Are you interested in getting your foot in the door of business?

Working in customer service is the backdoor you’ve been looking for. If you talk to anyone that has worked retail you’ll hear, “it’s just answering phones.” However, this statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here’s the deal:

Big-name executives have cut their teeth doing customer service jobs. Why? Because they know what you’re about to learn.

What’s in this article:

1. Customer Service Jobs Are the Perfect Gateway Role
2. Benefits of Customer Service Jobs
3. Customer Service Representative Employment Will Increase
4. Leverage Customer Service Jobs as a Stepping Stone

Customer Service Jobs Are the Perfect Gateway Role

When you work as a customer service representative you’re on the front lines of business.

You learn how a company actually operates. You learn what customers want. You gain an understanding of what makes people tick.

That’s some serious knowledge you can only get from an entry-level position.

On top of gaining this knowledge there are plenty of employment opportunities for customer service jobs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 341,700 openings for customer service representatives each year over the next decade.

Yep. You read that correctly.

341,700 new job opportunities… annually.

Whether you’re checking out customer service jobs hiring in Tucson or exploring opportunities in a different state, customer service jobs are accessible. They provide the unique balance of being attainable for newcomers, but have plenty of room for growth compared to your average entry-level job.

Oh, and here’s the best part…

Customer service jobs do not require any special qualifications. You do not need a college degree or 5 years of experience.

Benefits of Customer Service Jobs

Here is why skill sets learned from working in customer service help you at any job:

Working in customer service will teach you skills you can use at every job you’ve ever worked or will work.

Think about these:

• Communication — Breaking down policies and explaining things in a way customers can understand
• Problem Solving — Customers have a puzzle for you everyday
• Diffusing Conflicts — Talking to unhappy people is a daily task
• Computer Knowledge — CRM, software, databases, etc.
• Multitasking — Juggling tickets, customers, coworkers, and managers

Sure these are nice-to-have skills, but they’re what makes every team function correctly. Marketing teams need communication, sales teams need problem-solving, management needs employees that can diffuse conflicts and handle pressure.

And you learn these skills on the job.

You’re getting paid to pick up these abilities all while gaining real work experience. Another win-win!

Customer Service Representative Employment Will Increase

Is automation taking all of the customer service jobs?

Nope.

While there are bots to answer general questions there’s always going to be a need for human interaction. When things start to get tricky customers want to talk to people, not robots.

Did you know that according to Salesforce, 85% of decision makers feel that customer service will contribute more revenue to their companies this year than it did last year.

Companies are investing more into their customer service teams, not cutting them.

Employment rate looks like this:

319 million people had contact with customer service representatives in 2024.

Needless to say there are a lot of businesses out there employing customer service representatives.

Those millions of people needed customer service representatives in all types of industries. Some of these industries included:

• Retail
• Healthcare
• Finance
• Tech
• Travel
• Food Service

Whatever industry you’re interested in, there are probably multiple entry-level customer service jobs.

Leverage Customer Service Jobs as a Stepping Stone

Now it’s time to put this all together.

You should be working in customer service because it’s not a dead end job. Far from it actually. The employees that utilize their time working in customer service accelerate up the ladder quicker than their peers.

Why?

There are so many career paths from working in customer service.

• Team Lead — Oversee fellow representatives and take ticket escalations
• Customer Success — Ensure clients are reaching their goals
• Account Executive / Sales — Now you know the product, make some sales!
• Training Specialist — Help onboarding new team members
• Management — Learn the business from the front lines and move into a management role

These are just a few of the careers you can easily transition into with experience as a customer service representative. Your time spent helping customers will give you insights that an outsider will not have.

People that go above and beyond do not lay around in entry level positions for long. Management can see those that thrive under pressure and those that came up with unique solutions to problems.

They promote those employees.

Tips for Success in Customer Service Jobs

You want to climb that ladder quicker than your colleagues? Here are a few things you can do.

Become product knowledgeable. There’s nothing worse than not knowing the answer to a question. Become the go-to person for your team. That’s how you get noticed.

Network, network, network. When working in customer service you have access to people in sales, marketing, product, and upper management. You talk to everyone daily, take advantage of that

Keep a tally sheet of your success. Jot down when you solved an issue, received a compliment, or suggested something that got implemented. When it’s time to ask for that promotion or move on to another company this will be priceless.

Don’t be afraid to take on more responsibility. Offer to help train new employees. Volunteer for projects others don’t want to take on.

These are just a few things that set those craving growth apart from their team.

Employees that follow these tips don’t stay in customer service jobs for long.

Conclusion

Working in customer service is a great way to get your foot in the door at business.

Employment rate is through the roof with over 300 million jobs requiring customer service representative interaction. You learn skills that you can use at every job you work. Lastly, there are so many opportunities to level up your career.

If you’re just starting out or looking to switch careers…

Doing customer service jobs is how you kickstart your career. Don’t sleep on an entry-level position. They’re where every professional started at some point and they can set you up for success down the road.