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The differences between customer support associates and customer relations associates 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 support associate and a customer relations associate. Additionally, a customer relations associate has an average salary of $35,656, which is higher than the $34,878 average annual salary of a customer support associate.
The top three skills for a customer support associate include data entry, strong customer service and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a customer relations associate are customer relations, processing orders, and problem resolution.
| Customer Support Associate | Customer Relations Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $34,878 | $35,656 |
| Hourly rate | $16.77 | $17.14 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 242,521 | 187,813 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A customer support associate's responsibilities revolve around assisting walk-in customers by answering inquiries, offering recommendations, issuing refunds, addressing complaints, and resolving it promptly and professionally. They may also provide support to clients through calls and correspondence, offering them products or services when necessary. There are also instances when they must perform follow-up calls, troubleshoot problems, and arrange appointments. Furthermore, as a customer support associate, it is essential to interact with clients in a friendly and efficient manner, ensuring customer satisfaction and quality service.
A Customer Relations Associate is primarily in charge of assisting clients by answering inquiries, troubleshooting problems, and promptly and efficiently resolving issues to ensure client satisfaction. They typically communicate with clients through calls, correspondence, or even through appointments. There are also instances where they may refer them to other specialists, offer products and services, discuss product specifications, arrange payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive relationships along the way. Moreover, a customer relations associate maintains records of all transactions, reporting to managers regularly.
Customer support associates and customer relations associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Support Associate | Customer Relations Associate | |
| Average salary | $34,878 | $35,656 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $48,000 | Between $26,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Adobe | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a customer support associate and a customer relations associate in terms of educational background:
| Customer Support Associate | Customer Relations Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer support associates' and customer relations associates' demographics:
| Customer Support Associate | Customer Relations Associate | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |