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The differences between customer service specialists and customer service desks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a customer service specialist and a customer service desk. Additionally, a customer service desk has an average salary of $34,599, which is higher than the $33,238 average annual salary of a customer service specialist.
The top three skills for a customer service specialist include customer service, strong customer service and cleanliness. The most important skills for a customer service desk are service desk, customer service, and strong customer service.
| Customer Service Specialist | Customer Service Desk | |
| Yearly salary | $33,238 | $34,599 |
| Hourly rate | $15.98 | $16.63 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 223,323 | 233,256 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Customer service specialists are employees who are responsible for providing the best customer experience to customers, usually for after-sales transactions. They attend to customers' inquiries and provide answers to their questions on products or services that the company offers. They also address customer complaints and help mitigate the concerns by offering solutions such as instructions on how to fix defects, or processing replacements or refunds. Customer service specialists also listen to customer feedback and ensure that these are logged properly so that proper departments will be able to receive them.
The responsibilities of working in a customer service desk primarily revolves around ensuring customer satisfaction by responding to their inquiries and concerns. There are instances when it is required to provide directions, locate products, make reservations, and resolve various issues. There may also be administrative tasks such as handling and making calls, assisting customers in filling out forms, preparing paperwork and reports, arranging records, and coordinating with various staff members to ensure that a customer receives quality service.
Customer service specialists and customer service desks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Service Specialist | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average salary | $33,238 | $34,599 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $25,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Atwater, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Dell | SAIC |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a customer service specialist and a customer service desk in terms of educational background:
| Customer Service Specialist | Customer Service Desk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer service specialists' and customer service desks' demographics:
| Customer Service Specialist | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |