A customer care assistant plays an important role in keeping customers satisfied and informed about the products or services that a business offers. Since this position involves continually interacting with customers, it usually calls for an person with significant interpersonal and communication skills. While a customer care assistant can work in a multitude of industries, the primary job duties remain the same. These include answering customer questions, dealing with complaints, sending out marketing materials, maintaining customer records and assisting subordinates.
Perhaps the most important part of being a customer care assistant is answering customer questions. Whether talking to a potential customer or discussing new promotions with a long-term customer, it's necessary for this individual to provide accurate information for all inquiries. In most cases, this is done either over the phone or through email. This practice helps to establish a rapport with cutomers and should help to build a solid customer base over time. Consequently, this requires a person with this job to have an in-depth knowledge of her company's products or services.
Another part of this job is dealing with complaints. No matter how well a business is run or how high-quality the products or services are, customer complaints are inevitable. When a complaint is received, it's up to the customer care assistant to effectively handle the situation. This may involve giving a customer his money back, replacing an order, or shipping out a new order. Performing well in this aspect of the job requires a friendly disposition and ease in making decisions.
Sending out marketing materials is also a fairly common duty. For example, a person with this job might send out catalogs to customers who are interested in her company's products or services. She may also send out promotional flyers through the mail to existing customers that feature new offers. This helps with the acquisition of customers and can lead to further sales from existing customers.
Maintaining customer records is another important part of being a customer care assistant. In most cases, this involves entering information, such as customer names, addresses, telephone numbers and order history, into an electronic database. This helps to efficiently organize customer information for future reference.
In some workplaces, a customer care assistant will also need to assist subordinates and provide training. While a customer care assistant doesn't usually provide direct supervision, she will often help subordinates who experience difficulty in their work. This may involve dealing with escalated customer complaint situations or demonstrating how to use a company's computer system. Consequently, it helps to have some solid leadership skills in this profession.