CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer Service industry based on the service you offer your customers, both before and after they purchase and use the products and or services. Offering great customer service is important if you want to keep customers and help improve the company’s business. The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity Monthly Employment Report states that there are 6,332 jobs in the Customer Service field in Pinal County as of 2018.

Sources: Emsi Q1 2019, https://www.salesforce.com/products/service-cloud/what-is-customer-service/

Understanding the Customer Service Industry

In Customer Service most companies provide face-to-face customer support, online customer service and also self-service support. Customer support is more than just providing answers; it’s an important part of what makes the company successful. Casinos are great companies that offer a great variety of customer service-related jobs. Casinos cater directly to customers/ guest. Restaurants and malls also offer great jobs and opportunities within the customer service industry.

Best ways to provide customer service are:

  • Work as a team

  • Friendly, empathetic support

  • Listen and share

  • Be honest

  • Know the product you are selling/ promoting

  • Timeliness

  • Brainstorm ways to improve processes.

Source: https://www.salesforce.com/products/service-cloud/what-is-customer-service/#


Education options to pursue

Arizona State University offers a Culinary Arts program. The Culinary Arts program offers training in basic and advanced culinary skills and includes experience within a local commercial kitchen. Several degrees and certificates can enhance job skills and increase employment possibilities. The Culinary Arts program prepares students for positions as professional chefs, cooks, and entry-level management.

SOURCE: https://centralaz.edu/divisions-programs/professional-programs-division/culinary-arts/

Northern Arizona University offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing in which one learns how to answer the following: How can we get customers who visit our website to make a purchase? Who would be a great spokesperson for the brand; should it be a successful athlete, well-known celebrity, doctor or a past customer? What information do we need to collect from customers to assess their satisfaction with our goods and services? What does customer purchase data reveal? What changes can we make within the service environment of the airport, bank, fitness center or zoo to improve the customer experience? How can we attract volunteers and donors to support our non-profit? How can we motivate our sales team and develop long-term relationships with our customers? If these are the kinds of problems you’d love to solve, then a marketing degree at NAU may be just right for you!

A marketing degree prepares you for a wide variety of positions. Marketing skills can be applied in all for profit and non-profit industries including financial services, healthcare, retailing, professional sports, governments and education. You will learn to:

  1. understand various facets of consumer behavior

  2. develop customer surveys

  3. analyze customer behavior and purchase data

  4. create marketing strategies for goods and services; for non-profit and for-profit organizations

  • Classes include experiential and applied projects. Students may also choose to participate in marketing internships to gain valuable experience.

Source: https://catalog.nau.edu/Catalog/details?plan=MKTBSBAX

Central Arizona College has certificate programs in which are offered in both Fall and Spring semesters.

Management certificate: focuses on communication, computer skills, finances, and human resources and includes basic marketing and management principles that develop leadership and supervision skills used in general or retail management. This certificate qualifies for sponsorship by the Retail Management Certificate Program with the Western Association of Food Chains (www.WAFC.com) or WAFC national partnership. See centralaz.edu/business.

Source: https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/acres.woa/wa/freeForm6?id=80989

Hotel and Restaurant Management Certificate: The Hotel and Restaurant Management Certificate provides specialized workplace skills which enhance options for progressive or lateral career movement in hotel and lodging or restaurant management. Topics include foundational concepts and skills in the hospitality industry, human resources and employment law, supervision, guest services, facilities and event management.
Hotel and Restaurant Management Certificate (18-19 Credits)

Source: https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/acres.woa/wa/freeForm6?id=113863

Hotel and Restaurant Management AAS Degree: includes hospitality industry certified courses, university-level business courses and the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC-A). The AGEC-A requirements in this AAS Degree fulfill university transfer with remaining courses to be evaluated on a course-by-course basis.
Hotel and Restaurant Management AAS
Total Credits: 65 credits

Source: https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/acres.woa/wa/freeForm6?id=113866