Handling Problems
Sometimes, the representatives may attempt to solve the problems or at least propose some solutions. Some representatives may also be authorized to send customers their replacement products or reverse erroneous fees. Others may function like gatekeepers, getting information on the problem and passing it along to someone else to solve. Customer service representatives must make sure first that the complaints made are valid and must do whatever they can--within the bounds of their authority--to make sure the customer is satisfied when he hangs up the phone.
Assisting in Sales
Selling the company’s products and services may be part of a customer service representatives job, even though he may not be part of the sales division. Some representatives may provide product or service information to assist customers in making a decision about a product to buy. Customer service representatives may also help generate sales leads. For instance, after addressing a customer’s inquiry, the representative may attempt to sell them some new products upgrades. For instance, he may suggest upgrading your cable service.
Related Reading: How to Deal With Customer Service Complaints
Clerical Tasks
The job of a customer service representative may also involve clerical responsibilities. Such duties may involve answering telephone calls and making the appropriate transfers. For example, when a customer makes an inquiry about Internet broadband, the representative can transfer the call to a technical service representative. Other duties include processing new client accounts, maintaining customer accounts, implementing changes to existing accounts, and filing documents and other paperwork.
Job Specific Responsibiliites
Almost all types of organizations employ customer service representatives and often their duties and responsibilities vary depending on the type of the organization and industry. For example, customer service representatives who work in banks may have similar duties to bank tellers, counting money, cashing checks and servicing accounts. Those working in insurance companies may be required to handle paperwork dealing with policy renewals. Customer service representatives who work for communication and utility companies may assist customers who have outage or other service problems.