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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 | Receptionist/Customer Service | |
| Yearly salary | $38,371 | $30,604 |
| Hourly rate | $18.45 | $14.71 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 202,965 | 216,587 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
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 specialists and receptionist/customer services have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Specialist | Receptionist/Customer Service | |
| Average salary | $38,371 | $30,604 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $66,000 | Between $25,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Uline |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a customer specialist and a receptionist/customer service in terms of educational background:
| Customer Specialist | Receptionist/Customer Service | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer specialists' and receptionist/customer services' demographics:
| Customer Specialist | Receptionist/Customer Service | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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 Percentage | 7% | 7% |