Other customer and information services representatives
Career Overview
Customer and information services representatives answer enquiries and provide information about an establishment's goods, services and policies.
People in this occupation:
- Provide customer services such as receiving payments and processing requests for services
- Work for retail establishments, contact centres, insurance, telephone and utility companies and other establishments throughout the public and private sectors
Job Titles
Duties
Customer service representatives in retail establishments:
- Answer, in person or on the phone, enquiries from customers and investigate complaints regarding the establishment's goods, services and policies
- Arrange for refunds, exchange and credit for returned merchandise
- Receive account payments
- Receive credit and employment applications
Contact centre agents:
- Take customer orders for goods or services
- Promote goods or services
- Respond to enquiries and emergencies
- Investigate complaints and update accounts
Customer service representatives in insurance, telephone, utility and similar companies:
- Explain the type and cost of services offered
- Order services
- Provide information about claims or accounts
- Update accounts
- Initiate billing and process claim payments
- Receive payment for services
Information service representatives:
- Provide information to customers and the public concerning goods, services, schedules, rates, regulations and policies in response to telephone and in-person enquiries
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
24,875% Employed Full Time
51%Customer and information services representatives usually work a standard work week, while some may work night shifts at agencies that are open 24 hours a day. Work involves either standing at a customer service counter or continuous hours using a computer.
These clerks work in fast-paced environments with high volumes of customer inquiries where they must provide excellent, high level customer service.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
There are no standard education requirements for workers, however, employers may prefer to hire those with a high school diploma or some form of post-secondary education (particularly in administration or office software applications). Other requirements may include:
- On-the-job training, though employers may require employees to have related work experience, which is especially true for clerks working in areas such as insurance where customer inquiries tend to be more complex
- Experience working with modern office equipment and computer programs
- Clerical or sales experience may be required
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
24,875Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 745 | 3.0% |
| Kootenay | 370 | 1.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 17,445 | 70.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 260 | 1.0% |
| Northeast | 235 | 0.9% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 2,015 | 8.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 3,810 | 15.3% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
9,190Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 190 | 0.4% |
| Kootenay | 110 | 0.4% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 6,800 | 1.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 80 | 1.2% |
| Northeast | 70 | 0.8% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 780 | 1.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,160 | 0.9% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 1,900 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 1,140 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 980 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 770 |
| Wholesale Trade | 730 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
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