Customer Service, Information and Related Clerks

HOW TO GET THERE

Typical pathway

A typical path starts with a secondary school diploma, with English, French, business, and computer courses being useful preparation. Many students gain early experience through part-time work, volunteering, or co-op in retail, reception, call centres, or other front-line service roles. Some employers train new workers on the job, while others may prefer college study in office administration, business, or a related program. Requirements can vary by employer, province, and the specific setting, especially for roles involving accounts, billing, claims, or specialized customer service systems.

THE WORK

What you may do

Legacy duties

• Customer service clerks 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 and receive credit and employment applications.
• Call 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 clerks 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, and receive payment for services.
• Information clerks provide information to customers and the public concerning goods, services, schedules, rates, regulations and policies in response to telephone and in-person enquiries.

SKILLS TO BUILD

Skills used in this Career