How to hire a Customer Service Manager

How to hire a customer service manager, step by step

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

What does a Customer Service Manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the customer service manager you need to hire. Certain customer service manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A customer service manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, customer service managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of customer service manager salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Customer Service Manager	Description	Hourly Rate
   Customer Service Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$16-50
   Service Operations Manager	Service operations managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of service-oriented businesses. Typical duties of a service operations manager include hiring, training, and managing employees, developing and approving organizational policies and budgets, and managing all aspects of marketing... Show More	$22-68
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Strong Customer Service
   • Payroll
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Customer Complaints
   • Customer Service
   • ISO
   • Direct Reports
   • Service Desk
   • Customer Service Reps
   • Customer Inquiries
   • CSM
   • POS
   • Customer Issues
   • Customer Orders

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the accounts payable and accounts receivable dealing with the Michigan WIC program.
   • Ensure SLA compliance are achieved for all incident metrics as well as call resolution.
   • Manage installation and customization of ACD system and PBX for business office call center operations.
   • Develop and manage communications strategies, including Facebook, catalog production, email marketing, direct mail.
   • Lead efforts in developing and executing CRM with the team to identify areas of improvement within the departments.
   • Prioritize, delegate and accomplish multiple projects, as well as the ability to troubleshoot and resolve common problems.

   More Customer Service Manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, customer service managers' average salary in arkansas is 71% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level customer service managers 67% less than senior-level customer service managers.
   • Certifications. A customer service manager 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 manager's salary.

   Average customer service manager salary

   $61,487yearly

   $29.56 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level customer service manager salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2025

   Average customer service manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	District of Columbia	$101,882	$49
   2	California	$82,005	$39
   3	New Jersey	$80,142	$39
   4	New York	$78,000	$38
   5	Washington	$73,075	$35
   6	Maryland	$72,831	$35
   7	Virginia	$72,502	$35
   8	Massachusetts	$71,365	$34
   9	Pennsylvania	$66,526	$32
   10	Ohio	$63,961	$31
   11	Nevada	$57,485	$28
   12	Texas	$55,640	$27
   13	Illinois	$54,480	$26
   14	North Carolina	$54,220	$26
   15	Oregon	$50,966	$25
   16	Colorado	$50,431	$24
   17	West Virginia	$49,334	$24
   18	Arizona	$49,254	$24
   19	South Carolina	$48,692	$23
   20	Indiana	$47,500	$23

   Average customer service manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	KLA	$119,875	$57.63	4
   2	CITGO Petroleum	$119,151	$57.28
   3	Citi	$115,659	$55.61	118
   4	Lam Research	$108,951	$52.38	5
   5	Regeneron	$107,811	$51.83	34
   6	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$106,343	$51.13
   7	Allen Tate	$105,808	$50.87	1
   8	RE/MAX	$104,678	$50.33
   9	Altice USA	$102,397	$49.23	10
   10	Cisco	$102,359	$49.21	14
   11	Amkor Technology, Inc.	$100,868	$48.49
   12	Palo Alto Networks	$100,713	$48.42	8
   13	Informatica	$100,355	$48.25
   14	Zoetis	$99,201	$47.69	3
   15	Learjet	$97,654	$46.95
   16	Juniper Networks	$95,837	$46.08
   17	HP	$95,099	$45.72	17
   18	City of Seattle	$95,030	$45.69	5
   19	Dentons	$94,775	$45.56
   20	Accenture	$93,549	$44.98	1,746

4. Writing a Customer Service Manager Job Description

   A job description for a customer service manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a customer service manager job description:

   Customer Service Manager job description example

   You're an original. So are we.
   
   We're a company of people who like to forge our own path. We invented the blue jean in 1873, and we reinvented khaki pants in 1986. We pioneered labor and environmental guidelines in manufacturing. And we work to build sustainability into everything we do. Our brands stand for freedom and self-expression around the world.
   
   Where we lead, others follow. For more than 160 years, we've used the strength of our brands to lead with our values and make an outsized impact on the world. We employ more than 15,000 people globally to support our great brands: Levi's , Dockers , Denizen and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™
   
   Supervisor contribute as an integral member of the store management team by contributing to the successful implementation of strategies and operational excellence that ensure brand equity, customer satisfaction and financial growth.
   
   About the Role
   Creates a high energy, compelling store experience by engaging consumers and modeling appropriate service behaviors to other associates, supervising and providing consistent coaching on sales training process in order to ensure the highest level of service and sales.Proactively resolve consumer concerns in a manner consistent with company policy and with consumer satisfaction in mind. Partner with store manager on elevated consumer issues Participates in training process for new hires and current employees on LS&CO culture, product knowledge, service practices, loss prevention, store policy and programs and other associate responsibilities.Partner with store management to set expectations, coach and contribute to an environment that encourages engagement, retention and talent. Deliver formal performance feedback in partnership with store management Efficient handling of all cash handling and merchandise operations such as shipment processing, floor set, markdown, and replenishment systems while maintaining standards. Perform store procedures in compliance with store policy.Works with the Store Manager, and/or Associate Manager and Assistant Store Manager(s) to flex store business strategies and meet or exceed established store and individual sales and performance goals daily Supervises store team in the absence of another member of management.Comply with all Levi's Stores policy, procedure, and programs, able to follow directives of store management
   
   About You
   Enjoy being busy and juggling multiple tasks, accomplishing multiple tasks in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment You are a collaborative role model exhibiting behaviors aligned with company culture of inclusion and belonging.Is self-starter with a growth mindset, enjoys learning new tools and adaptable to new initiatives Progressive retail leadership experience and proven skills in supervising, coaching and training Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the business, including evening, weekend and holiday shifts Ability to perform all essential job functions and able to lift up to 40 pounds. While performing the duties of the job the employee may be required to stand, walk, kneel, squat, crouch, bend, stoop, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, to type, reach overhead, and climb ladders. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.Must have reliable transportation High school diploma or GED preferred
   
   We put a lot of thought into our programs to provide you with a benefits package that matters. Whether it is for medical care, taking time off, improving your health or planning for retirement, we've got you covered. Here's a small snapshot:
   401K match: $1.25 for every $1.00 you contribute up to the first 6% of pay you save.Five hours of paid volunteer time per month with nonprofit organizations Product discount of 60% off regular-price merchandise Paid Family Leave
   
   Our policy is to provide equal opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, marital status, Vietnam era/disabled veteran status, physical or mental disability, or other protected classes prohibited by applicable law. Company policy prohibits harassment of applicants or employees on the basis of any protected classes. We have established a continuing Affirmative Action Program to assure equal employment opportunity in all its policy decisions affecting recruitment, selection, assignment, promotion, training, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
   
   EOE M/F/Disability/Vets
   
   LOCATION
   Portland, OR, USA
   
   FULL TIME/PART TIME
   Full time
   Current LS&Co Employees, apply via your Workday account.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right customer service manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with customer service managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit customer service managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with customer service manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 manager

   Once you've found the customer service manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new customer service manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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