Customer service manager
Customer service managers play a crucial role in ensuring customers receive the best possible service, which is essential for both retaining and increasing the number of customers
Your primary responsibility is to ensure that customers' expectations are met or exceeded. You'll achieve this by monitoring customer interactions, ensuring any issues that arise are managed and resolved efficiently, and continuously seeking ways to improve the overall customer experience.
You'll also manage a customer service team, ensuring they are well-trained, motivated and equipped to deal with customer enquiries and complaints.
By focusing on customer satisfaction, you'll contribute to the growth and success of the business or organisation.
Roles vary widely, and job titles in customer service management include corporate services manager, customer care manager, customer operations manager and customer relations manager. In each of these roles, you are expected to understand and satisfy your customers' requirements, exceeding expectations whenever possible.
Responsibilities
As a customer service manager, you'll typically need to:
Customers
- provide help and advice to customers using your organisation's products or services
- investigate and resolve customers' problems which may have been escalated to you by customer service assistants
- handle customer complaints or any major incidents, such as a security issue or a customer being taken ill
- issue refunds or compensation to customers
- keep accurate records of discussions or correspondence with customers.
Staff
- lead or supervise a team of customer service staff
- manage staff recruitment and appraisals - depending on the size of the organisation these tasks may be carried out by human resources
- train staff to deliver a high standard of customer service
- foster a supportive work environment, ensuring staff remain motivated and focused
- set performance targets and monitor progress to ensure that the team meets its goals.
Strategic management
- monitor and report on performance, analysing statistics or other data, such as customer feedback, to determine the level and effectiveness of customer service your organisation is providing
- improve the customer experience by reviewing existing, and implementing new, strategies to enhance the overall customer experience
- write reports for senior management on customer service metrics
- develop and implement customer service procedures, policies and standards for your organisation or department
- meet with managers from other teams and departments to ensure a consistent approach to customer service
- manage the customer service budget and allocate resources effectively.
You'll also need to learn about your organisation's products or services and keep up to date with changes and developments in customer service.
Salary
- Starting salaries for trainee customer service managers typically range from £21,000 to £28,000, depending on your experience and the type of employer.
- Salaries for experienced customer service managers typically range from £30,000 to £45,000.
- Salaries for senior customer service managers can rise to in excess of £60,000 depending on the sector you work in, the type and size of employer and the complexity of the role.
Some companies, especially in retail, sales and banking, offer generous bonuses or commission and usually provide an excellent benefits package. This can include a pension, healthcare insurance and professional development opportunities.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
Working hours
Working hours will vary depending on the sector you work in, and the type of work you do. For example, managers at head offices may work 9am to 5pm, while those in call centres or retail stores may need to work shifts, including evenings and weekends.
There are some opportunities for part-time work.
What to expect
- Work is usually carried out from an office or from a customer services desk in a public area, such as a shop or a train station.
- Opportunities are available throughout the UK, particularly in cities and towns. Some organisations have relocated their call-centre provision overseas. There may be some opportunities for UK customer service managers to work overseas in either permanent or temporary positions.
- If you have face-to-face contact with customers, you must have a smart appearance, and you may be required to wear a uniform.
- Dealing with customers who are upset or angry can be challenging, although helping a customer resolve an issue can also be rewarding. Whatever the setting, you will need to maintain a calm and professional manner at all times.
- Travel during the working day may be necessary if you have to visit customers, for example. If you're a regional manager, you will need to travel between sites in your area.
Qualifications
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, the following degree, foundation degree or HND subjects may improve your chances:
- business management
- consumer studies
- management studies
- marketing.
Some employers may prefer students from disciplines that are relevant to their particular sector, such as retail, tourism and hospitality or financial services.
Large employers may offer graduate training schemes in customer service management or as part of a broader management training programme.
Entry into customer service management is possible without a degree, foundation degree or HND. For example, some managers work their way up from roles such as customer service assistant, gaining relevant qualifications and experience on the job. Relevant qualifications include a Level 3 or 4 Diploma in Customer Service.
Customer service apprenticeships are available at Levels 2 and 3. Apprenticeships combine paid work with study for a qualification, meaning you can train on the job. Find an apprenticeship.
A postgraduate qualification is not required.
Skills
You'll need to have:
- excellent communication skills that allow you to inform, help and advise customers
- active listening skills, to understand exactly what customers require
- a commitment to delivering an outstanding customer experience
- strong interpersonal skills
- the ability to lead, motivate and support a team of customer service staff
- written and report writing skills
- a proactive approach to problem solving
- strong analytical skills
- confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy
- creative thinking to develop new ideas to improve customer service standards
- the ability to multitask and work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- organisational and planning skills with attention to detail
- good numeracy and general IT skills.
Work experience
Competition for jobs is high, so previous experience of working with customers is essential. Part-time work in a shop, call centre, office or bar, for example, is useful, particularly in a customer services or team leader role. These types of roles will help develop your communication and problem-solving skills, as well as your resilience and ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced work environment.
Large companies may offer customer service internships that provide practical experience of dealing with customer enquiries, resolving issues and understanding customer needs. This could be through a year out in industry during your degree or via a summer internship or work placement.
Volunteering in a customer service role for a charity or not-for-profit organisation is another way of developing key skills needed to become a customer service manager and also shows your commitment to helping others.
Other relevant experience includes taking on a leadership role in a student club or society, where you'll develop your interpersonal and organisational skills.
You could also try to arrange a period of work shadowing with customer service managers in different settings to find out which type of organisation might suit you best.
Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.
Employers
Customer service managers work in most industries in the public, private and charitable sectors.
For example, you could work for:
- retail companies, such as supermarkets, department stores, fashion outlets and online retailers
- leisure and tourism organisations, such as theatres, tour operators and airlines
- charities
- banks and building societies
- insurance companies
- utility organisations, such as gas, electricity and water companies
- telecommunications organisations
- travel, transport and logistics firms
- the manufacturing and construction industry
- local government
- health service providers
- educational institutions.
The work varies depending on the sector and the employer. For example, if you work on a customer service desk in a supermarket, you will mainly work with customers face-to-face, but if you work in a call centre for an insurance company, most of your contact with customers will be by telephone.
Look for job vacancies at:
- Find a Job - government's job board.
- company websites
- recruitment agencies such as Hays and Reed.
- local and national press.
Some organisations, such as retail companies, advertise vacancies in-store, posting vacancies on notice boards or in shop windows.
Professional development
Employers often provide their own training relating to their particular sector and organisation. Some organisations offer management-training schemes covering other areas of management as well as customer service.
It's important to keep your skills and knowledge up to date throughout your career. Some employers offer the opportunity to take courses and qualifications run by organisations such as The Institute of Customer Service (ICS). The ICS offers a range of workshops and Certificate courses in areas such as:
- complaints handling
- challenging interactions
- customer journey mapping
- vulnerable customers.
They also offer a Customer Service Management Qualification, which takes one year part time to complete (via blended and online delivery). The qualification covers areas such as team management, service strategy, digitalisation and financial and risk management.
The ICS also runs regional networking events and conferences that are useful for meeting and sharing best practice with other customer service professionals.
General management qualifications are offered by bodies such as the:
Both these organisations offer a range of leadership and management qualifications from team leader through to senior manager/CEO.
You can also study through a university for a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Search MBA courses.
Career prospects
You may start your career in an entry-level role such as customer service adviser, gaining direct experience with customers, handling enquiries and resolving complaints and other issues. With experience and further qualifications and training, you could move into a supervisory or team leader role, overseeing a team of customer service staff, ensuring high standards of service and managing day-to-day operations.
This can then lead to a position as a customer service manager, where your responsibilities will expand to include strategic planning and training and mentoring staff.
Some graduates start as trainee customer service managers on a graduate training scheme. After your initial training, you'll become a customer service manager, often with responsibility for a small team of customer service assistants. Your responsibilities are likely to increase as you gain more experience and further qualifications.
You may have to move to a larger organisation or another branch of your existing company to get more responsibility or seek opportunities for promotion.
Further career advancement can lead to senior management positions such as regional or national customer service manager, where you'll focus on overseeing multiple teams at various locations.
There are also opportunities to move into a wider management career or to get involved in the training and assessment of staff working towards customer service qualifications.