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What is a customer service desk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
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A customer service desk is a department or area where customers can seek assistance with their inquiries related to a company's products or services. The customer service desk provides support through phone, email, chat, or in-person interactions. They aim to resolve customer problems and ensure satisfaction by providing timely and effective solutions. Customer service desks also use customer feedback to improve products and services. They may work in retail, hospitality, healthcare, and technology, among others.

ScoreCustomer Service DeskUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,599

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.9

Growth Rate -4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 6.51%

Black or African American 10.54%

Hispanic or Latino 21.33%

Unknown 5.35%

White 55.55%

Gender

female 71.20%

male 28.80%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress Level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.5

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Customer Service Desk?

Pros

  • Chance to make someone's day better

  • Possibility for career advancement within the company

  • Regular business hours and weekends off

  • Opportunity for overtime pay during busy periods

  • Offers a sense of job security

Cons

  • Dealing with angry or difficult customers can be stressful

  • May have to work on holidays or weekends during peak seasons

  • Can be mentally exhausting due to the need to remain calm and professional at all times

  • Can be challenging to balance the needs of the customer with the goals of the company

  • High turnover rate due to stress and dissatisfaction

Customer Service Desk career paths

Key steps to become a customer service desk

  1. Explore customer service desk education requirements

    Most common customer service desk degrees

    Bachelor's

    32.1 %

    High School Diploma

    31.7 %

    Associate

    23.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific customer service desk skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Service Desk19.55%
    Customer Service16.59%
    Strong Customer Service15.21%
    Front Desk7.48%
    Windows4.30%
  3. Complete relevant customer service desk training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New customer service desks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a customer service desk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real customer service desk resumes.
  4. Research customer service desk duties and responsibilities

    • Manage cash balances and inventory stock accurately; ensure cleanliness of all work stations and guarantee excellent customer service.
    • Operate a POS system to itemize and complete customer front-end register transactions.
    • Ask to follow closing procedures of facility and close out POS system.
    • Organize activities such as science and math club, sports, art, and cooking.
  5. Prepare your customer service desk resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your customer service desk resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a customer service desk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Customer Service Desk Resume templates

    Build a professional Customer Service Desk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Customer Service Desk resume.
    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
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    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
    Customer Service Desk Resume
  6. Apply for customer service desk jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a customer service desk job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Customer Service Desk Job

Zippi

Are you a Customer Service Desk?

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Average customer service desk salary

The average Customer Service Desk salary in the United States is $34,599 per year or $17 per hour. Customer service desk salaries range between $25,000 and $47,000 per year.

Average Customer Service Desk Salary
$34,599 Yearly
$16.63 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do customer service desks rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Customer Service Desk reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

I got to do a variety of tasks daily. Got treated with respect from management and other coworkers.

Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

I enjoy helping to be the glue to hold people together as friends. I enjoy talking on the phone . I enjoy learning new things about people.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Cons

not being able to communicate with a customer

Pros

The people and helping them solve their problems, also being first to help the customers.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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