Online Customer Service Degree Programs

Online customer service degrees can be attained at the associate or bachelor degree level.

Customer service is the process of taking care of customers needs and desires in a professional and courteous manner. It is the provision of service to customers before, during and after purchases. This means that customer services personnel must have a good knowledge of their particular industry, product, or service, customer service skills, good communication skills, and knowledge of company policies and regulations. Other skills include keyboard skills and data entry skills (ten-key) telephone skills, arithmetic skills, and computing skills. Employment is available in banking, call centers, retail, e-commerce etc. Customer service representatives should have an in-depth knowledge of the product or service they support, in addition to skills in communication, conflict mediation, and knowledge of company policies and regulations.

Customer Service Degree Programs

Jones International University

• BBA in Customer Care Management

Customer Service Education and Training

Customer service representatives and call center personnel have responsibilities that include responding to customer and client questions and complaints. With customer service training students usually get an associate degree in business, a certificate in customer care management, or bachelor's degree in business. Often time, customer service training is provided directly by the employer, although in many situations it is helpful to have attained basic qualifications and training, for example by completing a bachelors or associate degree in business.

Customer Service Careers

Many customer service positions require employees to have at least a high school diploma or GED, but most companies prefer their applicants who have training and a degree or a diploma. Many companies do their own in-house training or internal customer service training. Therefore, having a degree or customer service training will give you a competitive edge. In fact most management and supervisory positions in customer service require a degree and experience.

Estimated Income and Projected Career Growth

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that customer care positions should grow by about 25% in the next few years, with bilingual speakers being more in demand. Earns are about $15.00 an hour for most industries. Many customer service positions are entry-level jobs.

The median salary according to the United States Department of Labor is about $27,500, but varies greatly by industry and experience level. The top 10% of customer service professionals earn about $40,000, and managers and supervisor positions earn more, ranging from $56,000 to $80,000 a year. Having a customer service degree is certainly an advantage to higher income and promotion.