Job Title: Customer Service (in-coming call center)
Current Employer: AT&T
Years of Experience: 4
Where: Fayetteville, NC
Education: High School Diploma
Other Relevant Work Experience: Customer Service, Clerical, Microsoft applications, Windows.
Salary: See the PayScale Research Center for median customer service rep salaries.

Inbound Call Center Jobs – Customer Service Job Description

Customer service is an important job. Whether it's a cell phone that stopped working, a lost credit card, or a computer glitch, we've all needed help from a customer service representative at one time or another. Call center reps often handle calls from frustrated customers - sometimes multiple times in a given day. While this can be difficult even for skilled representatives, the following Salary Story explains that resolving problems for customers can also be rewarding. In this interview, an AT&T inbound call center representative provides a detailed customer service job description and explains some favorite - and least favorite - aspects of the job. Keep reading to get some insider tips on how to succeed in this challenging job.

PayScale: What is a customer service representative job description?

This is my actual job description: Handles customer questions, complaints, and billing inquiries with the highest degree of courtesy and professionalism to resolve customer issues with one call resolution. Offers alternative solutions where appropriate with the objective of retaining customer's business. Handles business transactions in connection with activation of new customer accounts on a computer terminal. Communicates with customers using web-based tools and demonstrates the associated proficiency in typing and grammar. Makes financial decisions to protect/collect revenues and adjusts customer accounts. May be required to achieve a sale quota. Has broad working knowledge of AT&T practices and operations and demonstrates continued and consistent proficiency in most of the skill sets utilized within the Host Call Center. May assist management with scheduling and tracking of the workforce and vacation schedules in accordance with set Company guidelines and requirements. May assist in training new employees. Performs other duties as assigned by management.

General Essential Functions Which are Normally Required: 1. Answers customer/client requests or inquiries concerning services, products, billing, equipment, claims, and reports problem areas. 2. May be required to work in one or multiple queues/skill sets over various customer contact channels. 3. Responsible for improving customer retention through programs and service provided to the customer 4. Utilizes mechanized systems to initiate and complete service orders and handle customer requests. 5. Continually maintain working knowledge of all company products, services and promotions. 6. Make recommendations according to customer’s needs on features, accessories, upgrades and rate plans. 7. Utilize operational systems to process purchases of AT&T products and services; i.e. collections, payments for Wireless bills and accessories.

PayScale: How did you get started in customer service?

Took a typing class in high school. Worked as an administrative specialist for 20 years in the US Army. Enjoyed working with others, working in an office environment.

How many job titles can you name? From software developer to welder to baggage handler, most of us could maybe come up with a hundred jobs or so. But, there are thousands of job titles out there. You know, the ones that make you say, "Huh, that's different." And, some of those less-well-known or “different” jobs pay well. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a list of your alternative options?

Name: Latorial Faison
Job Title: Online English Instructor
Current Employer: DeVry University Online
Where: Oakbrook Terrace, IL
Years of Experience: 10
Other Relevant Work Experience: Higher Education Administration, Public School Teacher, Poet/Writer
Education: Univ. of Virginia, 1995, BA English; VA TECH, 1997, MA English; Univ. of Phoenix, 2014, Ph.D. Higher Education Admin.
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find median salaries for online education jobs.

Online Teaching Jobs - Online English Instructor Job Description

Many people dream of working from home, but anyone who has searched for Internet-based employment knows that it can be hard to find legitimate online jobs. However, if you have the credentials to apply for college-level teaching jobs, an online instructor position could provide the freedom of a home-based job along with the professional satisfaction of an academic career.

Careers in online education have grown in the last several years, including jobs at online universities. In this Salary Story, we hear from an experienced online instructor who teaches for DeVry University. Find out why online jobs for teachers can be both challenging and rewarding.

PayScale: What is your online teacher job description?

I teach English courses online from the comfort of my own home. I manage one to two courses every eight weeks. Course management includes contacting students via e-mail regularly; posting course and university announcements to students; and grading weekly discussions, writing assignments, and team assignments. In addition, I enter grades several times a week in the online grade book. I teach in the eCollege platform. Sometimes contacting students via telephone is required, but most contact occurs through the online environment or via e-mail.

Recently a piece on the "Worst Paying College Majors" in the Huffington Post and later on Yahoo! received a lot of attention. The list of "Worst Paying College Majors" came from our annual PayScale College Salary Report.

People both hotly debated and amicably agreed upon the list of majors via 1000+ comments at the end of the Huffington Post piece. In this article I will discuss two of these comments and address misconceptions some Huffington Post readers have.

Are you curious whether you are paid what you're worth, given the major and career you chose? Find out with a free PayScale Salary Report.

How to you reward someone for helping young people learn the alphabet, have confidence in themselves, remember long division, behave well in public, respect authority, dream their biggest dreams, grow healthy social connections and also turn their homework in on time?

Name: Jason M.
Job Title: Co-owner & main sales rep – ilocalonline.com
Where: Black Diamond, WA
Current Employer: iLocal Marketing, Inc.
Years of Experience: 11 Years
Other Relevant Work Experience: Numerous Sales Jobs, Print Advertising, Internet Marketing, Telecommunications, Telemarketing, Outside Sales
Education: Green River Community College, AA Degree; Washington State University
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find the median outside sales representative salary.

Outside Sales Representative Salary and Job Description

Outside sales representatives, also simply known as sales reps, are professionals who commonly travel to businesses or other organizations in order to sell their firm’s products or services. Maintaining contact with current customers and attracting new ones, professional sales reps make presentations to buyers and management or may demonstrate items to production supervisors. Salaries are typically at least partly based on performance as outside sales workers frequently receive commissions on their sales. Although many sales workers receive a base salary in addition to commission, some receive compensation based solely on sales revenue.

In this Salary Story, Jason outlines an outside sales representative job description, explains how he got into the field, and discusses the top challenges he faces as small business owner. In addition to describing his sales rep position, Jason also explains how he became co-owner of a small Seattle Advertising Agency. Although outside sales representative jobs are typically lucrative, Jason’s decision to go into business for himself could be a particularly wise move, based on the typical salary of a small business owner. Keep reading to get an insider's look at owning an advertising and website development business.

As high school seniors spent April sorting through their college acceptance letters and deciding where to attend school, they may now be lamenting the fact they were rejected by their top choice college or university. However, a recent article in The Daily Beast finds people who don't attend their top choice school are regularly happier than those who do.

Top choice schools are often schools with name recognition and severe admission standards (e.g. Harvard or Berkeley), not necessarily schools that are a good fit for the applicant. The Daily Beast article finds students typically rank prestigious schools as top choice schools, even if the student knows very little about the school. This blogger is guilty of this: my top choice school was Princeton University for no real reason other than the fact it was Princeton.

Upon closer inspection, 2^nd choice schools may offer a better fit in terms of the academic rigor, social life, campus setting and location. Therefore, students who attend their 2^nd choice school are often happier with this choice.

However, what does attending a 2^nd choice school mean for your pay down the road? In other words, is there a trade-off between happiness and future salaries when attending a lower choice school?

Are you curious whether you are paid what you're worth given the school you chose? Find out with PayScale's detailed salary calculator.