Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Sales and Customer Service Representative

🎯 Role Definition

The Sales and Customer Service Representative is a front-line specialist responsible for converting prospects, supporting existing customers, and delivering an outstanding end-to-end customer experience. This hybrid role blends proactive sales (lead qualification, upsell/cross-sell, closing) with reactive customer care (inbound/outbound support, issue resolution, order management). Success is measured by sales quotas, customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS), conversion rates, retention, and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).

Key focus areas: lead generation and follow-up, CRM hygiene and pipeline management, product expertise and consultative selling, rapid resolution of service inquiries, and continuous feedback to product and operations teams to reduce friction and increase lifetime customer value.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Retail Sales Associate
Customer Service Associate / Call Center Agent
Inside Sales Development Representative (SDR)

Advancement To:

Senior Sales Representative / Senior Customer Service Representative
Account Manager / Client Success Manager
Sales Team Lead / Supervisor
Business Development Representative / Field Sales

Lateral Moves:

Marketing Coordinator (campaigns and lead nurturing)
Operations Specialist (order fulfillment and logistics)
E-commerce Specialist (online merchandising and CX)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Handle high-volume inbound and outbound calls, emails, and live chats with professionalism; provide accurate product/service information, troubleshoot technical or billing issues, and resolve customer complaints while meeting predefined SLAs and quality standards.
Qualify inbound prospects and warm leads using a consultative questioning approach to identify needs, budget, timeline, and decision-makers; document qualification in the CRM and route opportunities to the appropriate sales channel.
Proactively pursue upsell and cross-sell opportunities by recommending additional products, services, or service tiers that increase customer value while aligning with customer objectives.
Close sales and process orders during calls or online interactions, ensuring accurate entry of SKU, pricing, discounts, and payment information; follow company checkout and compliance procedures.
Meet and exceed individual sales targets, KPIs, and monthly quotas (revenue, units sold, conversion rate) through disciplined outreach, follow-up, and pipeline management.
Maintain a clean, up-to-date CRM record (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk) including call notes, next actions, lead stage updates, and accurate contact data to improve forecasting and reporting accuracy.
Resolve escalated customer issues by diagnosing root causes, coordinating cross-functional support (technical, logistics, billing), and driving to a timely, documented resolution that restores customer satisfaction and minimizes churn.
Manage returns, exchanges, refunds, and warranty claims according to company policy, coordinating with finance and warehouse teams to close cases and update customer accounts.
Conduct targeted outbound prospecting (phone, email, social selling) to generate pipeline, reconnect with dormant accounts, and schedule demos or meetings for senior sellers; track activity metrics and outcomes.
Use objection-handling and negotiation techniques to overcome resistance, protect margin, and close deals while maintaining long-term customer relationships.
Perform product demonstrations, explain features and benefits, and tailor messages to customer pain points; collaborate with product teams to remain current on new releases and roadmap changes.
Monitor customer accounts for renewal or upsell opportunities; manage renewal calendar, prepare proposals, and coordinate contract execution with legal or sales ops.
Track and report daily/weekly metrics including calls made, leads generated, opportunities created, conversion rates, average handle time (AHT), first contact resolution (FCR), and customer satisfaction (CSAT).
Build and maintain strong relationships with customers through proactive follow-up, personalized communications, and service recovery initiatives to maximize retention and lifetime value.
Collaborate with marketing to provide feedback on lead quality, campaign performance, and messaging; leverage marketing materials, promotions, and campaigns to drive conversions.
Support onboarding and training for new customers, ensuring correct setup, access provisioning, and first-week adoption outcomes; escalate product issues observed during onboarding.
Escalate complex technical, legal, or compliance issues using the appropriate internal channels; document escalations and resolutions for continuous improvement.
Participate in regular pipeline reviews, sales huddles, and performance coaching sessions; act on feedback to refine pitch, objection handling, and time management.
Ensure adherence to regulatory, data privacy (e.g., GDPR), and company security policies in all customer interactions, particularly when handling PII or payment data.
Maintain and contribute to a searchable knowledge base and FAQ library to accelerate first contact resolution and reduce repeat inquiries.
Coordinate with logistics, warehouse, and billing teams to troubleshoot delayed shipments, incorrect orders, and invoicing discrepancies; provide timely status updates to customers.
Champion voice-of-customer initiatives by collecting feedback, identifying recurring issues, and recommending product or process improvements to product, operations, and leadership teams.

Secondary Functions

Produce weekly status reports and contribute to sales forecasting by updating pipeline stages and probability-weighted deal values.
Participate in product launches, promotions, and seasonal campaigns by providing customer-facing guidance and preparing supporting collateral.
Support ad-hoc analytics requests such as churn analysis or cohort feedback by supplying customer insights and qualitative data.
Assist in training and onboarding new hires, sharing best practices for CRM usage, customer handling, and sales scripts.
Monitor social media and online reviews for customer issues and escalations; coordinate responses with marketing and PR when appropriate.
Help design and refine call scripts, email templates, and process checklists to standardize high-quality customer interactions.
Participate in cross-functional projects (e.g., returns process redesign, subscription model rollouts) to ensure serviceability and minimize customer friction.
Perform periodic quality assurance on recorded calls and interactions to identify training needs and improve coaching outcomes.
Support VIP and high-value account management by providing white-glove service and coordinating complex order handling.
Maintain a personal skills development plan to improve product knowledge, sales methodologies (e.g., SPIN, MEDDIC), and customer success techniques.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

CRM proficiency: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, or similar — data entry accuracy, pipeline updates, and reporting.
Order and payment processing experience including POS systems, e-commerce order management, and invoicing tools.
Familiarity with customer support platforms: live chat software, ticketing systems, and knowledge base tools.
Strong Excel skills: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic formulas and reporting for tracking KPIs and sales metrics.
Experience with phone systems, call routing, and call logging; comfort with high-volume outbound dialing.
Product demonstration experience over phone or web conferencing tools (Zoom, Teams, Webex).
Experience using helpdesk SLAs, ticket prioritization, and escalation workflows.
Basic understanding of billing, refunds, returns logistics, and warranty processing.
Proven use of sales enablement tools and outreach automation (Sales Engagement Platforms, LinkedIn Sales Navigator).
Multilingual capability preferred in markets where applicable (e.g., Spanish, French, German, Mandarin).

Soft Skills

Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with polished phone etiquette and professional email style.
Active listening and empathy: ability to understand customer context and build rapport quickly.
Consultative selling and persuasive negotiation skills that balance customer needs with business objectives.
Problem-solving and analytical mindset: diagnose root causes and coordinate multi-team solutions.
Time management and prioritization: handle simultaneous inquiries and pipeline activity efficiently.
Resilience and stress tolerance: remain composed under pressure and handle difficult customers constructively.
Team collaboration: work cross-functionally and escalate when necessary to achieve outcomes.
Attention to detail: accurate data entry, order processing, and documentation to reduce errors.
Adaptability and continuous learning orientation to keep pace with product updates and changing processes.
Customer-centric mindset with a bias toward proactive resolution and long-term relationship building.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; vocational training acceptable.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Marketing, or related fields.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Sales & Marketing
Communications
Hospitality or Retail Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years in sales, customer service, inside sales, or retail roles.

Preferred:

2–5 years of combined sales and customer support experience, demonstrated quota attainment, CRM proficiency (Salesforce/HubSpot/Zendesk), and experience handling complex escalations or B2B accounts.