How to hire a customer service assistant

How to hire a customer service assistant, step by step

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

What does a customer service assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a customer service assistant, 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?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect customer service assistant 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of customer service assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Customer Service Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Customer Service Assistant	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-20
   Lead Customer Service Representative	A lead customer service representative is responsible for managing a group of customer service staff to assist in daily operations and help with customer issues. Lead customer service representatives manage high-level customer complaints and provide immediate resolution and disputes... Show more	$10-27
   Customer Service Team Lead	A customer service team lead is responsible for managing a group of customer service agents. They monitor their tasks and productivity and report the team's performance to senior management... Show more	$13-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Front End
   • Customer Service
   • Service Calls
   • Work Ethic
   • Groceries
   • Customer Assistance
   • H E
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Complaints
   • Front Desk
   • Inbound Calls
   • Purchase Orders
   • Office Equipment
   • Scheduling Appointments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize CRM (Zendex) to record track and manage inquiries.
   • Interact extensively with customers to achieve timely issue resolution while maintaining high standards for dock organization and cleanliness.
   • Raise store revenue through recognize customer service relations, store organization and cleanliness.
   • Clean interior and exterior windows.
   • Navigate multiple windows on a computer.
   • Schedule delivery, CSS schedule on weekly/daily basis.

   More customer service assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, customer service assistants' average salary in georgia is 32% less than in montana.
   • Seniority. Entry-level customer service assistants 38% less than senior-level customer service assistants.
   • Certifications. A customer service assistant 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 service assistant's salary.

   Average customer service assistant salary

   $16.28hourly

   $33,862 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level customer service assistant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average customer service assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Montana	$39,489	$19
   2	California	$39,192	$19
   3	Massachusetts	$38,463	$18
   4	Washington	$38,250	$18
   5	Minnesota	$37,750	$18
   6	District of Columbia	$37,493	$18
   7	New Jersey	$36,413	$18
   8	New York	$36,109	$17
   9	Alaska	$35,042	$17
   10	Illinois	$34,930	$17
   11	Arizona	$34,813	$17
   12	Connecticut	$34,368	$17
   13	Michigan	$34,253	$16
   14	Nebraska	$34,152	$16
   15	Colorado	$33,438	$16
   16	Indiana	$33,278	$16
   17	Wisconsin	$33,074	$16
   18	Nevada	$32,987	$16
   19	Maryland	$32,780	$16
   20	Utah	$32,750	$16

   Average customer service assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Fidelity Investments	$48,692	$23.41	19
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$47,551	$22.86
   3	Johnson Controls	$47,045	$22.62	45
   4	Clark County	$45,460	$21.86
   5	Uline	$44,332	$21.31	22
   6	USAA	$42,989	$20.67	9
   7	A-dec	$42,419	$20.39
   8	Chubb	$42,304	$20.34	46
   9	HUB International	$41,867	$20.13	36
   10	Newark	$41,253	$19.83
   11	Vista Outdoor	$41,079	$19.75
   12	The Travelers Companies	$40,366	$19.41
   13	Bosch USA	$40,345	$19.40	4
   14	City of Houston	$40,295	$19.37	2
   15	D.R. Horton	$40,211	$19.33	5
   16	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$40,034	$19.25	37
   17	Polk County Sheriff's Office	$39,377	$18.93
   18	Georgetown University	$39,268	$18.88	2
   19	Bank of America	$38,963	$18.73	174
   20	BCforward	$38,724	$18.62	39

4. Writing a customer service assistant job description

   A customer service assistant 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. Below, you can find an example of a customer service assistant job description:

   Customer service assistant job description example

   Lawn Doctor of Fort Collins is a locally owned company with a great reputation in Northern Colorado which has provided exceptional, customer focused service for over 35 years. You would be joining a team of dedicated, quality minded people that value honesty, family and work ethic.
   
   Lawn Doctor is seeking a permanent CSA employee which will evolve with the business as we continue to grow our customer service department
   What to expect:
   
   The Customer Service Assistant will be the first point of contact between current Lawn Doctor customers and will be responsible for assisting current customers by phone.
   
   The Lawn Doctor CSA will operate in-person at a local Fort Collins office with other Lawn Doctor employees. Primary demand will be between Monday and Friday with weekends and major holidays off. Some Saturday hours may be required during the months of April and June. Availability is needed between 9AM & 4PM with some flexibility between full time and part time hours.
   
   The Lawn Doctor CSA will:
   
   Handle all incoming customer queries and questions. Provide the appropriate service and information or will refer customers to the appropriate party. Refer problematic issues that they cannot solve to the assistant office manager or office manager. Maintain an accurate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database by entering and updating client information, and logging customer interactions. Handle payment transactions. Adhere to Lawn Doctor’s policies and procedures at all times when assisting our customers. Lawn Doctor is seeking a candidate with the following capabilities:
   
   Strong customer service skills both written and verbal. The ability to actively listen to customers so they can adequately gauge and address their needs. Excellent verbal communication skills to clearly share and relay information. Strong computer literacy, including knowledge of Google suites, calendar and excel. The ability to learn new software packages and tools such as Lawn Doctor’s CRM database system. The ability to remain calm and polite when dealing with complaints or challenging customers. Strong problem-solving skills to determine the best possible solutions for client issues. The ability to prioritize tasks based on importance or urgency. The willingness to learn basic agronomics principles in order to provide our customers with valuable knowledge regarding their lawn and landscape. The ability to assist with various office tasks and responsibilities during downtime. Lawn Doctor is seeking a CSA with the following experience and skills:
   1-3 years in a role interacting with customers on a frequent basis 1-3 years in a role interacting with customers over the phone Multi-line phone experience 10 key by touch 60 wpm typing speed
   #LDFC * All Lawn Doctor locations are independently owned and operated. All positions identified here are positions offered by individual Lawn Doctor franchisees.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find customer service assistants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting customer service assistants 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the customer service assistant 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new customer service assistant. 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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