Fashion Mode

Customer service jobs involve the maintenance of the relationship between a company and the people it serves. It is a broad career field that's now more essential than ever in every business. The more industries turn global, the more they need this service. It has also become a trend in the past few years that these work opportunities are concentrated in Asia - where the education rating is high, but wages are low. Companies in the US, Australia, and Europe even outsource them to this region since a few years ago. However, some of these opportunities still need to remain locally.

Depending on the company's business and culture, these jobs range from fashion store attendants to call center agents. Even the latter can have varying responsibilities. He or she can be tasked to taking inbound calls, making outbound calls, or both. The representative can also be responsible for sending and replying e-mails, text messages, and other related business support activities.

Because of the vast coverage of these jobs, training and education requirements also vary according to the tasks assigned. Most companies require a high school diploma, while others want to hire only those with college degrees. But the strictest requirement for all is excellence in communication - in English and, at times, in another language that's widely used in business like Mandarin, Nihongo, Korean, and Spanish, among others. Since almost all businesses today use computerized systems, those who are in this type of position also need to know basic computer operations and should at least be a fast learner of special programs used in whatever industry the company is in. For instance, airline and travel agency booking staff should know Abacus, Amadeus, Navitaire, or whichever reservations software their establishment is using. Some boutique consultants are expected to know or study the store's cashier and inventory system.

The environment of customer service jobs really differ depending on the nature of the company's business. A museum docent or a tour guide also falls under this category and they do their customer relationship tasks face to face, while sharing their knowledge and experience about the exhibits or places that they're showcasing. A call center agent, on the other hand, sits behind a desk, but has to handle all the stress of responding to buyers' feedback, mostly complaints.

If you're interested in handling a job like any of these, the basics here are things that you should think about. If you believe you have the skills and attitude for it, the field promises great opportunities as many companies puts emphasis on it these days.