How to Become a Customer Service Advisor

If you love to help others, want to work in a public-facing role, and are committed to ensuring that your company’s customers receive the best possible service from start to finish, then the role of a customer service advisor could be the perfect job for you. Customer service advisors (often also referred to as customer service assistants) spend most of their day engaging with customers. Depending on your role, this could be advising customers on the phone or working with customers face-to-face. The role of a customer service advisor is a fast-paced and varied one, as you will deal with a wide variety of different customer issues and complaints throughout the course of the working day.

From understanding what an customer service advisor salary might be, to finding the best customer service jobs, here’s everything you need to know about how to become a customer service advisor:

What is a Customer Service Advisor

A customer service advisor is a hands-on, customer-facing employee who specialises in dealing with customers’ queries and complaints. From handling returns in your favourite department store to helping you find your lost luggage when you fly, to the person you call when your new phone stops working, all of these roles (and many more) are filled by customer service advisors. As a customer service advisor, you’ll be happy to listen to the wants and needs of your customers (even when they’re complaining) and your main focus will be on their satisfaction: that will be your main motivator. Customer service advisors tend to be chatty and bubbly, and they like talking to new people. Which is good news because, if this is the role for you, you’ll talk to hundreds of new people every day! Resolving customer issues, dealing with complaints, and answering customer questions and queries will be the main focus of your working day.

Customer service is crucial for business success. Recent research suggests that more than 65% of people have higher expectations for customer service today than they did three to five years ago. That means that the role of the customer service advisor is more important than it has ever been. The good news is that in 2022, customers in the UK are much happier than they were in 2021 (an increase of 1.6 points) meaning that those hard-working customer service advisors are doing a great job!

The hours you will work as a customer service advisor will depend on the company you work for. If you work in B2B sales or in a corporate environment, for example, you could work a typical 9-5, Monday to Friday pattern. Alternatively, if you are working in a retail environment then you may well work shifts around the stores opening hours. And if you work in a 24-hour business (such as an airline) then your shift patterns could include evening and weekend work. The good news is, with so many different types of customer service roles available, it should be relatively easy to find one with the right working hours for you.

Personal Qualities of a Customer Service Advisor

Wondering whether a career as a customer service advisor is the right path for you? You’ll need to possess the following core qualities to succeed in this role:

• A calm and patient nature. Often customers with complaints can become angry or upset, and you will need to remain calm even in these very stressful situations. If you become angry or frustrated when dealing with an individual who is either angry or frustrated, then this might not be the right role for you!
• A customer-focused approach and high levels of customer service. Whilst the customer might not always be right, as a customer service advisor your role is to ensure that the customer is as happy as possible
• High levels of attention to detail. You will need to understand exactly what your customer needs and be able to think on your feet to provide a resolution to their problems or issues
• Customer service advisors often work as part of a customer service team, so you will need to be a team player who is able to work well with others as well as working independently
• You will need an empathetic nature, with the ability to be understanding and deal with customer complaints and issues sensitively
• Customer service teams are often in high-pressure environments. You will need to work well under pressure and be able to take criticism, particularly from your customers or members of the general public
• You will need excellent verbal communication skills to ensure that your customers understand exactly what you are telling them or doing for them as clearly as possible
• You’ll need to be confident and self-assured. If a customer is complaining, or telling you that you’re wrong, you need to be able to clearly and confidently communicate with them in a calm yet assured manner
• The ability to think on your feet and think outside the box. You may be able to find a solution to your customer’s problem by doing things a little differently
• In a customer-facing role, you need to be able to keep smiling externally, even when you don’t feel like smiling internally
• For many retail or customer-facing roles, you may need a certain level of physical fitness, as many customer service advisor positions involve long days of standing on your feet
• We live in an increasingly digital age where all calls and complaints are logged by most businesses, so you will need to be able to use a computer, and the main software packages within them, with competence

What a Customer Service Advisor Does

The primary role of a customer service advisor is to deal with the needs of a customer. You may find that this role leaves you working on the phone, in an office, on the shop floor, or in a mixture of all three locations. But wherever you are based, your role will always be a customer-focused one. As part of your role you can expect to:

• Approach each customer with a positive attitude and a warm welcome. Providing a high level of customer service to each customer that you meet or engage with will be the primary focus of your role
• Have a high level of understanding of the business that you are working for. This will enable you to provide professional and informative advice to each of the customers that you interact with as part of your role
• In a retail environment, you will know how to operate the till, in other environments, you will be able to handle transactions remotely in order to take payments (or issue refunds) for products and services
• You will ensure that as well as being welcoming, your manner is also calm and efficient. This will help you to be better able to deal with any complaints and negative issues that your customers are approaching you with
• You will work effectively as part of a team
• You will want to help make your customers happy and create a positive impression for your business. Where necessary, you will go above and beyond to ensure that the customer you are dealing with is satisfied
• You will undertake regular ongoing training when the product or process offered by your business changes, or to ensure you maintain industry standards

How Much Does a Customer Service Advisor Earn?

The amount you will earn as a customer service advisor will depend on how many hours you work, and the sector that you choose to work in. Retail customer service advisors often earn slightly less than those working in corporate environments, for example. Assuming that you are working in a full-time customer service role, you can expect to earn a starting salary of around £17,000 with a more experienced advisor in the field earning up to £25,000.

The skills that you will develop as a customer service advisor are incredibly desirable and widely transferable. If you continue to ensure working within the customer service arena, then you could progress to become a customer service line manager, leading a team of customer service advisors: this would dramatically increase your earning potential. Average team leader salaries start from £25,000.

Alternatively, you could diversify your career into other areas of the business. Customer service advisors often go on to become team leaders or training officers in other businesses and industries. If you are happy within the company you are already working for, you could also move on to other roles within that business: many customer service advisors diversify their skill sets to become sales executives or account managers.

Qualifications Needed for a Customer Service Advisor

If you think that the role of customer service advisor might be right for you then there are several routes into this profession that you could choose. You won’t need a degree to secure a role as a customer service advisor, and if you already have experience in a customer-facing role then you may be able to apply directly for a position in this sector by submitting your CV to any businesses that you are interested in working for. Each employer will have their own requirements, but expect to be able to demonstrate that you have:

• A friendly and welcoming personality
• Some experience of working within a customer-facing role
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Some GCSE’s, or equivalent qualifications

If you don’t already have any experience working within a customer-facing role then other routes to working as a customer service advisor include:

• Securing a customer service apprenticeship. To get a place on this apprenticeship programme you will need some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. If you secure an apprenticeship then you will receive training and qualifications, transferable skills, and a salary for the duration of the programme
• Undertaking a customer service qualification to demonstrate that you have the skills and understanding needed to secure the role. Courses such as the Level 3 Customer service course, or NCFE Level 3 Certificate in the Principles of Customer service course would be the ideal option to cement your ability to pursue this kind of career

On the Job Training

Once you have secured a position as a customer service advisor, there will be many opportunities for on the job training and continued professional development (CPD) that you can undertake. Some of these will be in-house and will help you to develop the specific skills that you will need to provide customer service support within your organisation, but if you are looking at the bigger picture then you may want to secure transferrable skills and qualifications too.

Courses to help you improve your IT skills or your communication skills are great examples of on the job training you could undertake that would enhance your current customer service advisor role, whilst also preparing you for the next career step that you might choose to take. You might also wish to consider securing A level qualifications, or equivalent, in maths and English. This is because whilst most customer service positions will ask for GCSE level maths and English qualifications, if you are able to demonstrate an advanced knowledge in these subjects, this might give you the edge over other applicants at the interview stage.

Professional Bodies

If you are interested in developing your career as a Customer Service Advisor then you could consider joining the Institute of Customer Service, which is the professional body for the sector. The Institute for Customer Service (ICS) offers many opportunities for professional development amongst customer service advisors and maintains professional standards across the sector. Benefits of ICS membership include access to training and networking events, an online members hub where you can meet and interact with other customer service professionals, and discounts on events and publications. You will also receive a subscription to Customer Focus magazine and a career support pack.

Joining the professional body for your chosen career path is a great way to demonstrate that you are committed to the career that you’ve chosen and that you are focusing on self-improvement and personal development as part of your career trajectory.