without them, businesses cannot continue to exist.

What qualifications do you need for customer service?

The only qualification to become a customer service representative is a high school diploma. However, having an associate degree or even a bachelor's can open up new doors to better positions at more notable companies with more competitive salaries. An associate's degree in business or arts is highly desirable.

What is a customer service agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA

A customer service agent interacts with customers to resolve their inquiries, complaints, and issues related to a company's products or services. These agents serve as a point of contact for customers. Their responsibilities include answering phone calls, responding to emails, and providing live chat support. Agents possess excellent communication skills and knowledge of the company's products and services. They must also have patience, empathy, and problem-solving skills to handle customer issues and ensure satisfaction.

What general advice would you give to a customer service agent?

Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA

Assistant Professor of Marketing, Charleston Southern University

Show employers how you would not only fill an open position regarding the work at hand, but show them how you would be an asset to their team. We are in very team driven work environments currently, and hiring managers want to know what you can bring to the table. Filling a void is great for the workload, but enhancing a team culture makes them not want to work without you!

ScoreCustomer Service AgentUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,598

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 6.83%

Black or African American 11.79%

Hispanic or Latino 20.97%

Unknown 5.66%

White 53.96%

Gender

female 64.50%

male 35.50%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a customer service agent?

Pros

Work in a team-oriented environment
Potential for career growth within the company
Opportunities for bonuses or incentives based on performance
Job security, as customer service is always in demand
Regular feedback and coaching to improve skills

Cons

Repetitive tasks and dealing with similar issues every day
High volume of calls and fast-paced environment can be overwhelming
May require working weekends, holidays, or evenings
Low pay compared to other industries or positions
Burnout due to the constant demands of the job

Key steps to become a customer service agent

Explore customer service agent education requirements

Most common customer service agent degrees

Bachelor's

34.4 %

High School Diploma

27.2 %

Associate

22.9 %

Start to develop specific customer service agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Check-In	11.32%
Reservations	10.68%
Inbound Calls	7.45%
Customer Satisfaction	6.80%
Customer Service	5.21%

Complete relevant customer service agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New customer service agents 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 service agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real customer service agent resumes.

Research customer service agent duties and responsibilities

Help troubleshoot and fix technology problems over-the-counter with clients while offering professional services to help achieve business goals.
Operate different windows while giving excellent customer service.
Complete check in for passenger reservations and provide excellent customer service for special circumstances.
Respond to live chat and email inquires via ZenDesk.

Prepare your customer service agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your customer service agent 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 service agent 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 service agent resume templates

Build a professional customer service agent 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 service agent resume.

Apply for customer service agent jobs

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

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

How do customer service agents rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Customer service agent reviews

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

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022

Pros

I got to do a variety of tasks daily. Got treated with respect from management and other coworkers.

Cons

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

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

Getting to know the people and the you work.with

Cons

Being required to answer a minimum number of calls a day. This pushes the idea that the caller is a number and as such, it is more difficult to personalize the call the the person calling in

What is a customer service agent and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a customer service agent?

What are the pros and cons of being a customer service agent?

Customer service agent career paths

Key steps to become a customer service agent

Explore customer service agent education requirements

Most common customer service agent degrees

Start to develop specific customer service agent skills

Complete relevant customer service agent training and internships

Research customer service agent duties and responsibilities

Prepare your customer service agent resume

Choose from 10+ customizable customer service agent resume templates

Apply for customer service agent jobs

How did you land your first customer service agent job

Average customer service agent salary

How do customer service agents rate their job?

Customer service agent reviews

Customer service agent FAQs

How long does it take to become a Customer Service Agent?

What are 3 important qualities of customer service?

What is the role of customer service agent?

What qualifications do you need for customer service?

Search for customer service agent jobs

Customer service agent jobs by state