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What does a service provider do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
What does a service provider do

Service providers are individuals or entities offering services to an organization and other parties. They provide storage, processing, or network services. The providers offer organizations real estate, communications, education, legal, and consulting services. It is their job to complete the requested tasks of their clients, provide solutions to network problems, and recommend options based on the needs of their clients. They also suggest changes or opportunities necessary within the organization.

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Service provider responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real service provider resumes:

  • Develop contracting strategy to build capacity and achieve ongoing compliance with Medicare and Medicaid provider network adequacy requirements.
  • Certify to administer first aid, CPR; dispense medication.
  • Certify in first aid and CPR programs via company training.
  • Ensure contracts comply with HIPAA, fraud and abuse regulations and CMS guidelines.
  • Provide assistance to DHS provider staff in order for them to better navigate through the social service systems.
  • Exceed company standards for unit cleanliness and client/partner satisfaction.
  • Maintain cleanliness of the salon and ensure positive customer experiences.
  • Assess individual nutritional risk and status of pregnant patients and document clinical findings.
  • Schedule installation, coordinate material delivery and provide installation of windows and doors.
  • Provide adequate information to commercial and Medicaid members relating to their enrollment, current physician, and prescription benefits.
  • Provide counseling/therapy to patients and families requiring complex intervention, develop comprehensive discharge/transition plans to ensure the continuity of care.
  • Conduct training/information sessions for DHS staff and providers about the availability of services throughout the community and about department initiatives.
  • Provide assistance to participants of different government programs like food stamps, welfare or TANF, elderly care, etc.
  • Apply all guidelines to decide eligibility for any of the assistance or relate medical programs except TANF and day care.
  • Assist in creating goals for IEP's.

Service provider skills and personality traits

We calculated that 31% of Service Providers are proficient in Customer Service, Cleanliness, and Social Work. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Time-management skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Service Providers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 31%

    Lead clinical expert and information system liaison in the development of clinical documentation, managed care and customer service automated databases.

  • Cleanliness, 20%

    Maintained cleanliness of the salon and ensured positive customer experiences.

  • Social Work, 7%

    Provided psychiatric social work services to mentally and emotionally disturbed patients of a state regional psychiatric hospital and their families.

  • Mental Health, 5%

    Answer inbound calls from hospitals, medical practices (medical/surgical) and substance abuse/mental health facilities regarding medical policy insurance inquires.

  • Patients, 4%

    Provided counseling/therapy to patients and families requiring complex intervention, developed comprehensive discharge/transition plans to ensure the continuity of care.

  • Community Resources, 2%

    Facilitate educational and counseling groups, and assist clients with career consultation services and community resources.

Common skills that a service provider uses to do their job include "customer service," "cleanliness," and "social work." You can find details on the most important service provider responsibilities below.

Compassion. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a service provider to have is compassion. Their role and responsibilities require that "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." Service providers often use compassion in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide outstanding customer service with a sense of compassion and understanding. "

Time-management skills. Many service provider duties rely on time-management skills. "social and human service assistants often work with many clients," so a service provider will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways service provider responsibilities rely on time-management skills: "managed hpn designation communication plan and worked in conjunction with support services in order to ensure that deadlines were met. "

Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of service providers is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday service provider duties, as "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "conducted therapeutic mentoring and in-home family services including training in age-appropriate behaviors, interpersonal communication and conflict resolution. "

Interpersonal skills. For certain service provider responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a service provider rely on this skill, as "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what service providers do: "exercised excellent interpersonal skills in provide prompt service in a friendly environment* worked efficiently under several different managers and changes in policy. "

Organizational skills. Another common skill required for service provider responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of service providers all the time, as "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients." An excerpt from a real service provider resume shows how this skill is central to what a service provider does: "conduct and coordinate various organizational projects to assist service coordination supervisor. "

Problem-solving skills. Lastly, "problem-solving skills" is an important element of what a service provider does. Service provider responsibilities require this skill because "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems." This resume example highlights how service provider duties rely on this skill: "ensured proper delivery of hp solutions to prospective customers through implementation of certification program for isps. "

See the full list of service provider skills

The three companies that hire the most service providers are:

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Compare different service providers

Service provider vs. Advocate

An advocate is a voice for the voiceless. It is their responsibility to speak on behalf of an individual or a particular cause. Most of the duties will vary depending on the line of organization or duty involved; however, an advocate must have extensive knowledge or background on the subject matter. Furthermore, an advocate must be present at gatherings regarding the cause, assist in the negotiation and mediation processes involving contracts and legal documentation, provide or convey accurate information, and defend what they represent.

The annual salary of advocates is $4,408 higher than the average salary of service providers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both service provider and advocate positions are skilled in customer service, cleanliness, and mental health.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, service provider responsibilities require skills like "strong customer service," "social work," "foster care," and "hr." Meanwhile a typical advocate has skills in areas such as "safety planning," "advocacy services," "financial assistance," and "veterans." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Advocates earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,536. On the other hand, service providers are paid more in the insurance industry with an average salary of $37,005.On average, advocates reach similar levels of education than service providers. Advocates are 2.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Service provider vs. Volunteer

Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service. They may be employed in another organization, but they lend their time and talent to another organization or company to give back to the community. They raise funds, create awareness, and work on the ground. Volunteers usually choose a cause or advocacy close to their heart, such as teaching children, taking care of the elderly, coaching sports teams, cleaning up communities, and caring for animals.

On average, volunteers earn a $3,862 lower salary than service providers a year.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, service provider responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "strong customer service," and "social work." Meanwhile, a volunteer has duties that require skills in areas such as "child care," "patient charts," "patient care," and "front desk." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, volunteers achieve lower levels of education than service providers. They're 5.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for service providers in the next 3-5 years?

Lesley Casarez Ph.D.Lesley Casarez Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University

Graduates will need to learn to use technology in which virtual platforms are taking place and web conferencing platforms. Numerous platforms are being used, so the particular platform itself is not as crucial as being well-versed in how virtual education differs from face-to-face environments. Typically, the instructional role in online learning is more of a facilitator, as the educator guides the students to think critically, integrate, and apply new knowledge. This may be difficult for educators who would rather stand in front of a classroom and pass on their knowledge through lecture-based formats. Additionally, being well-versed in various web conferencing platforms will benefit graduates, as they move into a career that is currently requiring communication in virtual environments.

Service provider vs. Community support specialist

A community support specialist is responsible for supporting and providing care services for citizens with mental health conditions and other medical illnesses. Community support specialists coordinate with organizations and health institutions to generate resources that would help the patients in their daily activities, medications, and treatment plans. They also strategize community events and activities to observe the patients' social and personal behaviors and endorse them to a mental health professional for in-depth examination and counseling.

On average scale, community support specialists bring in higher salaries than service providers. In fact, they earn a $4,231 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on service providers and community support specialists resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "social work," "mental health," and "community resources.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, service providers are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "strong customer service," and "patients." But a community support specialist is more likely to have skills like "rehabilitation," "direct services," "severe mental illness," and "community integration."

Community support specialists make a very good living in the non profits industry with an average annual salary of $37,451. On the other hand, service providers are paid the highest salary in the insurance industry, with average annual pay of $37,005.community support specialists typically earn similar educational levels compared to service providers. Specifically, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Service provider vs. Student support counselor

A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.

Student support counselors typically earn higher pay than service providers. On average, student support counselors earn a $6,240 higher salary per year.While their salaries may vary, service providers and student support counselors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "mental health," "community resources," and "crisis intervention. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between service providers and student support counselors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a service provider might have more use for skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "strong customer service," and "social work." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of student support counselors require skills like "student support," "professional development," "behavioral issues," and "financial aid. "

In general, student support counselors earn the most working in the education industry, with an average salary of $44,149. The highest-paying industry for a service provider is the insurance industry.In general, student support counselors hold similar degree levels compared to service providers. Student support counselors are 0.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of service provider

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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