Customer service jobs: how to get hired

Customer service representatives are employees who interact with customers by answering questions, explaining products or services and processing purchases, orders or invoices. They work in call centres, retail shops and offices.

A typical day in a customer service job may involve:

• Answering and making phone calls 

• Responding to emails

• Processing orders and returns

• Explaining products and services

• Interacting with customers or clients in person

• Handling customer complaints

• Entering data 

• Processing orders

• Troubleshooting issues for customers

• Escalating customer concerns to management when necessary

Working in this role, you’ll be the public face of a company, frequently interacting with people. To succeed you’ll need customer service job skills – to be friendly, patient, a good communicator, adaptable and efficient. You’ll also need to be a problem solver and be able to learn about your company’s products and services so that you can help customers with them.

Entry level customer service jobs generally start at minimum wage ($23.15 – increasing to $23.50 on 1 April 2025). 

With time and experience, the pay can increase. According to Trade Me’s salary guide, the salary band for customer service representatives is $52,000 to $67,000, and an average of $60,000. 

You can get many customer service jobs without any qualifications or experience, especially junior roles in retail or call centres. That said, if you want to stand out from the crowd, it’s always better to have experience and qualifications, especially in senior roles. 

• New Zealand Certificate in Retail (Customer Service and Sales Support) – Te Pukenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology

• National Certificate in Public Sector Services (Client/Customer Service) (Level 3) – Te Pukenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology

• Degrees in Business majoring in customer service or related topics at most major universities in New Zealand. 

Before you start a qualification, it’s a good idea to contact employers who you may want to work for and ask what they require in candidates. They may suggest a specific qualification or an entry level job you could apply for now.