Customer service representative (CSR)
Also called customer service rep
Reviewed by Dasha ShakovVP Marketing, Proton
Updated
What is CSR?
A customer service representative (CSR) at a distributor handles incoming customer requests, from entering orders and checking stock to fixing problems. The job covers prices, shipment tracking, wrong items, late deliveries and billing questions, and CSRs are in contact with customers more than anyone else in the company.
How it works
How the CSR role relates to inside sales is covered under inside vs outside sales.
CSR example
“My delivery is missing two items,” a contractor says. The CSR finds both on backorder, gives him the expected date and offers an in-stock substitute for one.
Related terms
- Inside salesInside sales is selling done remotely, by phone, email, chat and video, rather than in person at the customer’s location.
- Order entryOrder entry is putting a customer’s order into the ERP as a sales order, matching each item to the right SKU, quantity, unit of measure and price.
- BackorderA backorder is the quantity on a customer’s order that a distributor has agreed to supply but can’t ship yet, kept open until stock arrives.
- Return merchandise authorization (RMA)A return merchandise authorization (RMA) is the approval and tracking number a distributor issues before a customer sends a product back.
