You may be surprised to learn that in the U.S. alone, there are over 4,50,000 consumer service businesses assisting their clients. As a result, numerous employment opportunities are presented by such companies in this field. But is consumer services a good career path? Well, if you are looking to change your life and career or yearn to work from home, this can be a great industry. Read this article to get more answers to the question above and learn about some examples of consumer services.
Is Consumer Services a Good Career Path?
Are you wondering – is consumer services a good career path? Well, the answer is yes. This industry is diverse, with new companies entering every day and old ones leaving. Numerous companies are in this field; they offer services that you use daily, including transportation, utilities, communication, and whatnot. Let us know about this industry in detail, like is there career growth in customer service and what is consumer services.
What is Consumer Services?
Consumer services is a fast-growing industry that caters to customers’ desires and needs that are surrounded by service-oriented sectors. This field majorly depends on computers, HR (Human resources), and IT to assist computers. Consumer services companies focus majorly on customer care, transactions, and how consumers access services. They are a vital part of the economy as it offers essential services to consumers.
So, what is consumer services? The consumer services field is dynamic, and there are always new opportunities for businesses in this sector. People and technology dominate this industry; from health to online purchases and entertainment, everything comes under the consumer services field. Is there career growth in customer service?
The employees who work in this sector are associated with helping or guiding customers with problems or decisions related to a service or product. But you should know – is consumer services a good career path? What are consumer services examples?
Why Opt for a Career in Customer Service?
Now that you know what is consumer services, Whenever you opt for any career or field, the first thing that comes to mind is, what are its growth prospects? The same goes for the consumer services field as well. While you choose this, you might have a question: Is customer service a good career? The answer to this is, undoubtedly, yes.
If you like working with people, there can be no field better than this one for you. There are numerous ways and work opportunities in this sector. Here are some of the reasons why should opt for it as your career.
1. Booming Industry
This industry has been growing at a fast pace for the last couple of years. This implies that the job opportunities in this sector have increased. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), from 2010 to 2018, consumer finance and insurance employment increased by 12%.
So if you are confused about – is there career growth in customer service or not, this might have cleared your doubts and answered your question – Is Consumer Services A Good Career Path?
2. Numerous Options
There are tons of businesses that require customer service personnel, therefore, you can choose any field as per your interest and skillset. If you like variety you can also work in different sectors. You can move up the ladder quickly if you work hard and prove your skills. Now you know is there career growth in customer service.
3. Low Entry Requirements
In today’s time, when there is a lot of competition, you must possess at least a degree to earn a good amount of money every month. Getting a degree takes a lot of time and money. But, if you do not want to spend so much, don’t worry, you can apply for a job in the customer services sector.
In most of fields, they just require the candidate to possess a High School Diploma and great customer service skills. These are some Consumer services examples.
4. Real-World Experience
Starting your career in the consumer services field can help you learn about real-world experiences as you deal with real customers all the time. It helps boost your overall skills and can be a good starting point for other work.
When you know what is consumer services and work in the consumer services field, it helps increase your communication and problem-solving skills. These abilities can make you competitive and help you get a better job in the same or different field. Now you know is there career growth in customer service.
5. Highly Flexible
The best part about this industry is that it is pretty flexible; you can choose to work from home and can also work as a freelancer as per your availability. Another note-worthy factor is that consumer services jobs are less stressful; all these factors together answer the doubt – is consumer services a good career path?
By now, we know that consumer services are a good sector to opt for as your career. But, it is also essential to know the requirements for opting for this as a career. Let’s get started.
Requirement for Consumer Service Jobs
Just like other industries, there are a few prerequisites and skills you need to possess before opting it as your career. Before knowing about some Consumer services examples, here are some of the certifications and educational experience requirements for a few job roles-
- High School Degree: A lot of customer-service jobs are entry-level; thus, they require a minimum high school degree for the employees. But there are a few employers who even hire people who are still in high school. The good thing is that you do not need a college degree for most positions. If you wish to progress or grow in your career, it is recommended to opt for some course or pursue a degree in business administration. But, if you wish to apply for the high levels like CCO, you might require a master’s degree. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
- Communication Skills: To apply for this job, it is important for you to have learn what is consumer services and know soft skills, which include listening, empathy, conflict resolution, patience, and interpersonal communication. Although, this requirement is for almost every job but it is a must for consumer service jobs. To grow in the customer services field, it s essential for you to communicate effectively with the customers.
- On-the-Job Training: For all the consumer service jobs, you always get on-the-job training, where they teach you to work with their tools and talk about the rules & regulations of the company. The reason why you are given this training is so that you become well-versed with the company’s process and can give an appropriate response to your customers.
- Working under pressure: These jobs can be stressful sometimes; thus, you should be prepared to work under pressure. It can be easier for you to handle such days if you have good problem-solving skills. As a customer service representative the better you can solve customers’ problems, the more the chances of your growth. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
Also Read: Is Finance a Good Career Path? Things you should know
Consumer Services Examples
Before moving on, let us know some of the consumer services examples so that it becomes easier for you to choose your career path-
- Restaurants
- Travel
- Club Goods
- Media
- Events
- Culture
- Information Technology
- Transportation
- Ecommerce
- Finance, and so on.
Types of Jobs Available in Consumer Services
So, what is consumer services and what are some consumer services examples? Here is the list of consumer services jobs, based on them it will become easy for you to decide is there career growth in customer service or not.
1. Customer Service Representative (CSR)
This is one of the basic jobs available in the consumer services field. A CSR is the first point of contact between the company and its customers. Their major role is to handle customer queries and complaints. This job has become more and more advance over time; now, it can be done remotely and during flexible hours.
You need to answer queries on the phone, chat, email, and respond to messages on social media. It’s an entry-level position, and every company provides on-the-job training before you start answering queries.
The average salary of a CSR is around $35,500 annually; the qualification usually asked for is high school or GED. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
2. Customer Service Manager
A customer service manager’s role is to check on the customer’s experience by seeing how CSRs handle the calls. They lead the customer service team, which includes supporting the team and ensuring its success. They hire the team, train them and support them whenever they have questions.
They keep track of the call volume, types of issues customers are facing, hold time, and how to resolve the customer’s problem in the best possible way. When customers ask to speak to the managers, they are called in to deal with the customers directly.
To apply for this job, one should have a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related field and a minimum of 10 years of experience in the customer service industry. The average salary of a Customer Service Manager is around $71,500 annually. This is one of the Consumer services examples.
3. Technical Support Specialist
To become a technical support specialist or engineer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in robotics, computer science, or any degree in a technology-related field. The role of a technical support specialist is to offer customer support for technology products and services. This must answer is consumer services a good career path.
They should know about the ins and outs of the programs they support and about hardware and software related to the process. Technical Support Specialists troubleshoot technical problems, answer customer questions, and provide instructions on how to use them. It is important for them to have the in-depth technical knowledge and be able to communicate with customers. This answers is there career growth in customer service.
4. Insurance Agent
If you wish to make a good amount of money, this can be one of your best jobs. Although, it is a relatively challenging job but has a good income. In most of these jobs, you get paid on a commission basis; the more insurance you sell, the more money you make. The average salary of an insurance agent is around $69,240 annually.
It can be said that the income is not fixed in this job but s based on your performance. The best part about this job profile is that you have flexible schedules, so you can work at your convenience.
The eligibility requirement for this job is usually a high school diploma, but some companies might ask for a college degree as well. You need to take a licensing exam prior to starting the job.
5. Social Media Specialist
The role of a social media specialist is to create and manage content for social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They create strategies to increase the company’s social media followers, engaging with customers in a better way and promoting products and services the right way.
To become a social media specialist, you must be creative, possess good writing skills, and stay updated on the latest social media trends. This must answer is consumer services a good career path.
6. Airline and Travel Agent
If you have good geography knowledge and basic computer skills, this can be a great job for you. In fact, a lot of people who love traveling opt for this as their career. The role of a travel agent is to serve customers who have travel requirements, like making flight and hotel bookings, arranging cabs, of required and making all other reservations.
They also need to provide information to the customers about the best places to visit in and around the place they are traveling to. Their average salary is around $40,000 annually, including bonuses, commission, incentives, and maybe some traveling perks. This is one of the Consumer services examples.
To apply for this job role, it is essential that the candidate must be at least 18 years of age, possess a high school degree, and have a driver’s license.
7. Host
You must have seen a host or hostess in a restaurant, but there are other places as well where you might find them. Many businesses see the importance of appointing hosts to greet and welcome customers so that they can start their experience in a friendly way. It is an entry-level job, so people who love dealing with customers can also opt for this as their profession.
8. Hedge Fund Manager
This is yet again a great customer service job that pays pretty well. A hedge fund manager’s major responsibility is making investment decisions for a hedge fund. This major includes which stocks to buy and sell and when to do so. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
It is not an entry-level position; therefore, hedge fund managers should be experienced and qualified. A lot of them possess a degree in economics, accounting, or finance. Their average salary is around $1,35 000 annually, plus they also earn commission and bonus. Thus, if you wish to make good money in the customer services field, this can be one of the best jobs for you.
9. Human Resources Specialist
As the name suggests, the HR specialist is responsible for managing employee relations, benefits and taking care of their training programs. Furthermore, they also manage hiring, recruiting of employees, processing termination paperwork, workplace safety, and preparing compensation packages.
To become an HR specialist, you need to have great communication skills, people skills and knowledge of employment laws.
10. Marketing Manager
You can also become a marketing manager if you are good at convincing people. The role of a marketing manager is to create and implement marketing campaigns for promoting products or services. They must do market research, design the marketing material, and take advertising initiatives.
The skills required to become a marketing manager are good communication, creativity, organizational skills, strong writing skills, and interpersonal skills. The average salary of a marketing manager is around $1,42,100 annually.
These are some of the jobs you can opt for in the consumer services field, but the options are endless. Let us also know about some of the best consumer services companies where you can apply for a job and get a good salary. This must answer is consumer services a good career path.
Also Read: Is Basic Industries a Good Career Path – Answered
What Companies are in the Consumer Services Field?
After learning about consumer services examples, let us go over the list of best Consumer Services Companies.
1. The Walt Disney Company
This Company aims to become a leading producer and provider of entertainment and information worldwide. It is a media and entertainment company that has its reach worldwide.
It operates in different sectors such as Disney Parks & products, live theater, media & entertainment distribution, and steaming platforms like ABC Entertainment.
It was established in the 1920s by two brothers, Walt and Rod Disney; since then, it has been growing consistently, and within no time, it has become the most successful & entertaining company worldwide.
It is one of the biggest players in entertainment, and a career in this company can be a great opportunity. Thus, if you are thinking – is consumer services a good career path – don’t get confused as working in this company can be a big opportunity and help your career get a good boom.
2. Apple
Who does not know about this big brand? It is an MNC that designs, produces, and markets mobile phones, computers, media devices, and portable digital music players and also sell software and networking solutions. It is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and has over 1,50,000 people working for them.
They started manufacturing computers in the late 70s and 80s, but now you can get numerous products from them. They also offer the best-paying jobs all around the world, which means you have an opportunity to work with the biggest brands in the consumer services field.
They are well-known for their amazing customer service, and there is no doubt that they pay great salaries and benefits to their employees. It is a great place to work with excellent career growth potential. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
3. Airbnb
This is a great company with a great idea in mind while starting. They provide travelers with unique options that are substitutes for hotels and motels; they started in 2008. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has more than 2000 employees working under them.
This is one platform that has disrupted the entire hotel industry by enabling people to rent out rooms in their homes to travelers. Today, they have millions of users in more than 190 countries and 81,000 cities globally. If you have knowledge of geography and possess excellent communication skills, this can be a great company to work with.
The pay is pretty good, plus the employees might also get perks like free travel. Since its inception, this company has been very successful and has turned into a billion-dollar company within just a couple of years.
4. Costco
It is a wholesale warehouse club that offers a huge range of merchandise, member services, and specialty departments. You will see that most US states have a Costco warehouse or are located nearby from a city.
This company started in 1976 as Price Club in San Diego, and later it merged with 1983 it merged with Costco in Seattle as PriceCostco. In the year 1997, it officially became Costco and is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington.
Just by paying a fee of $60 yearly, its buyers can purchase groceries and other products they offer in bulk at discounted prices. There are various opportunities to work for employees in both individual stores and at the corporate level, including customer service representatives as well.
Other tech-related jobs they offer are cloud networking engineer, logistics program manager, and various others. This must answer is consumer services a good career path.
5. Amazon
When talking about the consumer services industry and companies, how can we not include Amazon? The Amazon consumer services field company is an excellent resource for customers. This company is headquartered in Seattle, WA. It is a pioneer in creating digital service experiences and leveraging technology in consumer services worldwide.
You will see on their website they offer numerous services that can benefit many customers. They have completely revolutionized the way people shop for consumer goods nowadays. In just a few clicks, they can order everything, from groceries to electronics to sports to furniture and whatnot.
Initially, it started as an online book store, but today you can get consumer goods, stream video, photo storage, and much more. For people who are into tech and have good communication skills, this can be the perfect company for you to work for.
I am sure after reading about these companies and the job opportunities offered by them, you are no more in doubt that is customer service a good career?
What do People in Customer Service Do?
This is one question a lot of people have in their minds and are unsure of, along with – what is consumer services. It is important for you to know that for almost every company, customer service jobs are their heart and soul. They represent the company in the market and are responsible for the way the company looks. It is a vital job in the company and can help you grow in your career.
Customer service people need to possess excellent communication skills whether they work in online chat, calls, on the phone, or meet in person. Plus, it is important to have great listening skills, be quick learners and should, be flexible, and have creative heads.
Consumer Service Types
The customer service department of any organization helps and guides customers before, during, and after they purchase any goods or services. It is seen that there is a direct link between happy customers, brand loyalty, and an increase in the revenue of the company. This must answer – is consumer services a good career path.
Here is the list of the common types of consumer services that will help you decide is consumer services a good career path for you or not.
1. Walk-In Service Departments
The company does not need to create a customer service department within the business if you sell your products online and want to take care of customer queries. All you need to do is create a virtual customer service team, as that cannot only help save a lot of time but can save a lot of money by appointing fewer CSRs.
The requirement for walk-in service departments is high in businesses that sell products that need assembling or repair, such as furniture, electronics, etc. It is an excellent way to render convenience to customers. Walk-in departments are for people who can deal with a fast-paced and high-pressure environment.
2. Phone or Email Support
In this, an employee’s role is to help customers by attending phone calls or responding to them through email. They need to assist customers with questions about their products or services, general information, or in case they face any trouble using the product.
3. Live Chat
The customer service department’s major role is to assist customers whenever required. As mentioned above, support can be provided through calls or email, but one of the easiest and most effective ways is by assisting with live chat.
This way, the customers can get support from a person in real time, which can be pretty helpful when facing any issue while using the product or service. Live Chat support is available round the clock, which means customers can contact and get help whenever they want.
4. Self-Service Content
A lot of companies are using the self-service content strategy as it becomes easier for customers to get an answer to their queries without contacting the customer service department. This helps companies reduce their expenses by hiring fewer people in the customer services department.
Also Read: 19 Highest Paying Customer Service Jobs
Pros and Cons of Working in a Consumer Services Field
Let us quickly take an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of working in this field, as this will help you decide is customer service a good career for you or not.
Pros
- Great career opportunities: The first thing worth mentioning about this sector is that individuals will get numerous growth opportunities. This can be an excellent field for people who wish to advance their career in customer service. There are a lot of career advancement opportunities, and with the right skill set, education qualification, and experience, one can easily climb up the ladder and reach management and executive positions.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Working in the consumer service sector helps improve your problem-solving skills. Problem-solving is the backbone of this industry, and in whichever job profile you are, this is one thing you will always need. The ability to solve problems quickly can help you grow in any career path you opt for. Thus, working in this sector will help you master this skill.
- Emotional Intelligence: If you are working in this sector, you will surely see an improvement in your emotional intelligence. It will become easy for you to read the emotions of different people and respond accordingly. This skill will be helpful for you in both your personal and professional life. This trait will help you become more successful in your life.
- No experience required: The best thing about working in this industry is that you do not need any prior experience for most of the job profiles. In fact, a lot of job roles do not require any degree or entry requirements. The best thing is that they provide you with training before you get live.
Cons
- Stress and Pressure: The major drawback of working in this sector is that it can sometimes be stressful. There might be calls or chats when you have to deal with verbally abusive or difficult customers, yet you will have to be calm, friendly, and professional. You should know that if a customer complains about any employee’s rude behavior, it can lead to termination, so you have to be very careful.
- Relatively less pay: A lot of entry-level customer services jobs pay comparatively lower wages and poor benefits that lead to a lower standard of living for the employees. Because of the less pay, people working in this industry feel demotivated and unappreciated.
- Irregular Working Hours: In some fields, employees might have to work on weekends, holidays, or late-night shifts. The worst part is that the shifts may change every month, making it difficult for employees to adjust.
- Frequent Changes: In the customer services field, it has been observed that there are a lot of frequent changes in procedures, guidelines, policies, products, and services. Therefore, the employees will have to adopt to these changes every now and then. As they are the first point of contact, they must be well-versed with the changes. Thus, all these things make this job pretty challenging.
Average Salary in the Consumer Services Industry
When you start researching what is consumer services? The next thing that comes to mind is what will be the average monthly or yearly salary that one gets in this field. So, here is the answer for you. Everyone looks for good pay irrespective of the sector they work in.
The good thing is that the salary is also pretty good in the consumer services industry. It has been seen that the average salary in the US for consumer service representatives is around $36,000 annually. The salary varies based on the individual’s skills, experience, and education level.
People with more experience and education are more likely to earn better. Plus, people with additional skills such as computer knowledge, fluency in another language, etc. Another factor that matters is the company and place where you are working.
For example, working for a big company in Florida will pay you more than working for a small company in Stowe. Plus, a few industries pay more, such as the healthcare sector pays more than retail customer services.
Consumer Services can be a rewarding career path, offering opportunities to engage with diverse individuals and contribute to their satisfaction. However, the suitability of this field ultimately depends on an individual’s interests, skills, and long-term career goals.
