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The differences between customer service managers and lead customer service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a customer service manager, becoming a lead customer service representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a customer service manager has an average salary of $61,487, which is higher than the $36,097 average annual salary of a lead customer service representative.
The top three skills for a customer service manager include strong customer service, payroll and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a lead customer service representative are cleanliness, cash handling, and inventory control.
| Customer Service Manager | Lead Customer Service Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $61,487 | $36,097 |
| Hourly rate | $29.56 | $17.35 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 313,110 | 192,052 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
Customer service managers are in charge of overseeing a group of customer service associates. They ensure that key metrics are met by the employees. These metrics usually include average handling time and customer satisfaction ratings. They also give coaching to employees who might need additional guidance in reaching team goals. Customer service managers are expected to have had experience on the operations floor to balance their role as a strategic leader and a people manager. They should have customer service skills, decision-making skills, and communication skills.
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. They implement strategies to ensure customer satisfaction, increase productivity, and achieve profitability goals. A lead customer service representative handles escalation and evaluates team member's performance. A lead customer service representative must have excellent communication and leadership skills to supervise the team and support the business' improvement plans.
Customer service managers and lead customer service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Service Manager | Lead Customer Service Representative | |
| Average salary | $61,487 | $36,097 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $105,000 | Between $22,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Goldsboro, NC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | KLA | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a customer service manager and a lead customer service representative in terms of educational background:
| Customer Service Manager | Lead Customer Service Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between customer service managers' and lead customer service representatives' demographics:
| Customer Service Manager | Lead Customer Service Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% | Male, 32.1% Female, 67.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 7% |