Customer services manager

You could do a degree, then apply for a graduate management trainee scheme with a company or organisation.

Most subjects are acceptable, though some employers may prefer you to have a degree in a subject relevant to their industry.

Examples include:

• business management
• retail management
• tourism and hospitality
• financial services

On a graduate scheme, you would get to experience different parts of an organisation, learning how they work, before concentrating on customer service operations.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

You could do a college course, which may help you to find a trainee assistant manager position.

Courses include:

• customer service
• online customer experience
• business administration

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You could apply to do a Customer Service Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. Once complete, you would take further training to move into a management job.

You may also be able to do a higher or degree apprenticeship in management in your particular industry. This could then lead into customer service management roles.

Many industries offer management apprenticeships, for example:

• marketing
• retail
• hospitality
• passenger transport
• finance

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

You could work as a customer service adviser and train on the job to become a team supervisor, assistant manager, then manager.

There are a lot of customer service training courses and your employer would advise you on which ones are the most relevant to the industry you work in.

You could choose to do general management qualifications to help you get into this career.

These qualifications are offered by professional bodies, such as the Institute of Leadership and Management and the Chartered Management Institute .

Professional and Industry Bodies

You could join The Institute of Customer Service to use their resources and find professional development training opportunities.

As a customer services manager, you could:

• develop policies and procedures
• lead a team of customer service staff
• handle complex questions and complaints
• manage budgets
• analyse response times and service quality
• make sure work practices follow customer data protection rules
• help to recruit, train and assess new staff
• work on ways to improve customer service

You could work in an office.

You may need to wear a uniform.