A customer service manager handles all client concerns. They are the first person to deal with an issue that cannot be solved by their agent. This customer service manager job description will demonstrate the typical responsibilities, important skills, expected education and career path, work schedule, and job outlook. After reading this article, you should be able to identify and summarize multiple facets of the job of customer service manager.
What Does a Customer Service Manager Do?
Customer service managers have the main task of managing customer service employees to improve the client experience. The customer service manager job description shows that they need to set and enforce policies. In addition, they must bring procedures to improve the customer service team operation.
They may have to talk with upset clients and ask to speak to a supervisor. Also, a customer service manager will work with other middle managers at the company to communicate across departments.
Customer Service Manager Job Description for Resume – Responsibilities
Customer service managers need to complete tasks related to customer service, management, and leadership. The responsibilities listed below are some of the expected activities of these professionals. Use these as building blocks for your personalized resume.
- Set policies related to customer service procedures. Even more, you need to monitor employees for adherence to these policies.
- Ensure the quality standards, so that customer service is standardized.
- Talk with a customer as need be, particularly if they are upset or have concerns.
- Lead by example. Therefore, you need to exhibit superior customer service at all times.
- Set-up regular training to keep current on the latest trends in the customer service industry. Much like the program manager, you need to take charge and ensure everyone knows what they need to do.
- Provide regular feedback to customer service representatives. Even more, you should make a careful note of what they are doing well and what you can improve.
- Conduct annual reviews and give reports of subordinates to the human resources department.
Customer Service Manager Required Skills
- Leadership skills. Customer service managers need to provide leadership to their department. In addition, they must listen to the people they supervise, set achievable goals, and provide visible benchmarks to track progress.
- Communication skills. Part of the customer service responsibilities is to listen closely to the feedback from representatives and customers. Afterward, they must then respond appropriately and address concerns in an efficient manner.
- Interpersonal skills. This is a people-centric job. They must work well with other managers, customer service representatives, and customers. Additionally, it is essential to keep emotions in check and handle conflict in a professional manner.
- Empathy skills. Going above and beyond interpersonal skills, a customer service manager needs to show a degree of empathy to customers. The reason they are interacting with this department is likely because they were disappointed with their experience. The client has spent their money on a product or service and does not feel that it met expectations. Therefore, understanding their point of view will go a long way in being an active manager.
How to Become a Customer Service Manager
You need to take multiple paths to be a customer service manager. A degree is not required as there is the opportunity to gain the equivalent experience to the level. Thus, person aspiring to it should practice their customer service skills. They should acquire credentials that show an investment in leadership and management skills. Additionally, they should look into certain higher education programs.
Education & Training Requirements
To work as a customer service representative, you need a high school diploma. However, to work as a manager, additional levels of education and experience are required. In terms of customer service schooling, you will need a bachelor’s degree in business, organizational leadership, or management.
Much of the training will be on-the-job. All companies will have their own cultural practices that affect what the customer service manager does. Thus, the training can differ from one to another.
There are no mandatory certifications. However, are optional certificates that convey a certain level of competence and experience. The Customer Service Institute of America is committed to being the leading organization to dictate that a person has the qualifications to be a customer service manager. There is no formal institution issues their certification or license. However, if a person completes their program, they receive the only international recognized title as a Certified Customer Service Manager.
Work Experience
Prior work experience is essential for this position. However, this work should be in a similar field and should exhibit a degree of customer service aptitude. Having related prior experience is important. It helps the manager to know what the employees under them need and what their daily tasks are.
There are a few ways to gain this experience. The easiest of these is to work as a customer service representative. This can allow someone to get a promotion within the company to the rank of customer service manager. Alternatively, a student can gain internships in a customer service field and work in a management role during their time in school. Finally, a student can also job shadow several customer service representatives. It will help them learn more about the diversity of the field and identify what industry they want to work in.
Work Schedules
The vast majority of customer service managers work full-time. A customer service manager job description states that evening and weekend hours are unusual for this field. However, they could work overtime by working holidays. Also, extra hours are typical around the winter holiday season.
In an example of a customer service manager jobs, the day starts at 9 AM and begins with checking emails and then holding a morning meeting. After the meeting, the manager could work on processes to improve the efficiency of the customer service team or revise existing policies and procedures. The afternoon implies talking with customers and resolving issues. This person’s day ends at around 7:30 PM.
Career Prospects
By estimation, the customer service industry will grow 10 percent through the year 2024. This will naturally vary by industry. In healthcare, the job growth will be higher than the overall average. As more businesses look to cut costs and centralize, they will look to customer service representative centers to handle their customer service concerns. Therefore, this type of customer service job should grow 39 percent through the year 2024. Technology will have a significant impact on this industry. Bots are becoming increasingly prevalent. These bots allow a customer to talk to a robot for routine concerns and only get them transferred to a human when the task becomes too complex for the bot.
The customer service manager job description shows the salary range is anywhere from $35,877 to $79,143. These professionals earn additional income in the form of bonuses, profit shares, and commission. The commission can stretch to $15,000. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of opportunities for advancement within the customer service industry. However, there is potential to move to other industries or hold similar jobs such as a project manager, operations manager, or call center manager.
Conclusion
In general, a customer service manager job description demonstrates that the most important part of the job is keeping the customer happy. For customer service representatives, that occurs through talking with customers. However, for customer service managers, it happens through setting the training, policies, and regulations that customer service representatives must follow. This should establish a low-stress workplace and one in which the manager feels fulfilled and valued by the company.