What is a customer service specialist and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Customer Service Specialist?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a customer service specialist. That is the time it takes to learn specific customer service specialist skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Q: How much do customer service specialists make?

Customer service specialists make between $29,000 to $37,000 annually, or between $14 -19 an hour. It's considered an entry-level position that requires minimum education and no experience.

Q: How much do customer support specialists make?

Customer support specialists make between $29,500 and $41,000 annually. The nationwide average is $36,458. The amount varies based on location, industry, and background. Some support specialists go through quick training to serve the role, while others may have strong information technology (IT) backgrounds and are helping guide users through complex network systems.

Q: Is customer service specialist a good job?

Yes, being a customer service specialist is a good job if you enjoy a steady flow of interaction with people. Customer service specialists often work in call centers or remotely, helping to serve or resolve customer issues.

Q: What are the duties of a customer support specialist?

The duties of a customer support specialist are dedicated to addressing the concerns or queries of a customer. They typically specialize in guiding users through the use of a specific product or system.

Q: What is a customer support specialist?

A customer support specialist is a professional who provides information or sells products and services to customers. Customer support specialists are experts on the features and functionality of a product and guide users through proper use. Customer service support specialists are also on call to resolve issues and handle complaints.

Q: What is the difference between a customer service representative and a customer support specialist?

The difference between customer service representatives and customer support specialists is that customer service representatives are more generalized resources that deal with administrative issues.

Q: What is the difference between customer service specialist and customer service representative?

The difference between customer service representatives and customer service specialists is that customer service representatives represent the company handling general questions and issues, whereas the customer service specialist may be reached to resolve concerns, complaints, or challenging customers.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA

A customer service specialist provides assistance and support to customers of a company. They are responsible for resolving customer inquiries, complaints, and issues through various communication channels such as phone, email, or chat. A customer service specialist must possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills, as well as a deep understanding of the company's products or services. They must be able to handle difficult situations while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exceptional service.

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

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 SpecialistUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,238

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 6.77%

Black or African American 11.58%

Hispanic or Latino 19.96%

Unknown 5.36%

White 55.61%

Gender

female 68.03%

male 31.97%

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 specialist?

Pros

Opportunity to help people and make a difference in their lives
Chance to improve communication and interpersonal skills
Possibility of advancement within the company
Learning about various products and services
Potential to earn bonuses or incentives for exceptional performance

Cons

Dealing with difficult or angry customers can be stressful and emotionally taxing
Strict adherence to policies and procedures may limit flexibility in handling customer issues
High call volume can be overwhelming and demanding
Working extended hours
Low pay

Key steps to become a customer service specialist

Explore customer service specialist education requirements

Most common customer service specialist degrees

Bachelor's

42.6 %

Associate

23.3 %

High School Diploma

21.9 %

Start to develop specific customer service specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	19.11%
Strong Customer Service	9.44%
Cleanliness	7.23%
Front End	6.77%
Cash Management	6.68%

Complete relevant customer service specialist training and internships

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

Research customer service specialist duties and responsibilities

Work with customers/companies over the phone and helps troubleshoot technology/service issues while maintaining customer satisfaction in a large call-center capacity.
Mentore the team members and QA team for timely releases.
Monitor reports, compile reviews, and participate in QA calibrations.
Oversee management of social networking presence on Facebook, various travel relate blogs and utilizing various social listening tools.

Prepare your customer service specialist resume

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

Build a professional customer service specialist 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 specialist resume.

Apply for customer service specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a customer service specialist 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 specialists rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Customer service specialist 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

Customer service specialist FAQs

What is a customer service specialist and how to become one

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

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

Customer service specialist career paths

Key steps to become a customer service specialist

Explore customer service specialist education requirements

Most common customer service specialist degrees

Start to develop specific customer service specialist skills

Complete relevant customer service specialist training and internships

Research customer service specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your customer service specialist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable customer service specialist resume templates

Apply for customer service specialist jobs

How did you land your first customer service specialist job

Average customer service specialist salary

How do customer service specialists rate their job?

Customer service specialist reviews

Customer service specialist FAQs

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

How much do customer service specialists make?

How much do customer support specialists make?

Is customer service specialist a good job?

What are the duties of a customer support specialist?

What is a customer support specialist?

What is the difference between a customer service representative and a customer support specialist?

What is the difference between customer service specialist and customer service representative?

Search for customer service specialist jobs

Customer service specialist jobs by state