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Customer service assistant

Alternative titles for this job include Customer service adviser

Customer service assistants deal with customer questions, purchases and complaints.

Average salary (a year)

£17,000 Starter

to

£25,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 40 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a customer service assistant

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You can take a college course before applying for a job. 

Courses are widely available and include a Level 1 Certificate in Customer Service or a Level 2 Certificate in Contact Centre Operations.

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can do a customer service intermediate apprenticeship or a customer service specialist advanced apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Direct Application

You can apply for jobs if you have customer service experience, for example from working in a shop, hotel or contact centre.

Employers might want you to have:

  • some GCSEs or equal qualifications
  • good communication skills
  • a friendly personality

More Information

Professional and industry bodies

You could join The Institute of Customer Service for professional development training.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • active listening skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • answer customer questions by phone, email, webchat, social media or in person
  • give quotations and check product availability
  • sell products or services and take payments
  • handle complaints or pass them to a supervisor
  • add customer information onto a computer
  • track orders and arrange deliveries

Working environment

You could work in an office, in a contact centre or at a store.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

Customer service skills transfer across lots of different jobs and industries. 

With experience you could:

  • work in other industries like transport, delivery and storage or digital
  • become a team leader, training officer or customer services manager
  • move into areas of a business like sales or account handling

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Apprentice Hire Desk Administrator

  • Wage: £12,000.00 Annually
  • Location: 15 Greycaine Road, Hertfordshire, Watford

Apprentice Service Receptionist

  • Wage: £10,982.40 Annually
  • Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Customer Service - Level 1 Award

  • Provider: PRESTON COLLEGE
  • Start date: 23 November 2023
  • Location: PRESTON

Customer Service - Level 2 Award

  • Provider: BOLTON COLLEGE
  • Start date: 17 July 2024
  • Location: Bolton
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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