Consumer Services are any companies that sell goods or provide services to people or small businesses.
American Airlines, Uber, Comcast, and many more are all Consumer Services companies. We’ll talk more about 25 of the biggest and best ones below.
A lot of different types of businesses fall into the Consumer Services group. Some examples are retail, telecoms, technology, healthcare, banking and finance, insurance, food and drinks, and more.
How to Get a Job in Consumer Services
The front of the house
A lot of the jobs in Consumer Services involve talking to customers. For people who have never worked before, this is often a good way to get started in the Consumer Services field.
You could move up in this customer-facing line of work and become a team manager or boss for those teams.
Customer-facing jobs in consumer services include the following:
- How the Call Center Works
- Help with things
- Waitress or Waiter
- Front Desk Agent
- Person in charge of customer service
- Help with sales
Back of the House
All jobs that deal with customers need help from the back office to work. This could mean working in a warehouse or making goods in retail. This could mean doing things like cleaning or working in the kitchen at a hotel or diner.
Here are some examples of jobs in back-of-house customer service:
- Chef
- Driver for delivery
- Better Cleaner
- Worker in a warehouse
Corporate and Supporting Tasks
To run, all consumer service businesses need back-office tasks like IT, HR, Operations, Logistics, and Facilities Management. You could work in any of these fields without having to deal with customers.
Some jobs in consumer services that fall under the Corporate or Support function are:
- Technician in IT
- Builder or Engineer
- Partner in HR
- Manager of Facilities
- Manager or assistant in marketing
Top management and senior executives
The company needs a goal, a strategic direction, and good leadership, just like any other business. You can work your way up in Consumer Services from any kind of job to a management position.
Here are some examples of senior and executive jobs in customer service:
- CEO, COO, CFO, and CIO are in the C-suite.
- In Charge
- VP
Types of Businesses in the Consumer Services Sector
Consumer Services can be broken down into many different industries or sectors. Here are some of the ways we’ve put the Company in the Consumer Services business sectors:
- Travel and Lodging
- Shop around
- Media and Phones
- Medical Care
- Fun and leisure activities
- Food and drinks
Companies that Provide Services to Consumers
The table below lists 25 of the biggest and best consumer services companies, but it doesn’t list them in any particular order. You can find more information, including links to all of the company’s career pages, at the end of the piece.
Summary of 25 Selected Companies in Consumer Services
| # | Company | Year Founded | Headquarters | Number of Employees (Globally) | 2021 Revenue ($bn) | Number of Countries Operating In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Airlines | 1967 | Dallas, Texas | 55,100 | 15.8 | 11 |
| 2 | JetBlue | 2000 | Long Island City, New York | 22,000 | 6 | Unknown |
| 3 | American Airlines | 1926 | Fort Worth, Texas | 123,400 | 29.9 | Unknown |
| 4 | Hilton | 1919 | McLean, Virginia | 360,000 | 5.8 | 122 |
| 5 | AirBnB | 2008 | San Francisco, California | 6,132 | 5.99 | Up to 170 (remote working policy) |
| 6 | Lyft | 2012 | San Francisco, California | 4,675 | 3.2 | U.S. only |
| 7 | Uber | 2009 | San Francisco, California | 22,800 | 5.7 | 71 |
| 8 | Royal Caribbean Group | 1968 | Miami, Florida | 85,000 | 1.53 | Unknown |
| 9 | Marriott International | 1927 | Bethesda, Maryland | 120,000 | 13.9 | 139 |
| 10 | Booking Holdings | 1996 | Norwalk, Connecticut | 20,300 | 11 | Website available in over 200 countries |
| 11 | Walmart | 1962 | Bentonville, Arkansas | 2.3 million | 559 | 24 |
| 12 | Costco | 1976 | Issaquah, Washington | 214,000 | 141 | 8 |
| 13 | Target | 1902 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 409,000 | 93.5 | Stores US only, sourcing offices in 20 countries |
| 14 | Amazon | 1994 | Seattle, Washington | 1.6 million | 470 | 13 |
| 15 | Trader Joe’s | 1967 | Monrovia, California | 50,000 | 13.3 | US only |
| 16 | Home Depot | 1978 | Atlanta, Georgia | 500,000 | 151 | 3 |
| 17 | Bank of America | 1998 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 200,000 | 89 | 35 |
| 18 | CVS Health | 1963 | Woonsocket, Rhode Island | 300,000 | 292 | US only |
| 19 | Apple | 1976 | Cupertino, California | 154,000 | 366 | Stores in 25 countries |
| 20 | Walt Disney | 1923 | Burbank, California | 190,000 | 67.4 | 29 |
| 21 | Comcast | 1963 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 189,000 | 116 | US only (Sky in 6 European countries) |
| 22 | Charter Communications | 1993 | Stamford, Connecticut | 93,700 | 51.7 | US only |
| 23 | McDonald’s | 1955 | Chicago, Illinois | 200,000 | 23.2 | 120 |
| 24 | Starbucks | 1971 | Seattle, Washington | 383,000 | 29 | 80 |
| 25 | Burger King | 1954 | Miami, Florida | 34,248 | 23.5 | 76 |
Travel & Hospitality Sector
1. The Southwest Airline
Southwest Airlines has been around since 1971. Southwest, a company based in Dallas that is known for putting its employees first, has never had to lay off or furlough workers without their permission.
By giving its more than 55,000 employees the tools they need to provide unmatched customer service, the rebellious airline earns the trust of up to 130 million customers every year.
To learn more about jobs at Southwest Airlines, go to Southwest Airlines Careers.
2. The JetBlue
JetBlue is the best airline in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. It is also known as “New York’s Hometown AirlineTM.”
With an average of 925 flights a day, JetBlue takes more than 35 million people to 100 places in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America every year.
Visit JetBlue Careers to learn more about how to work at JetBlue.
3. The American Airlines
American Airlines and its regional partner, American Eagle, operate about 6,700 flights every day, going to 350 cities in 50 countries.
Their company was one of the first to join the oneworld® alliance. The alliance’s members and members-elect offer more than 14,250 flights every day to 1,000 places in 150 countries.
It was named one of Fortune magazine’s “Best Business Turnarounds” of 2016 and its stock was added to the S&P 500 index.
To learn more about jobs at American Airlines, go to American Airlines Careers.
4. The Hilton
With 18 different hotel brands, Hilton is one of the most well-known names in the hotel business.
They bought their first hotel in Texas in 1911 and their first hotels on the East Coast in 1943, when they bought the Roosevelt and Plaza hotels in New York City.
These days, Hilton owns, runs, and franchises hundreds of hotels around the world. Its Hilton Honors loyalty program has hundreds of millions of users.
Visit Hilton Careers to learn more about how to work at Hilton.