Service Operations Manager: Who They Are, What They Do, & How Much They Make

Are you hoping to be a service operations manager? Or are you looking to hire one to lead your business' service teams?

Two very valuable questions to have, but it can be challenging to find information about what you would do as a service operations manager or how they would fit into your team structure.

This post will explain what a service operations manager does, give examples of job descriptions, explain scenarios that the role may be involved with, and give a salary range for the position.

Ultimately, a service operations manager hopes to reduce any friction in service delivery by creating an environment of success where team members feel empowered and able to do their jobs, which, in turn, ensures that customers are satisfied with the service they receive.

Below we'll go more in-depth into what a service operations manager does on the job.

Service Operations Manager Job Description

A service operations manager helps streamline service processes to ensure that support teams have the tools they need to succeed to provide customers with delightful experiences and typical managerial and supervisory responsibilities.

Specific job descriptions vary depending on the company, experience level, and position, but here are some bullet points you may come across on a job search or that you may consider including in a job description you'll post in the future.

• Work collaboratively and partner with different departments to ensure that efforts to maintain customer satisfaction are consistent.
• Design and create plans of action for the various stages of the customer service process.
• Oversee recruitment, hiring, and training of new employees on all customer support teams.
• Monitor team productivity and address issues as they arise to ensure maximum efficiency and consistent service experiences.
• Day-to-day management of all customer-facing teams to ensure all teams work towards the same goals.
• Continuously monitor metrics and leverage customer feedback to drive continuous improvement of service practices.
• When necessary, launch new initiatives and projects that improve upon support-related processes to meet changing customer needs.
• Promote a customer-centric business approach.

Service Operations Manager Job Description Examples

Below are two examples of real-life job descriptions for service operations manager positions.

Patagonia

The image below is the job description for a customer service operations manager at Patagonia.

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Harvard University

The image below is the job description for an operations manager at Harvard University.

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Service Operations Management Examples

Let's discuss a few scenarios that a service operations manager may deal with in their position.

1. You notice that NPS scores took a dip during the last quarter. You go back and analyze customer survey results and support metrics to understand what caused the drop and identify the areas of the current service playbook that need to be changed. Once the changes are made, you train customer-facing teams on new practices, enforce the changes, and monitor NPS scores for improvement to see if the changes fixed the problem.
2. Your business is operating during a global pandemic. Customers have become increasingly confused and worried about the fate of your business as they rely on you for many of their job duties. You created crisis communication plans in advance, which you distribute to employees so they understand how to address and resolve the unique challenges that customers face during this period. You step in when necessary to confidently lead teams to continued business success, regardless of external circumstances.
3. You consistently ensure that all representatives and support team members have access to the tools they need to succeed and provide excellent customer service and maintain relationships with valued customers.

The examples above are possible scenarios that a service operations manager may be involved in. If you're seriously considering pursuing the job, you may be curious about the salary level these positions typically offer.

Service Operations Manager Salary

As with most positions, there is no set salary that service operations managers are guaranteed to have.

In the United States, the salary ranges from 35,000 to 123,000 USD per year. The national average is around 71,686 USD per year, which totals out to $34 an hour.

While the range is relatively large, it is likely to change depending on the country in which you are located and your level of expertise and experience in the field. The best thing to do is be aware of the range for any positions you apply for and be prepared for discussions during interviews when or if negotiations come up regarding salary.

All in all, service operations managers wear many hats. Still, they expertly leverage the needs of their internal support employees and external customers to ensure that they continuously receive the excellent experiences they desire, helping maintain brand reputation and customer satisfaction.