How Do I Become a Customer Service Supervisor?

To become a customer service supervisor, you must generally have experience working as a customer service representative and demonstrate your capacity for leadership in that role. Some employers may want you to have a college degree, particularly if you will be supervising a large pool of representatives. Depending on the nature of the customer service department in which you work, you may also need to have specialized training and knowledge in the products or services offered by the company you work for. In some cases, training in sales can also be useful, as your customer service representatives may also be required to sell new products and services to callers.

Many companies are willing to hire customer service representatives who do not have extensive job experience or educational credentials. New employees are typically trained on the job for their position. If you are interested in developing your career, you may wish to pay particular attention to what you are taught in these training programs, as they can help prepare you for your goals to become a customer service supervisor. Demonstrate enthusiasm for your job as well as a willingness to learn more about the company for which you work. Talk to your own supervisors about ways you can improve your performance and be willing to assist other team members. By being the best customer service representative you can be, you have a better chance of promotion within your department.

Some companies want employees in supervisory positions to hold a college degree. You should ask someone in your company's human resources department if that company requires college degrees of managers and supervisors, and, if so, you may wish to earn a degree if you don't already have one. You may also be able to become a customer service supervisor at another business if you can show that you have a strong work record as a representative.

If you have expertise in a particular area and have work experience in customer service, you may want to try and become a customer service supervisor at a company that provides goods and services in that area of expertise. Some businesses are looking for customer service supervisors who have a strong understanding of their industry and who can train customer service representatives so that they can truly be of assistance to customers. Another possible area of study would be sales and communications. Although customer service representatives generally focus on assisting customers, they are sometimes in a good position to up-sell a current customer to a new product or service. If you can demonstrate success in up-selling and training other people in this skill, you may be able to parlay your experience and training into a lucrative customer service supervisory or management position.