What is a service representative and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Service Representative?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a service representative. That is the time it takes to learn specific service representative skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Q: Do you need a college degree to be a customer service rep?

No, you do not need a college degree to become a customer service rep. For this position, you typically only need your high school diploma or its equivalent. However, increasingly more, some employers seek customer service representatives who have an associate's degree. This is because the position requires a high level of communication skills and an understanding of how the business works.

Q: How do I get a job as a customer service representative?

To get a job as a customer service representative, apply for customer service jobs with a resume and cover letter that describe your accomplishments working with customers in the past. Working as a customer service representative involves talking face-to-face with customers, solving problems, and helping others, so these are the most important elements to focus on during the application process.

Q: What are the duties and responsibilities of a customer service representative?

The duties and responsibilities of a customer service representative are focused on providing customer support. A customer service representative serves as the liaison between the company and the customer base. Customer support can come in the form of phone, email, live chat, social media, or some combination of those things.

Q: What are the top three priorities for a customer service representative?

The top three priorities for a customer service representative are the 'Three Ps' professionalism, patience, and a "people-first" attitude. Although customer service varies from customer or company, the 'Three Ps' will work in almost any customer service representative job.

Q: What do you need to become a customer service representative?

To become a customer service representative, you need a high school diploma or equivalent and good communication skills. A person seeking to become a customer service representative should ideally have a few years of prior experience in a customer service environment (such as retail).

Q: What is a service representative agent?

A service representative agent is a person who helps customers resolve problems with a product or service. A service representative interacts with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about a company's products and services.

Q: What is service representation?

Service representation is when a person represents the company to customers to resolve any problems that the customer may have with the product or service being provided. This work happens across industries but is typically performed by customer service representatives.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Ashley Strausser

A service representative provides assistance and support to customers of a product or service. They are responsible for handling customer inquiries, complaints, and requests, and providing information about products and services. Service representatives must have excellent communication skills, be knowledgeable about the products or services they represent, and be able to handle difficult situations with patience and empathy. They may work in various industries such as retail, banking, or telecommunications.

What's a day at work look like for a service representative?

Ashley Strausser

Career Coach, Denison University

As we continue to live and work through a global pandemic, many new graduates will be working remotely or in some sort of hybrid variation. Working remotely necessitates discipline and being a self-starter. Graduates will need to develop strong professional work habits that will serve them well and lay a strong foundation as they begin their career. Many of us are challenged by a lack of social interaction beyond meetings with colleagues or clients via Zoom or Teams. Working from home for the last year, I can personally attest that attending to our physical and mental health is more important than ever. Take time to go for a walk or run on your lunch break. Set your alarm early to spend time meditating before you begin your work day. Don't get into the habit of rolling out of bed at 7:55am to start work at 8:00am. Consider doing yoga after work to help relieve stress. Make it a point to set up regular Zoom lunch dates to connect with or get to know your new colleagues. With our laptop and work space set up at home it's easy to get into the habit of working much more than we normally would if we were commuting to and from the office. It's important to set boundaries related to when and how much we work. Employ a strong work ethic, but don't neglect important aspects of your well-being.

ScoreService RepresentativeUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,692

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 6.76%

Black or African American 10.98%

Hispanic or Latino 20.58%

Unknown 5.31%

White 55.65%

Gender

female 60.36%

male 39.64%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a service representative?

Pros

Ability to develop problem-solving skills
Opportunity for advancement within the company
Potential for earning bonuses or commissions
Ability to learn about different industries and products
Flexible scheduling options may be available

Cons

High-pressure environment with strict performance metrics
May require working evenings, weekends, or holidays
May be required to work in a call center or cubicle setting, which can be isolating
Low pay and limited benefits in some industries

Key steps to become a service representative

Explore service representative education requirements

Most common service representative degrees

Bachelor's

50.8 %

Associate

20.4 %

High School Diploma

15.9 %

Start to develop specific service representative skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	9.39%
Client Service	8.01%
Patients	6.53%
PET	5.41%
Front Desk	4.66%

Complete relevant service representative training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New service representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a service representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real service representative resumes.

Research service representative duties and responsibilities

Utilize QuickBooks to manage patient's payment for hearing aids and various equipment.
Join online marketplace specializing in local deals to manage customer engagements while providing industry-best service.
Manage customer relations with internal personnel, group administrators, brokers and members as related to Medicare insurance.
Involve great interpersonal skills and upselling.

Prepare your service representative resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your service representative resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a service representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable service representative resume templates

Build a professional service representative resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your service representative resume.

Apply for service representative jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a service representative job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do service representatives rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Service representative reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

Getting to know the people and the you work.with

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Cons

I don't like when a rep or a consumer are not interested in a solution, but are only interested in venting. Although, venting maybe just what the consumer needed.

What is a service representative and how to become one

What's a day at work look like for a service representative?

What are the pros and cons of being a service representative?

Service representative career paths

Key steps to become a service representative

Explore service representative education requirements

Most common service representative degrees

Start to develop specific service representative skills

Complete relevant service representative training and internships

Research service representative duties and responsibilities

Prepare your service representative resume

Choose from 10+ customizable service representative resume templates

Apply for service representative jobs

How did you land your first service representative job

Average service representative salary

How do service representatives rate their job?

Service representative reviews

Service representative FAQs

How long does it take to become a Service Representative?

Do you need a college degree to be a customer service rep?

How do I get a job as a customer service representative?

What are the duties and responsibilities of a customer service representative?

What are the top three priorities for a customer service representative?

What do you need to become a customer service representative?

What is a service representative agent?

What is service representation?

Search for service representative jobs

Service representative jobs by state