How to Write a Winning Customer Service Resume + Example + Free Template

This post has been originally published on April 16, 2018 and has been extensively revised and updated on March 27, 2019.

Whether you are a customer service professional looking to move up the ladder, or you are looking at ways to take your first steps into the industry, then you will need to craft your resume carefully to not only to stand out from the crowd, but also to ensure you land yourself an interview where you can truly shine. No matter what is your current situation, a career in customer services can take you far. In fact, the industry is forecasted to increase by 13% by 2022 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes a good customer service resume and what you cannot afford to miss off that employers will be looking for.

Always remember though that your resume acts like your own personal advertisement. You don’t want to be modest here – you will want to deliver what the employer will be looking for by using eye-catching keywords, summaries and bullet-points to get over your valuable skills.

Skills that you cannot afford to leave off your resume

Talking of skills, there are five essential customer service skills that all employers will be looking for in a job applicant. If you make sure you include all these five skills, then you will stand a better chance of being selected for interview:

1. Good customer care

You should state that you have experience in looking after the needs of customers. Whether you did this waiting tables in a restaurant, as a receptionist or a sales assistant on the shop floor, it all adds up! Customer interactions are considered as transferable soft skills that you can bring to any customer service job.

2. Relevant technical knowledge

If you received some technical training in your previous job or in a volunteering role or holiday job, then take a look at what skills and training you already have that you can use in this job. You should highlight these key skills in your resume and point out that these are skills you are already able to bring to the role. Make a bullet-point list of your relevant skills and training so they stand out. For example, what you could include is any experience in the following areas if relevant:

• Blazedesk
• C-Desk
• Customer Support Hardware
• Customer Support Software
• Excel
• Headphones
• Laptops
• LiveChat
• Microphones
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Outlook
• SupportCenter
• Word
• Zendesk

3. Management experience

Displaying management skills is important. Employers like to see candidates that can take the lead and that would be happy to take on more responsibility in the future.

Even if you think you don’t have any management experience, if you have ever helped train another employee or been left to supervise other staff while your manager is out of the office – it all counts as people management skills.

If you have suggested changes that helped your company to increase their efficiency, or had ideas that helped to increase sales or customer satisfaction ratings, then these are worth mentioning. Having the ability to suggest and execute new ideas is what separates a manager from a regular worker.

4. Interpersonal skills

We all know that to work in customer service and be successful, you do need to posses a warm and upbeat personality. Having good communications skills is essential, and having the ability to speak clearly while keeping your tone calm and friendly can be a great asset in a customer service role.

Are you good at handling disgruntled customers? Can you calmly deal with conflict without losing your own temper? Having a persuasive manner where you can de-fuse an argument is a real bonus, so think back to particular instances you can remember where you called on these skills. How did you handle these situations? Write out how you resolved some customer issues and include these experiences in your resume to demonstrate your skills – but keep it brief and don’t mention names.

5. Awards and rewards

Have you had any rewards for your competence and good performance at work? If you were rewarded for completing a specific task that was set for you, then list the details in your resume. Did you win an award for your customer service skills? Did you reach a set sales target quicker than your colleagues? List all of these achievements, awards and rewards and show the employer that you would make a competent worker.

Resume Sample for Customer Service Rep. (Word version)

Download resume (.docx)

Resume Example for Customer Service (text version)

Conclusion

Take enough time to thoroughly research the skills you will need for the job, and build a resume that perfectly reflects your matching skills. Don’t forget to highlight the five key skills above that are most desirable for the job and emphasize that you will be bringing a lot of valuable skills and experience to the role.