With more than 48.1 million customers for its diverse telecommunications products, the Sprint Nextel Corp. relies heavily on customer service representatives. Many such positions, available across the country, also come with benefits. People with solid interpersonal, problem-solving and computer skills can find a stimulating career with Sprint.

Function

Customer service representatives provide support for customers facing challenges with a company's products or services. Most do their work by telephone in call centers, but some interact with customers by fax, email or face to face. The nature of customer inquiries can range from a simple question, such as the shipment of their product, to more complex questions or serious complaints. Sprint's website says its customer service representatives troubleshoot, investigate and resolve customers' questions to maintain customer satisfaction and retention.

Skills

Sprint expects its customer service representatives to possess excellent communication skills, a positive, problem-solving attitude and a team-oriented mindset. Having a pleasant, easy-to-understand speaking voice makes you a more attractive candidate for jobs requiring telephone communication, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As some of the work consists of communicating through email, customer service reps should have good typing, spelling and grammar skills, as well as basic to intermediate computer skills.

Responsibilities

Customer service representatives' responsibilities include interviewing customers for relevant information and properly leading them through diagnostic procedures to determine the source of their problem with a Sprint product. Sprint's customer service representatives log and track customer calls in a computer database and research, document and recommend new methods or modifications to the customer support processes. Sprint requires its employees act with empathy and courtesy during all customer complaints or inquiries.

Qualifications

Sprint requires a high school diploma or the equivalent, the completion of a drug and background check, experience in quality customer service, and proven success in troubleshooting challenges with computer hardware, mobile phones and electronic devices. Sprint will provide job training before you begin assisting customers. Though not a requirement, the labor bureau reports that many employers seek a more skilled workforce, so college-level English courses or an associate or bachelor's degree may provide a helpful advantage in the job market.

Salary and Potential

Demand for customer service representatives often exceeds the number of job seekers. Although outsourcing caused significant layoffs in the past, the BLS reports that such hiring practices have declined. Successful employees can find room for advancement within the company, with experienced workers moving into supervisory or managerial positions or product development. On average, Sprint's customer service representatives earn about $21,000 a year or about $10.25 per hour, according to May 2010 salary figures from Glassdoor.com.