What does a general service manager do?
General service managers are professionals who manage the administrative activities of a company to ensure that a proper environment for its operations is achieved. These managers are required to supervise the maintenance activities and upgrades of equipment and systems so that they can minimize disruptions of business activities. Under the direction of the finance manager, general service managers must coordinate with service providers on matters related to finance and tax. They must also manage teams to ensure that they comply with local and occupational health laws.
General service manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real general service manager resumes:
- Lead team through ISO certification which increase quality and processes.
- Lead RFP process for CRM software to include extensive evaluation and contract negotiation.
- Stabilize logistics organization, recruit and train 2 key positions, achieve zero staff turnover for two years.
- Coordinate and participate with the installation teams to help troubleshoot problems and resolve customer concerns while managing service and commissioning engineers.
- Maximize repair/assembly departments' workflow, parts inventory, and logistics.
- Improve quality systems across all plants and obtain QS or ISO certification at all sites.
- Oversee all sales/service productivity, payroll, accounting and warehouse inventory.
- Prepare reports using Microsoft applications concerning room occupancy, payroll, and department expenses.
- Conduct daily patient and environmental rounds, conduct patients satisfaction surveys and generate reports for presentation to administration.
- Record of delivering REVPAR indexes well above the competitive set.
- Assist DM with sales surveys, training of unit staff, and special projects.
- Educate parent company on complexities of e-discovery SaaS business and processes.
- Optimize processing and ensure accuracy of accounts payable function using QuickBooks.
General service manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of General Service Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction, and Business Plan. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of General Service Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 20%
Directed staff recruitment and development, leading to increased customer service ratings and division leading customer satisfaction scores.
- Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Restructured and redesigned the organization for management and performance sustainability that significantly increased Enterprise Customer Satisfaction by 20 points in Japan.
- Business Plan, 6%
Developed annual business plan and budget, analyzed monthly financial reports, negotiated facility leases, reviewed and approved capital purchases.
- Employee Development, 5%
Managed employee development and performance evaluation.
- Oversight, 5%
Provided resource management and oversight to 168 engagements annually.
- Financial Statements, 5%
Provided a full range of accounting services ranging from the preparation of compiled and reviewed financial statements to monthly write-up services.
Most general service managers use their skills in "customer service," "customer satisfaction," and "business plan" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential general service manager responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a general service manager to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what general service managers do because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, a general service manager resume shows how general service managers use communication skills: "exceeded quarterly audit standards by implementing iso 9001:2008 across all areas, improving quality and communication throughout the audit process. "
Leadership skills. Many general service manager duties rely on leadership skills. "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources.," so a general service manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways general service manager responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "provided local leadership and strategic direction to build client relationships. "
Problem-solving skills. For certain general service manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a general service manager rely on this skill, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what general service managers do: "monitored operations to ensure that services rendered conformed to company policy and standards resolved customer complaints. "
Time-management skills. Another crucial skill for a general service manager to carry out their responsibilities is "time-management skills." A big part of what general service managers relies on this skill, since "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." How this skill relates to general service manager duties can be seen in an example from a general service manager resume snippet: "developed streamlined process to implement consistent application upgrades across manufacturing plants, reducing implementation time and increasing customer satisfaction. "
The three companies that hire the most general service managers are:
- Wendy's38 general service managers jobs
- TravelCenters of America22 general service managers jobs
- Goodwin Recruiting12 general service managers jobs
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Compare different general service managers
General service manager vs. Manager of business services
Business Service Managers are administrative professionals who oversee different service-related functions in the company. They manage the teams involved in serving various functions. They ensure proper coordination between these teams. \They carefully allocate resources to cover their bases and ensure that services are available at all times. Business Service Managers prepare and draft policies and guidelines related to company services. They also ensure that these guidelines are properly cascaded and are followed by their constituents.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a general service manager are more likely to require skills like "business plan," "employee development," "client satisfaction," and "excellent guest." On the other hand, a job as a manager of business services requires skills like "cpa," "risk management," "business operations," and "taxation." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Managers of business services earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $110,546. On the other hand, general service managers are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $87,540.The education levels that managers of business services earn slightly differ from general service managers. In particular, managers of business services are 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a general service manager. Additionally, they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General service manager vs. Division manager
Division managers supervise a section of the company and are responsible for that division's success. General duties include organizing, planning, allocating resources, and managing the daily operations of the sector. Part of their duty is to evaluate the division's performance and develop strategies for performance improvement. They ensure that compliance to policies and procedures is maintained by the team members. Also, they assist in employee recruitment and performance evaluation for promotion, retention, and termination undertakings. Additionally, division managers need to fix issues that hinder achieving division goals and success.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real general service manager resumes. While general service manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer satisfaction," "employee development," "client satisfaction," and "excellent guest," division managers use skills like "project management," "safety program," "product development," and "professional development."
Division managers earn a lower average salary than general service managers. But division managers earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $95,992. Additionally, general service managers earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $87,540 annually.In general, division managers achieve similar levels of education than general service managers. They're 1.8% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for general service managers in the next 3-5 years?
Eric Olsen
Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business
General service manager vs. Vice president & general manager
A vice president and general manager's role is to implement policies and regulations while overseeing the business operations. Typically, it is their primary responsibility to devise training programs that would produce more efficient workforce members, create new strategies to boost sales and customer satisfaction, and participate in budget and goals creation. They mainly report to high-ranking officials such as the president and board members. Furthermore, a vice president and general manager may perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports and presentations, managing schedules, and responding to correspondence.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from general service manager resumes include skills like "customer satisfaction," "employee development," "oversight," and "financial statements," whereas a vice president & general manager is more likely to list skills in "revenue growth," "product development," "business strategy," and "project management. "
Vice president & general managers earn the highest salary when working in the media industry, where they receive an average salary of $172,642. Comparatively, general service managers have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $87,540.vice president & general managers typically earn higher educational levels compared to general service managers. Specifically, they're 5.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General service manager vs. Area manager
An Area Manager's responsibility is to oversee the business operations of all company branches within a particular area. Among the tasks involve creating strategies to achieve the sales target, monitoring and evaluating the performance and progress of stores including their workforce, adhering to the budget and regulations of the company, and focus on attaining the image and financial goals. Moreover, an Area Manager must communicate and coordinate with fellow managers and hire employees that would be a vital member of the company.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between general service managers and area managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a general service manager might have more use for skills like "oversight," "financial statements," "client satisfaction," and "excellent guest." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of area managers require skills like "safety standards," "excellent interpersonal," "continuous improvement," and "work ethic. "
Area managers enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $77,221. For comparison, general service managers earn the highest salary in the finance industry.area managers reach similar levels of education compared to general service managers, in general. The difference is that they're 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of general service manager
Updated January 8, 2025
