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Customer service retail associate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring customer service retail associates in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step customer service retail associate hiring guide:
A customer service retail associate is responsible for providing the highest customer service for the store's customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and recommending them goods and services that would fit their needs. Customer service retail associates support the marketing campaigns and promotional strategies of the store by offering and demonstrating products to the customers, as well as arranging stock displays, and monitoring the adequacy of inventories. They also escalate high-level complaints to management for immediate resolution and assist with product replacement and issuing refunds as needed.
Before you post your customer service retail associate job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a customer service retail associate for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a customer service retail associate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a customer service retail associate that fits the bill.
This list shows salaries for various types of customer service retail associates.
| Type of Customer Service Retail Associate | Description | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service Retail Associate | Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments. | $11-17 |
| Retail Clerk | A retail clerk is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, recommending products based on their needs, and responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the product. Retail clerks assist with the store's marketing strategies, organize product displays, monitor inventories, endorse promotional discounts, and help customers on their checkout payments... Show more | $11-18 |
| Customer Service Clerk | A customer service clerk is responsible for resolving client issues, giving requested information, and providing clients high-quality customer service. Customer service clerks' tasks include sharing information, responding to and recording requests, collecting payments, and resolving billing disputes... Show more | $12-20 |
Including a salary range in your customer service retail associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A customer service retail associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.
For example, the average salary for a customer service retail associate in West Virginia may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level customer service retail associate usually earns less than a senior-level customer service retail associate. Additionally, a customer service retail associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $43,161 | $21 |
| 2 | California | $36,175 | $17 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $35,817 | $17 |
| 4 | Oregon | $35,440 | $17 |
| 5 | Colorado | $32,808 | $16 |
| 6 | Nevada | $32,187 | $15 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $31,886 | $15 |
| 8 | Indiana | $30,502 | $15 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $30,097 | $14 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $29,714 | $14 |
| 11 | Utah | $29,673 | $14 |
| 12 | Michigan | $29,633 | $14 |
| 13 | Arizona | $28,799 | $14 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $28,505 | $14 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $28,398 | $14 |
| 16 | Maine | $28,332 | $14 |
| 17 | Illinois | $28,254 | $14 |
| 18 | Texas | $28,082 | $14 |
| 19 | Ohio | $27,692 | $13 |
| 20 | Alabama | $26,961 | $13 |
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tractor Supply | $33,650 | $16.18 | 3,867 |
| 2 | AT&T | $33,272 | $16.00 | 1,234 |
| 3 | Office Depot | $32,051 | $15.41 | 411 |
| 4 | Hudson Group | $32,035 | $15.40 | |
| 5 | FedEx | $31,952 | $15.36 | 219 |
| 6 | M&T Bank | $31,703 | $15.24 | 1 |
| 7 | Kelly Services | $30,952 | $14.88 | 12 |
| 8 | Russell Tobin | $30,239 | $14.54 | |
| 9 | Southern States Cooperative | $30,185 | $14.51 | 24 |
| 10 | Aerotek | $29,983 | $14.41 | 4 |
| 11 | Elements Massage | $29,897 | $14.37 | |
| 12 | Neiman Marcus Group | $29,894 | $14.37 | |
| 13 | Sunset Honda | $29,779 | $14.32 | |
| 14 | Adecco | $29,585 | $14.22 | 26 |
| 15 | Check 'n Go | $29,584 | $14.22 | |
| 16 | Rent-A-Center | $29,570 | $14.22 | 5 |
| 17 | Macy's | $29,551 | $14.21 | 1,087 |
| 18 | IKEA North America Services, LLC | $29,320 | $14.10 | 7 |
| 19 | OLE | $29,105 | $13.99 | |
| 20 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $29,040 | $13.96 | 2 |
A customer service retail associate 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a customer service retail associate job description:
There are a few common ways to find customer service retail associates for your business:
Recruiting customer service retail associates 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.
You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you've selected the best customer service retail associate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.
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 retail associate 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.
There are different types of costs for hiring customer service retail associates. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new customer service retail associate employee.
You can expect to pay around $30,002 per year for a customer service retail associate, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for customer service retail associates in the US typically range between $11 and $17 an hour.