A customer service advisor, also known as a customer service representative, is any professional responsible for helping clients find or purchase goods and services or resolve difficulties related to a specific product or service. To become a customer service advisor, you should have a talent for communicating with others. Many people can communicate well with individuals with whom they share interests, but customer service advisors must commonly help individuals who are in a hurry or who are upset about problems, such as poor service, damaged equipment, or misunderstandings. While the role of a customer service advisor varies from company to company, he or she should usually inspire trust in customers.
In most cases, a college degree is not necessary to become a customer service advisor. Some exceptions, however, might be found in the medical field or in other fields where all professionals are expected to understand certain terminology and practices. In other cases, individuals can benefit from having strong experience in a field or industry. Although this may not be required by employers, candidates who want to become customer service advisors for sporting goods vendors may be more desirable to employers if they have experience with athletics.
It is usually necessary for those who want to become customer service advisors to be comfortable learning new computer programs. This is especially true when you have a customer service position in which you process customer orders. To become a customer service advisor in the financial sector, it is probably also a good idea to have a strong background in financial principles and to be able to learn to use complex financial software.
For many customer service advisor positions, it is only necessary to fill out an application. This form can usually be picked up at a place of business. Normally on an application you need only fill out your contact information, experience, work availability, and references. You might also have to fill out information regarding your strengths, skills, and other factors that can help employers learn about you.
Some employers prefer applicants to have resumes or curricula vitae. These are documents, often no longer than a page or two, in which you list any relevant education or experience that you have had. In most cases, you can benefit from highlighting the most relevant experiences by placing them at the top of the document.
