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The differences between receptionist/customer services and customer service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a receptionist/customer service and a customer service representative. Additionally, a customer service representative has an average salary of $32,260, which is higher than the $30,604 average annual salary of a receptionist/customer service.
The top three skills for a receptionist/customer service include customer service, phone calls and data entry. The most important skills for a customer service representative are cleanliness, POS, and data entry.
| Receptionist/Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $30,604 | $32,260 |
| Hourly rate | $14.71 | $15.51 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 216,587 | 209,515 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 service representatives are the first point of contact of the customers, acting as the frontiers of the company and help in driving customer loyalty and retention by leaving a great impression and resolving all of their concerns. They accommodate customer queries by providing useful and comprehensive information about any products or services. Some would use that as an opportunity to market and promote more sales. The most challenging issues they use to handle are customer complaints and processing of refunds and returns. They also assist in basic troubleshooting or accounts and payment setup with the use of specific guidelines or step by step procedures. At most, they help and solve customer issues on their own, but sometimes they would need support from supervisors or other departments.
Receptionist/customer services and customer service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Receptionist/Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | |
| Average salary | $30,604 | $32,260 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $37,000 | Between $25,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Billerica, MA | Des Moines, WA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Washington |
| Best paying company | Uline | Oracle |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a receptionist/customer service and a customer service representative in terms of educational background:
| Receptionist/Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between receptionist/customer services' and customer service representatives' demographics:
| Receptionist/Customer Service | Customer Service Representative | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0% | Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |