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Customer specialist vs receptionist/customer service

The differences between customer specialists and receptionist/customer services 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 specialist and a receptionist/customer service. Additionally, a customer specialist has an average salary of $38,371, which is higher than the $30,604 average annual salary of a receptionist/customer service.

The top three skills for a customer specialist include customer transactions, client facing and phone calls. The most important skills for a receptionist/customer service are customer service, phone calls, and data entry.

Customer specialist vs receptionist/customer service overview

Customer SpecialistReceptionist/Customer Service
Yearly salary$38,371$30,604
Hourly rate$18.45$14.71
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs202,965216,587
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does a customer specialist do?

A customer specialist is responsible for assisting customers with their needs and concerns about the products and services offered by the company, addressing their inquiries timely and accurately. Customer specialists evaluate the customers' issues and provide immediate solutions through remote communication. In some cases, a customer specialist may send technical staff to the customer's location for problems that cannot be resolved over the phone or e-mail. They also take orders from the customers, process their payments, and explain the features and functions of the product.

What does a receptionist/customer service do?

Receptionists or customer service professionals are considered as the first contact point of the clients. They usually greet and welcome guests visiting an office or organization. These are employees who serve as administrative or office support. They take responsibility for digital communication. It is their job to coordinate the front desk activities such as redirecting phone calls and distributing correspondence. They should be equipped with skills like attention to detail, dependability, and communication skills.

Customer specialist vs receptionist/customer service salary

Customer specialists and receptionist/customer services have different pay scales, as shown below.

Customer SpecialistReceptionist/Customer Service
Average salary$38,371$30,604
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $66,000Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBillerica, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMinnesota
Best paying companyAbbVieUline
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between customer specialist and receptionist/customer service education

There are a few differences between a customer specialist and a receptionist/customer service in terms of educational background:

Customer SpecialistReceptionist/Customer Service
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Customer specialist vs receptionist/customer service demographics

Here are the differences between customer specialists' and receptionist/customer services' demographics:

Customer SpecialistReceptionist/Customer Service
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 42.5% Female, 57.5%Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between customer specialist and receptionist/customer service duties and responsibilities

Customer specialist example responsibilities.

  • Create powerpoint presentations as well as presented.
  • Used a CRM tool effectively to track all customer interactions and setup follow up.
  • Identify or create customer wants and needs and offer solutions/benefits to upsell new or additional services.
  • Install, remove, rearrange, program, test, troubleshoot and maintain fiber and copper network services.
  • Process all new patient referrals as assigned and verifying that all the necessary requirements are meet according to Medicare s guidelines.
  • Prepare and process documents and correspondence for Medicare audit.
  • Show more

Receptionist/customer service example responsibilities.

  • Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
  • Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
  • Bill and collect from private pay, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
  • Doctor authorization for treatments, understanding of Medicare and Medicaid, prior authorizations (if need).
  • Resolve problems with the buyers concerning invoices that do not match in the AS400 system.
  • Receive and apply checks into AS400 accounting database and scan checks into bank, on a daily basis.
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Customer specialist vs receptionist/customer service skills

Common customer specialist skills
  • Customer Transactions, 11%
  • Client Facing, 8%
  • Phone Calls, 7%
  • Customer Loyalty, 6%
  • Related Training, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
Common receptionist/customer service skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Phone Calls, 15%
  • Data Entry, 14%
  • Telephone Calls, 8%
  • Front Desk, 8%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 8%

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