Establish a successful career as customer service consultants

What is a customer service consultant?

A customer service consultant is a trained agent who handles customer questions, complaints, and support across phone, email, and chat.

• They build and protect the bond between a brand and its customers.
• They need no college degree, but strong people skills help a lot.
• They work in call centers and modern contact centers alike.

Customer service is all about the bond between a brand and its buyers. A good or bad experience shapes how people feel about a business for years. So the role of a customer service consultant really matters.

Of course, great support is not possible without skilled people. Customer service consultants are also known as agents or representatives. They are trained to handle customer service and support.

Are you aiming to be one? Note that there is no required degree for this job. In fact, many companies hire candidates with a high school diploma. Still, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree tied to the employer’s industry is often preferred.

What are the roles of customer service consultants?

Much of a company’s success revolves around its customers. So it is the job of customer service consultants to build trust and keep good relationships.

As a consultant, you address customer concerns and questions about products and services. You also handle complaints and resolve issues to meet customers’ satisfaction. For more depth, see these customer service standards.

Here are other roles and duties of customer service consultants:

• Listen and respond to concerns and questions. Then give the right information.
• Take orders, process billing, and handle payments and returns.
• Get correct customer data, such as name, address, phone, and payment details.
• Update customer information and make changes to accounts.
• Document every interaction. So all records stay accurate and current.
• Sell and upsell new products and services based on each customer’s needs.
• Handle upset customers and resolve their complaints with care.
• Spot chances to upsell other products or services.
• Transfer customers to the right person when you cannot meet a need.

As a customer service consultant, you are the first point of contact for clients. In most cases, you help them by phone. But given today’s omnichannel setup, you may also use email, chat, and other channels. To go deeper, explore the main areas of customer service.

Essential skills needed to become successful customer service consultants

To do well in this role, you need the following key skills:

• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Skill in common computer software, such as Microsoft Office.
• Data entry and typing skills.
• Good problem-solving skills.
• A professional phone presence.
• Patience, empathy, and persuasion.
• Time management skills.
• Emotional intelligence.

Are you a beginner or a seasoned consultant? Either way, you should stay open to learning. Because of this, your skills and career keep growing over time.

How to pursue a career as customer service consultants?

Here is what you need to know to pursue this work.

Education

Anyone can pursue this career. In fact, you do not need a college degree. So anyone with a high school diploma can apply.

Trainings

Customer service consultants usually get 2 to 3 weeks of on-the-job training. Meanwhile, staff in finance and insurance often train longer.

In general, training covers the following:

• Background on the company’s products and services.
• Proper phone etiquette and call handling for customer issues.
• How to use the tools and devices the job needs.

After training, new consultants work under a tenured employee. As a result, they ease into the role over the first few weeks.

Customer service consulting in the modern age

Technology keeps moving fast. So the way firms serve customers keeps changing too.

Traditionally, businesses ran support by voice calls. Before, consultants worked in call centers. They handled both inbound and outbound calls.

Today, people rely on smartphones and the internet. As a result, businesses have many new ways to improve customer experience and boost satisfaction.

Because of this, more companies now use many channels to reach customers. So consultants are found in contact centers. There, you handle calls and also serve customers on omni-channel platforms.

As a consultant, part of your role is support through web chat, email, social media, SMS, and more.

Most companies now also farm out their contact centers to trusted providers. As a result, outsourcing consultants and firms have become key for businesses that want to outsource customer service.

In most cases, outsourcing companies like SixEleven also work as a consultant and service provider for firms that want to outsource.

List of top 3 global outsourcing consultant companies

Beyond consultations, these firms help with remote staffing and custom solutions. Their teams have years of proven experience across many industries.

So they give expert advice to firms that want to make the most of global talent. In fact, many businesses now outsource other parts of their operations too, not just call center work.

Outsourcing consultants help firms hire the right candidates. Here is a list of the top outsourcing consultants today.

Outsource Accelerator

Outsource Accelerator is a leading global advisory firm based in the Philippines. It helps local and foreign firms evaluate, staff, and manage remote teams. It also offers three free quotes from 700 BPO providers listed on the site.

Advisory firms like this also serve as a career resource for job seekers in many fields.

Kelly Services

Kelly Services connects companies with global talent. It also offers outsourcing and consulting in finance, accounting, IT, engineering, and more. With decades of experience, it has grown its workforce solutions worldwide.

ABC Consultant

ABC Consultant is a leading talent acquisition provider for large firms in India. Its consultants have years of experience with top Indian and global companies.

So these consultants help both job seekers and employers connect across many sectors.

We all know the job market stays tough. So starting out as a customer service consultant is a real challenge. After all, a huge share of BPO workers handle customer service.

Still, hard work and grit pay off. So work on the skills above, and use the tips in this guide. For pay insights, see this customer service specialist salary guide. You can also review broad customer service basics before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

What does a customer service consultant do?

A consultant answers questions and resolves complaints. They also take orders, update accounts, and log every interaction. So they keep customers happy across many channels.

Do you need a degree to be a customer service consultant?

No. Most roles only ask for a high school diploma. Still, a related degree can help in some industries.

What skills do customer service consultants need?

They need strong communication, patience, and problem-solving. In addition, data entry, time management, and empathy help a lot.

Where do customer service consultants work?

Many work in call centers and contact centers. Meanwhile, others work for BPO firms that handle outsourced support.

Key takeaways

• A customer service consultant handles support across phone, email, chat, and social media.
• You can start with a high school diploma and strong people skills.
• Training usually runs 2 to 3 weeks before you take live work.
• Modern roles are omnichannel, and many firms now outsource this work.