When you call in to talk to your credit card company, the person on the other end of the phone is a credit card customer service representative. This person fulfills a number of roles for the credit card company and plays a vital role in the process of making sure that customers are satisfied.

Answer Questions

One of the most important roles of the credit card company customer service representative is answering questions. The terms and conditions of a credit card agreement can be very confusing and the average person may not understand them completely. Because of this, credit card companies have to answer many questions throughout the course of a day. When a customer calls in and has a question, it is up to the customer service representative to answer it to the best of his knowledge.

Handle Disputes

One of the more unpleasant tasks that a customer service representative has to engage in on a regular basis is handling disputes. In the credit card industry, many disputes arise on a daily basis. For example, customers may not want to pay late charges incurred. When the customer calls into the credit card company, the representative must deal with the dispute in the most professional manner possible. He must fix the problem and make sure that the customer is still happy at the same time.

Sell Additional Services

Customer service representatives are often responsible for offering additional products and services to customers. Many times, credit card companies want representatives to promote a specific service to their customers. For example, the credit card company might be offering credit insurance for an additional monthly fee. They will often offer this as a promotional product and you only have to pay for it after you try. Customer service reps must explain why customers need these items and then close the sale.

New Applications

Customer service representatives also help new customers get credit cards. In many cases, customer service representatives will talk to new potential customers calling into a call center. The representatives must answer questions about interest rates, terms and conditions. After answering questions, the representative must then try to get the customer approved for a new credit card. This requires the customer to provide the representative with personal information.