Customer Service Resume Sample

Customer Service Resume with Writing Guide

An impressive resume can be the difference between landing a great job and never hearing from the company again. But with so much information to detail, it can be easy to make a mess of things. Luckily, there are some great resources for customer service professionals that will help you avoid these mistakes and land your dream job in no time!

First off, create a separate section for every job you’ve ever had. This includes all of your part-time jobs, internships, and any other experience you’ve had that isn’t on your resume. It’s important to have a record of each position and your duties at each job in case someone asks you about it. Think about what kind of information you want to include in each section.

Customer Service Resume Writing Guide:

1. Summary Statement

The summary section is your chance to introduce yourself and explain why you’re qualified for the position. Think about what skills you want to highlight, so you can choose the most important that best describes your experience. This statement should answer what you will be able to do for the company and why they should hire you. For a job in a call center, put yourself in the shoes of a customer who calls at any hour of the day and ask them questions about problems with their service. If this is not a problem, or you have never heard of such a problem, you aren’t doing your job properly. You should also consider some general questions from the employer – “Where do you see yourself in five years? What are your short-term and long-term goals?” Include answers for these as well.

2. Education

Know where to put your information and keep it simple! Most resumes don’t require much more than high school and college education. List the exact name of each school you have attended, the city and state, your degree or certification (if any) and the year you received it. You should also include any extracurricular activities that relate to customer service – like being a Student Ambassador for Customer Service Week. It’s important to list your GPA if it was above 3.0, especially if you’d like to work in a call center.

3. Professional Experience

Professional experience may be the most important section of your resume. List each job by company name, type of work and when you started. List all of your responsibilities, including new ones you’ve added since the last job listing. Also include anything you feel reflects your overall skills that will help them see what a great fit you are for this position.

4. Special Skills

After everything else, it might be time to start thinking about a few special skills that don’t fit in the other sections. This section isn’t necessary, but can be helpful to list things like special certifications you’ve earned, people you know, languages you speak and even hobbies you have that reflect well on your customer service skills. Just make sure it’s relevant!

5. Recommendations

References will make or break your resume. You never need to list a reference if they won’t be directly responsible for hiring you, but it can’t hurt. Even if they can only recommend you based on your work history, it’s better than nothing. Give them the basics – name, title, company and where they can reach you at. Be sure to also include how they know you (e-mail or phone number) and what your relationship is like (if any).

Customer Service Responsibilities:

• Greeting the customer
• Taking the complaint-give details on how you will resolve the issue
• Answering questions and referring them to the appropriate department/person if needed
• Summarizing next steps for resolution/timeline, etc.
• Documenting the conversation and action taken, if needed
• Resolving the issue (if you are able to) or directing them to the appropriate person in charge
• Thanking him/her and making sure they are satisfied with the resolution
• Making a note for follow-up and monitoring that the issue is resolved
• Closing out the ticket/issue
• Maintaining records/files and entering information into a database if needed
• Notifying superiors on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis about any unresolved issues and action taken to resolve them
• Tracking calls and following up with customers as necessary for satisfaction
• Providing customer service training to others in your department if needed
• Keeping files on ongoing issues and resolving them as soon as possible
• Providing timely updates to customers about resolution of their issue

Top 10 Customer Service Skills:

1. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: Give them a reason why they should hire you, and if they have any questions/concerns, have an honest answer ready.
2. Customer Focus: You are the customer’s representative – don’t let them get away with not being satisfied. If things aren’t going well, try to correct the problem yourself before calling in an escalation team or supervisor. This is your job!
3. Problem Solving and Decision Making: If you get a call that is outside of your job description, ask questions to determine the root of the problem. If you’re not comfortable answering the question/resolving the issue, take a few seconds and figure out who can. It may not seem like a big deal at the time, but it will help later when someone asks for proof of your problem solving skills.
4. Attention to Detail: Make sure you are honest about everything in your resume. Mistakes are a major turnoff to employers. If you make a mistake, own up to it!
5. Problem Solving: Don’t assume that the customer is wrong – make sure you have proof of all your findings/reasons. Give them a real answer and don’t be afraid to let them know you’re doing your best.
6. Flexibility: Customer service isn’t just phones – there are times when people need to speak with other departments and as many different people as possible may be involved in the resolution.
7. Problem Solving with a Bigger Picture Mindset: If you are able, help customers understand what the bigger picture is. “So, you’re having problems with your phone and I can see that it’s out of warranty. Let me see if I can find out what’s going on for you.” This type of thinking will be beneficial in your later career as well, because it will make you more aware of options to resolve problems.
8. Technology Literacy: As the technology used in customer service changes, you must be able to keep up. Learn how to use video conferencing tools and understand how they can make your job easier.
9. Listening Skills: This is one of the most important skills you will ever have to implement. Listen carefully, even if you have heard it before. Take notes if needed and let the customer know that what they say is important – this will help resolve issues quickly.
10. Patience/Flexibility: Don’t assume the customer’s issue is small – listen carefully and if you can’t help them, let them know. This will allow you to send them to someone who can resolve their issue.

Customer Service Resume Objective:

The customer service resume objective is exactly what it sounds like – it’s an objective. This section is the section that gives your resume a purpose. In the last section, we talked about how to create a customer service resume objective that will attract their attention. You want to include certain keywords that will make them think “This person would make a great fit for my team.

Tips:

1. Make it an objective, not a job title.
2. Use action words like “Resolved,” “Satisfied,” or “Satisfactory” (in bold).
3. Be sure to include your contact information as well as your e-mail address and phone number at the bottom of the resume as well as in your cover letter.

Customer Service Cover Letter:

The customer service cover letter is a very important piece of the whole package. It’s where you get to sell yourself in the most concise way. In this section, you will be listing your customer service experience and qualifications to support your need for employment as well as any major accomplishments at your last job. You know that when you give them this information, they will take you seriously – so make sure that it’s thorough!

Tips:

1. Make sure your writing is clean and easy to read.
2. Include short phrases that explain your skills in more detail. An example would be, “Gained 10 pounds of muscle over a 6-month period which dramatically increased my strength.”
3. If you are currently working at a job, try to find the time to write this out on your lunch break or off the clock so that you can keep it professional and accurate.
4. Be sure to give specific examples of your time as a customer service representative.
5. Keep it professional – avoid slang and excessive wording.

Key Takeaways:

• Keep in mind that customer service isn’t just a job – it’s a career that can pay you money, increase your skill set, and give you the chance to impact people.
• Look at the big picture before making any major decisions about your future.
• If you aren’t sure what job to take, follow the tips in this article for that will help match you with a job that will be right for you.
• Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing and see if any of them match up with a customer service job description.
• When searching for jobs, focus on just one or two really good options rather than applying to as many as possible.