Customer service representatives are employed in many businesses in the public and private sector, most notably retail. As a customer service rep, it's your job to assist the public with any questions or inquiries they may have about your employer's products or services.
Customer service jobs are one of the most in-demand jobs in Canada, as they require little prior experience and education. To be a good customer service rep, you simply need to be friendly and communicate well with customers and prospective customers. If this sounds like what you're looking for in a job, Randstad Canada can help you find your next role!
As a customer service representative, your primary role is to share information with customers and clients. You can work in many different industries including retail, healthcare, government, IT, telecommunications, and others. You may work full-time or part-time, and report for work in person, on the phone, or online. In some cases, customer service duties are combined with administrative jobs.
Most customer service salaries will fall between $26,000 and $45,000. Starting salaries for customer service reps tend to be on the lower end of this range. If you're just starting out in the field, you can expect a starting salary just under $30,000 in most markets. Most customer service salaries fall below the national average income in Canada (approximately $49,000). For this reason, it's an industry often dominated by young people, students and others with little prior work experience.
Customer service salaries are somewhat consistent across Canada, indicating a steady demand from coast to coast. The one exception is Calgary, where customer service salaries are slightly higher than the national average.
The specifics of each job will vary based on the setting. If you work in phone support, your job will be very different than someone who works on a retail sales floor. However, these are some of the daily tasks that may be required in a customer service role:
Customer service representatives can work in many different verticals across Canada. Though customer service jobs are often associated with retail and telecommunications, there are plenty of customer service representative jobs found in various industries in both the public and private sectors. Roles may emerge in government, finance, healthcare, education, and general business, among many other industries.
Any company that is in the business of providing a service or selling products needs customer service reps to operate efficiently! For this reason, you should have no trouble locating customer service opportunities anywhere in Canada. Not sure where to start? Contact Randstad Canada today to begin your job hunt, or search our job listings.
As a customer service representative, your primary responsibility is to interact with customers. You'll need strong communication skills. Administrative and sales experience will also be an asset, though it's rarely a requirement. On the job training will most likely be provided to round out your skills.
For the most part, customer service jobs are considered entry-level, so you aren't required to bring too much besides a willingness to learn. Some skills that employers look for include:
As with many customer interfacing positions, speaking a second language is an asset. Though English/French is the most desired combination in Canada, other commonly spoken languages, such as Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Punjabi and Mandarin are also considered an asset in the right market.
Customer service roles are often viewed as an entry point into an organization. They rarely require a significant amount of experience or education, making them a great career starter for young or inexperienced workers. These jobs are extremely popular amongst students who don't have the time to dedicate to a full-time job.
As you hone your customer service skills and show that you can excel at the tasks given to you, you may find an opportunity to move up within your organization into supervisor and management roles. The skills and experience that you gain at a customer service job are highly transferrable to any job or industry, leaving the future possibilities for your career very open ended. You can move into diverse industries such as finance, marketing, PR, telecommunications and many others.