Working in customer relations. Which jobs for which missions?
People who work in customer relations can hold a variety of positions within a company. The industry is very diverse and offers great career opportunities.
Whether working in sales teams, call centers or as a customer service representative, customer relations has become a strategic and central hub of the company. You only have to look at the emergence of new professions such as KAM or CXO to be convinced of this.
What are the key skills for working in customer relations?
Customer service professionals must have good communication skills and be able to listen and understand customer needs quickly. This ability is very important in identifying key issues and solving the customer’s problem.
The other two key areas of expertise are IT and management. Indeed, knowing the basics of IT is a “must-have” for many jobs related to CRM. Indeed, customer relations goes a little further and requires its candidates to master the main information systems oriented towards customer monitoring.
For example, we will think of CRMs like Salesforce, Zendesk, Axonaut, or any other specific CRM systems.
The project management aspect mainly occurs in high-ranking positions. Some customer relations jobs require the ability to manage campaigns based on precise indicators. These issues are difficult and require a lot of technical skills to develop the campaign and anticipate needs.
Indeed, customer relations are now evolving as an ecosystem that must be able to evolve according to several KPIs. Gone are the days of after-sales service; we must think of things as a complete customer journey that is positioned within a global and satisfying customer experience.
Customer relationship indicators such as Net Promoter Score or engagement rate are complex to set up and develop. You therefore need qualified people to take charge of them.
Note that a good customer relationship can also build employee loyalty and facilitate recruitment through a strong employer brand.
What are the main types of jobs in customer relations?
There are several layers of positions around customer relations. Each layer corresponds to a level of expertise and a specific requirement.
- – Management Position: People aspiring to management positions must have academic qualifications and good field experience.
- Management skills are highly valued and a Master 2 is very often required for positions such as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Key Account Manager (KAM), Chief Operating Officer (COO), or even Country Manager. For the latter, due to the international context, candidates will need to master at least one or two foreign languages.
- – Customer Service Representative: Customer service representatives handle product inquiries, product support requests, or order issues. A customer service representative must be able to respond to orders or provide advice. They work remotely or in person at the customer’s location. Customer service representatives must have good product and service knowledge, as well as customer management skills.
- – In call center: Call center managers or “platform managers” are responsible for maintaining the quality of customer service for the call center team.
- They provide training and supervision to ensure that representatives are providing the right level of service, and they monitor individual and team performance. They ensure the quality of customer relationships by listening to and training the teams responsible for handling outbound calls. It is not uncommon for them to provide questionnaires to validate customer satisfaction.
- Customer Relationship Manager: Customer relationship managers build and protect a company’s most important relationships with its customers. Their goal is to increase revenue per customer by strengthening customer loyalty and selling a wider range of products and services. Customer relationship managers work closely with customer team members to understand their needs and influence purchasing decisions. They also coordinate the work of customer service staff within their own company to ensure that customers receive the highest levels of service.
- Technical Support Staff: Technical support staff work in a help desk. They contribute to good customer relations by providing advice and guidance that helps customers use the company’s products effectively and reduces the risk of customer complaints. Help desk staff must have good product knowledge and technical skills, in addition to dealing with customers.
As you can see, there are many specific jobs related to customer relations. This field is booming and truly connected to the problems of the company. Enough to give you ideas for career development.
