Your Complete Guide to the Best Customer Service Jobs

Your Complete Guide to the Best Customer tafelgeschirr JobsPop quiz Customer tafelgeschirr is not a job for googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) (A) the faint of heart(B) impatient people(C) people who hate other people(D) all of the aboveThe answer is definitely D. In customer tafelgeschirr, you help other people like its your job, because it is your job. Whether that includes helping customers with a particular product, fielding questions and complaints with a pleasant smile, or listening to people rant and rave about a product you didnt sell them and didnt create, its a role that requires a hr of people skills and diplomacy. Youre often a front-line brand ambassador for your company. In the best of times, you might earn loyal customers for your company. When things go wrong, you might end up a viral cautionary tale of customer tafelgeschirr gone wild. So remember not for the faint of heart (or patience).What Do Customer tafelgeschirr Profe ssionals Do?Customer services representatives (also known as customer care representatives) can be found in any customer-facing industry. That includes retail, hospitality, healthcare, or any service industry. These professionals are the friendly faces and voices who are ready to help Their tasks might includeReceiving customers or answering phone callsCoordinating customer ordersEvaluating problems or issues and determining the next stepsTroubleshooting issues, give advice or informationEnsuring a good customer experienceReceiving customer feedbackInvestigating issuesMaintaining detailed client or customer recordsEscalating issues when necessaryCoordinating follow-up outreach to customersInteracting with customers in person or via phone, online chat, fax, or social mediaGiving information about a store, company, or productGenerating ausverkauf leadsProcessing payments or refunds as necessaryBuilding customer and brand relationshipsMeeting sales targets and goalsFollowing company pr otocols for customer careExamples of common customer service jobs includeClient Services ManagerClient Services SpecialistClient Services CoordinatorClient Services RepresentativeCustomer Service AssociateCustomer Service CoordinatorCustomer Service ManagerCustomer Service coachCustomer Service/Care RepresentativeCustomer Support AssociateCustomer Support ManagerCustomer Support SpecialistFront Desk AgentFront Desk AssociateFront Desk ManagerFront Desk ReceptionistHelp Desk AssociateHelp Desk SupportHelp Desk TechnicianReceptionistRetail AssociateRetail Sales AssociateSales AssistantSales CoordinatorTechnical Support EngineerTechnical Support RepresentativesIts important to note that this is not your typical 9-to-5 job. Depending on the industry or company, you may be working odd or overnight shifts, including holidays and weekends.What Does the Customer Service Career Path Look Like?In the past, customer service was often looked upon as an entry-level job, or a career dead end, but that is no longer the case (if it ever really was). Many customer service careers start in the aforementioned entry-level job (customer service rep, or any associate-level job), but with experience in the field, a person can go on to become a coordinator, manager, supervisor, or executive).As we become a mora consumer-driven culture, and one where a customer can be blasting a poor experience over social media within seconds, that means that the customer service industry is growing and becoming more sophisticated by the day. Customer service representatives are not just for placating customersthey may be troubleshooting complicated issues, using advanced technical skills, and using a variety of different communication platforms to connect with customers.The data obsession that drives so many other industries has taken root in the customer service field as well, with metrics, reporting, and customer data management becoming more complex in the pursuit of generating sales and creating lasting, positive relationships with customers.What Skills Do Customer Service Professionals Have?Remember when I mentioned people skills? These are among the most essential skills for a fulfilling and productive career in customer service. Heres the rundown of the skills youll need (or should build) if youre looking for a job in the field.Communication SkillsYoull be communicating with all sorts of people. Happy customers with questions, unhappy customers with problems, people who have very few communication skills themselves, people with language barriers, people who just want to talk to someoneyou name it, you might encounter it as a customer service professional. If youre one of those people who can have a conversation with anyone and everyone you meet, great Youve got a good starting point.Your communication skills shouldnt just be customer-facing, though. You may need to explain complicated issues or problems to other teams within your company, and will likely need to be able to communicate brand-specific messaging as well. Your written skills should be strong as well, because so much customer service happens online these days, either via email, online chats, or social media.PatienceIf youre a tech-savvy person who has tried to help someone whos, uh, less tech-savvy with a complicated computer issue, then you know that being the one with all the knowledge comes with great responsibilitynamely, not getting frustrated or yelling if the person doesnt necessarily get what youre putting down. Being able to stay calm and walk through things as many times as necessary is an essential skill for customer service.Organizational SkillsCustomer service reps may need to do a lot of juggling, especially during busy times of the year (for example, holidays). Being able to keep customer information straight and make sure youre logging everything accurately is key. Chaotic or frenzied customer service is usually lousy customer service.Attention to DetailBecause customer service actions can have consequences with customers, companies like to make sure that their customer service reps and contacts have an eagle eye for small details. Whether its making sure an order is being processed correctly, or ensuring that someones insurance information is accurate, youll want to be able to demonstrate ninja-level attention to detail.What Education Do Customer Service Professionals Need?This is a field that you can get into without a degree. Most customer service jobs, especially entry-level ones, require a high school diploma or equivalent, and rely heavily on candidates who demonstrate the kinds of skills outlined above. There is typically on-the-job training, since every industry and every company have their own customer service needs, processes, and policies. Theres no one-size-fits-all training or certification that customer service professionals can undergo.How Much Do Customer Service Professionals Make?The salary can vary according to experience level, but here are some sample median salaries for customer service professionals, per PayScale and the U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCustomer Service Representative $32,300Customer Service Associate $36,680Customer Service Specialist $40,121Customer Service Supervisor $47,938Customer Service Manager $54,066What is the Outlook for Customer Service Professionals?The outlook is strong This is a field that is definitely growingagain, the emphasis on a consumer society means there will always need to be consumer support professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this field will grow 10% faster than average by 2024.If youre thinking about breaking into this field, or wondering where you can go next after your first opportunity, working in customer service can be a solid growth choice for your career. And if youre not necessarily interested in making it your career base, the skills you use and build as a customer service representative are ones that you can successfully take to many other industries.

Short Attention Span Heres How to Deal at Work

Short Attention Span Heres How to Deal at Work Yur attention span (or lack thereof) can have a major impact on your performance at work or school, and your ability to deal with the tasks of everyday life one even quick lapse in attention can result in missing out on important information, errors orsomething even worse.But youre notlage alone. A University of New Hampshire survey found that 80 percent of college students text during class and 15 percent send 11 or more texts in a single class period. During a study published of the University of Louisville Law Review, spies were placed at the back of law school classrooms to record the technological activities of second- and third-year law students. And the spies reported that 58 percent of students were using their laptops for non-class purposes, like surfing the web or stalking Facebook, more than half the time.What does it mean to have a short attention span?Attention span refers to how long you can focus on a particular task with out getting distracted by something else. A short attention span means you lose focus on your tasks quickly.How long is attention span?A 2015 study by Microsoft found that the average attention span was eight seconds. However, this study has been heavily critiqued due to vague resources. For many adults, attention span lasts somewhere between 10-20 minutes, although there is no real evidence to support this idea.What causes short concentration span?Tons of people, especially millennials glued to Twitter every few seconds, find it difficult to pay attention these days. The average attention span among humans isnt getting any bigger with social media platforms and technology in general constantly distracting us.There are also real psychological and medical causes for short attention span, including ADHD Learning disability Head injury Mood disorderPersonally, when I was younger, I dont recall having any issues with concentrating or banging out tasks on my to-do list. Fast forward to p resent day, and I have self-diagnosed myself with adult ADHD Ive even been lovingly nicknamed Wall-E by my coworker for staring at my wall whenever Im most bogged down by a long list of overwhelming tasks. The distractions brought on by social media make it all that much easier to find temporary respite as I diligently avoid the looming deadlines tapping me on the shoulder, reminding me that they dont have time for my brain to take a vacation right now.Eventually, I have to come back to reality and regain my focus to accomplish my tasks. Plus, I dont want my lack of sustained attention to affect my colleagues or our work.Heres how I recenter myself to enkoranvers my productivity levels and performance stay up to par.How do you treat short attention span?1. First, dont forget the basics.As in, get enough sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, drink enough water, and exercise your body. A healthy body equals a healthier mind.2. Pinpoint what causes you to lose focus.Is your phone regularly d inging with every social media notification, or are your emails visibly piling up as youre trying to edit your latest pitch? Put your phone on silent, and close out your email browser until youre finished. Whatever it might be, figure it out so you know how to properly combat it.3. Clean up your workspace.If my desk is messy, my mind (and my focus) seems to match it. Once I take the five minutes or so to tidy up, I feel more relaxed and ready to jump into my to-do list.4. Prioritize your to-do list.What must absolutely get done today and reasonably so? If you feel your list of tasks is so overwhelming that youre not sure you can get it done in one day, meet with your manager and put a plan in place. 5. Use apps to help.Certain apps block social media use for a certain amount of time, and others even tally the total amount of time spent on them (yikes). Utilize them if needed.6. Practice mindfulness.Speaking of apps, there are plenty that promote meditation and mindfulness, though y ou dont need them to practice. Start with gentlyshifting your focus back to work every time your mind starts to wander.7. Schedule your distractions.I consider my scheduled time almost like a reward for powering through and remaining focused. A few minutes of mindless scrolling through Instagram and checking my partal email is my go-to after I finish a task.8. Find the work style that works best for you.This simply means to start with the easiest task first, working up to the hardest, or vice versa. I personally like to get the easier, smaller tasks out of the way first, as it makes me feel more productive and motivated to keep tackling the rest.9. Tell others what you need.I laugh at my Wall-E nickname and am not ashamed to admit I suffer from a lack of focus at times. However, I am also not afraid to ask my coworkers for what I need from them in order to get back on track, which, for me, is scheduled drop-ins and respecting that I keep my door closed to center my attention on my w ork (there is a constant stream of traffic outside of my office).10. If possible, work from home (if this works for you).Almost every time I work from home, I get nearly double the output that I do on any given day when Im in the office. No one is knocking on my door for unscheduled drop-ins and, while I am reachable by phone and email, I notice many often either wait to address their issues in person or they put it into an email, which saves me valuable working time. However, I know there are some people who feel they are less focused at home, so this depends on your situation.11. Take a break when its really needed.Think of your brain as a muscle just like any other part of your body, it needs to be worked out regularly or it will become fatigued quickly. However, muscles can only be worked out for so long before they lose strength. Therefore, make sure youre allowing enough recovery time and that the distractions or lack of focus isnt actually because youre just tired. Even with a short attention span, you need breaks.12. Work on building your attention span.Mastering any skill requires practice and patience, and boosting your attention span is no different, writes Alan Henry of Lifehacker. The absolute best thing you can do is embrace single-tasking whenever you can, and work hard to stay focused. Were not just saying focus harder here either, instead, think about the things you do at home and at work that really do require singular focus, and make those projects first on your to-do list. Your mind may wander, or you may start to reach for your phone or think about doing something else, but try to resist those thoughts and stick to the task at hand. If you do get distracted, dont admonish yourself, just catch it and renew your focus.Remember to be gentle with yourself. We all suffer from a lack of focus from time to time, but with some effort and attention (ha), it is possible to rein it in and make the most of your workday.--Karen opa langbein works for bareMinerals in Global Packaging + Creative Operations and has worked in a variety of industries over the span of her career, including digital media, fashion apparel, and wine spirits. She is currently a contributor to The Muse and Career Contessa and has been featured on Business Insider, Inc., Fast Company and Harvard Business Review for her career advice. Shes obsessed with learning, life, and career/self-improvement.