Customer Service Representatives

Customer service representatives (CSRs) work primarily indoors, although some may work in the field where the customers are using the product or service. Representatives usually work in a supervised setting and report to a manager, and may spend many hours on the telephone, answering mail, or handling Internet communication. Many of the work hours involve little physical activity. Typically, CSRs work in small cubicles or in open office settings, which can make for a noisy environment. The job can be stressful. Customers may be angry or rude, and a CSR may feel pressure if he or she is required to answer a designated number of calls within a certain time span.

While most customer service representatives generally work a 40-hour workweek, others work a variety of shifts. Many businesses want customer service hours to coincide with the times that their customers are available to call or contact the business. For many companies, these times are in the evenings and on the weekends, so some customer service representatives work a varied shift and odd hours.