Customer Service Skills and Resume Examples You Need to See

Customer service is the backbone of any successful business. It shapes perceptions of the organization, drives customer satisfaction, and fosters long-term loyalty.

In an age where consumers have endless choices, the quality of customer service can set a brand apart.

Customer service is not only an important job, but it can also be a fun and rewarding one. You get to connect with all kinds of people, solve problems, and make a positive impact daily.

To pursue a career in customer service, your first step is to write a resume.

Below are ten customer service resume samples, each one followed by an explanation of why it works.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these examples can help you present your customer service resume skills and experiences in the best light.

Entry-level customer service resume

An entry-level resume should highlight your potential by focusing on your transferable skills.

Transferable skills are not job-specific. They are abilities that you can use in any kind of job. For example, communication, time management, and problem-solving are skills you can transfer from one job to another.

An entry-level resume should also mention any relevant coursework, volunteer work, internships, certifications, or part-time positions.

Why this resume works:

Mid-level customer service resume

A mid-level customer service representative may work in a retail store or answer calls and emails in an office. ‌They are the first point of contact between customers and the company.

The most essential skill for a customer service representative is the ability to remain professional at all times.

The resume for a mid-level customer service representative should focus more on work experience compared to an entry-level resume. It should also highlight a broader range of skills.

Why this resume works:

Senior-level customer service resume

A senior-level customer service resume should include lots of work experience. It’s important to show that you know how to lead a team and make decisions based on facts and information.

At this stage in your career, it is vital to emphasize your strategic approach to customer service management. This involves planning and organizing teams in order to help customers in the best way possible.

Why this resume works:

Customer service coordinator resume

In this role, you have a higher level of responsibility. You should highlight your experience in developing customer service strategies and leading teams.

You should also show how you’ve implemented policies that enhanced customer satisfaction. Don’t forget to mention any certifications or training that have helped you to excel in this role.

Why this resume works:

Bilingual customer service resume

A bilingual customer service resume should show your ability to help customers in more than one language.

It should focus on experiences where you used your bilingual skills to resolve issues and satisfy customers.

Why this resume works:

Call center customer service resume

A call center resume should focus on your ability to provide customer service over the phone. It should highlight your communication skills and your ability to quickly understand customer issues.

You should also talk about your ability to manage high volumes of calls. Try to emphasize how you keep a positive and professional demeanor even in stressful situations.

Why this resume works:

Remote customer service resume

A resume for a remote customer service job should talk about how you’ve helped customers while working from home or somewhere else.

You need to show that you are good at using online tools to communicate with customers. Also try to mention your ability to get things done without supervision.

Why this resume works:

Retail customer service resume

A retail customer service resume should demonstrate your ability to help customers in a store setting. It should show that you are good at talking with people and helping them find what they need.

Mention times when you’ve gone above and beyond to make a customer’s shopping experience better. Talk about your skills in handling money, organizing products, and keeping the store looking neat and welcoming.

Why this resume works:

Customer service consultant resume

A consultant resume should highlight your expertise in advising businesses on how to provide the best service to their customers.

Talk about your ability to create plans and strategies that have helped companies improve their customer service. Mention any projects where you’ve worked with a team to make changes that led to happier customers.

Why this resume works:

Customer service technician resume

A technician’s resume should highlight your skills in helping customers fix technical issues.

Try to mention times when you’ve successfully solved technical problems for customers. Talk about your skills in troubleshooting and your ability to work well both in a team and independently.

Why this resume works:

Over the past twenty years, the way resumes are reviewed by employers has changed significantly. This is due to the rise of applicant tracking systems, or ATS.

ATS is computer software that streamlines the hiring process for employers. It works like this:

When you submit your resume, it goes into an ATS database. Hiring managers then search through the database for suitable job candidates by typing relevant keywords into the ATS search bar.

For example, if a hiring manager wants to find a candidate who has good conflict resolution skills, they might type “conflict resolution” into the ATS search bar.

Resumes that contain the keyword “conflict resolution” will appear before the hiring manager. Resumes without that keyword remain in the database, unseen.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how an ATS works, here are six tips for writing an ATS-friendly customer service representative resume.

Tip #1 – Tailor each resume to the job you’re applying for

Most job seekers create only one version of their resume that they send out with every job application. You’ve probably done this yourself.

This strategy is fast and easy, but it’s far less effective than tailoring each resume to the specific job you’re applying to.

The best way to tailor your resume to the job is to add the keywords, or skills, that hiring managers are most likely to look for in the ATS database.

How do you find these keywords? They’re in the job description. Just look for the skills mentioned most often in the job description and then try to add them to your resume (but only if you really do have those skills!).

In other words, use the same language on your resume that the hiring manager used in the job description.

Unfortunately, tailoring each resume takes time and effort. That’s why many job seekers have turned to online tools to help them do it faster.

One tool you can use is Jobscan’s resume scanner. It helps you tailor each resume in a fraction of the time it would take you to do it manually. And it’s more accurate as well.

The scanner works by analyzing your resume against the job description. It then produces a Match Report that tells you exactly which keywords you should add to your resume.

Here’s an example of the Match Report:

In this example, the term “required” means that adding the keywords “ms office” and “google suite” to your resume will significantly increase your chances of getting a job interview.

Using Jobscan’s resume scanner is the fastest and easiest way to create the best customer service resume. You can try it for free here.

Tip #2 – Highlight your transferable skills

A recent study shows that employers consider transferable skills to be more important than ever. Transferable skills are abilities you can use in a variety of jobs and industries.

Let’s say you have worked as an assistant, teacher, or product manager. Then you probably have strong communication and problem-solving skills.

These skills can be “transferred” to a customer service role. They are portable assets you carry from one job to another.

Transferable skills can be either hard or soft. Hard skills are specific and teachable, acquired through formal education or training. Examples include data analysis, accounting, and graphic design.

Soft skills are personal attributes that help people interact with others. Examples include communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and time management.

Transferable skills are valuable in customer service because it’s a people business.

Tip #3 – Use numbers in your work experience section

Using numbers in your work experience section provides concrete evidence that you can do what you claim to be able to do. This is especially important in a field like customer service, where success is often measured through metrics.

Here are some examples of how to use numbers in a customer service resume:

Tip #4 – Use action verbs in your work experience section

Research indicates that adding strong action verbs to your resume can increase your chances of getting a job interview by 140 percent.

Action verbs convey action and engagement. For instance, “Collaborated with the marketing team” or “Fostered improved community relations.”

Here are 25 common action verbs for customer service representative resumes:

Tip #5 – Format your resume so it can be easily read by an ATS

The first thing an ATS does when it receives your application is extract and organize your information. This process is called parsing.

But formatting errors on your resume can cause incorrect parsing. Your resume might be perfect in every other way, but formatting errors might prevent it from being seen by employers.

To avoid such issues, follow these formatting recommendations:

Before sending out your resume, double-check its formatting. Even a single mistake can diminish your chances of securing a job interview.

You can also use Jobscan’s resume scanner to identify any formatting issues you need to address. Here’s an example of the formatting section of the Match Report:

Tip #6 – Write a cover letter

When submitting your resume, it is common to include a cover letter. This serves as a concise preview of your skills and experience.

Here’s how to write a good cover letter:

A well-crafted cover letter lets employers see beyond your resume. It offers a glimpse into your personality and how you might fit in with the company culture.

After completing your cover letter, try running it through Jobscan’s cover letter checker. This will provide you with valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement.

You can even have Jobscan write a cover letter from scratch for you with our cover letter generator. Powered by advanced GPT-4 technology, this tool instantly generates an ATS-friendly cover letter with just a single click.

As we’ve seen, hiring managers use keywords, or skills, to find resumes in the ATS database. Every customer service job is different, but there are some keywords that hiring managers consistently search for.

Below are the top keywords and skills hiring managers search for in entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level customer service positions.

Entry-level customer service resume skills and keywords:

Mid-level customer service resume skills and keywords:

Senior-level customer service resume skills and keywords:

Customer service is a job where you need to be good at dealing with people and solving problems. When you write your resume, it’s important to show that you have these skills.

Follow these six steps to create a resume that highlights your abilities and sets you apart in the competitive job market.

You can also use a customer service resume template to help create your resume. A template is a pre-designed layout. All you have to do is fill in your information.

Jobscan has a variety of free resume templates you can use. Each one is ATS-friendly and easy to read.

Step #1 – Choose a resume format

There are three basic resume formats to choose from. They are:

We recommend using the hybrid format. This is because skills are crucial when it comes to customer service. This resume format showcases your skills while also highlighting your work experience.

Step #2 – Write your contact information

This is fairly straightforward. Your contact information should appear at the top of your resume and include your:

Here’s an example:

Step #2 – Write a resume headline

Your resume headline appears below your contact information. This one-liner is the first thing recruiters and hiring managers read. Your headline should explain who you are and what you bring to the table.

Here are resume headline examples for customer service:

Always try to include the job title of the position you’re applying for in your headline. The job title is perhaps the most important keyword of all.

Step #3 – Write a resume summary or objective

Right beneath your headline should be your resume summary. This is a brief paragraph or a set of bullet points that summarizes your professional qualifications.

Your summary should highlight your skills, achievements, and experience. Again, to optimize your summary for the ATS, try to include keywords and skills from the job description.

Here’s a resume summary example for customer service. This could also appear as a bulleted list:

If you are applying for an entry-level job or are changing careers, you could write a resume objective instead of a summary.

A resume objective is a concise statement about your career goals. Here’s an example:

Step #4 – Write your skills section

In a hybrid resume, the skills section comes right after the summary and before the work experience section. Featuring your skills up front like this allows hiring managers to quickly assess your key abilities and qualifications.

Here’s an example of a skills section for a customer service representative:

If you can, try to include the skills that are listed in the job description. These are the skills that hiring managers are going to search the ATS for.

Step #5 – Write your work experience section

Your work experience section is the heart of your resume and where hiring managers will spend most of their time.

Each job in this section should include the following information:

Here’s an example of what a customer service resume work experience entry should look like:

Your work experience section is another great place to use keywords found in the job description.

Step #6 – Write your education section

The final step to creating your customer service resume is to add your education section. This is fairly straightforward.

Here’s what you should include for each degree you’ve earned:

Here’s an example of an education section:

This final section is also a great place to add any certifications, volunteer experience, or any other relevant information.

You don’t need to have advanced training or degrees to become a customer service representative. For most entry-level roles, you just need a high school diploma or GED.

If you want to move into a managerial role, a bachelor’s degree is more important. Many companies require their managers to have a college degree, but the specific degree is flexible.

You can also get management certifications. Common management certificates include:

Here are some common questions that candidates might encounter during the interview process. Following each question is a tip on how to answer it:

Can you describe a time when you went above and beyond for a customer?

Tip: Share a specific instance where you took extra steps to satisfy a customer’s needs. Emphasize the positive outcome that resulted from your actions.

How do you handle a difficult or irate customer?

Tip: Discuss your strategy for staying calm and composed. Focus on active listening and empathetic responses to de-escalate the situation.

What strategies do you use to stay up-to-date with product or service knowledge?

Tip: Mention any training, workshops, or research methods you use to stay informed about the company’s offerings.

Can you give an example of how you have handled a high-pressure situation in a previous role?

Tip: Narrate a specific scenario where you successfully managed stress and maintained a high level of service. Highlight your problem-solving and adaptability skills.

How do you prioritize multiple tasks or requests from customers?

Tip: Explain your approach to task management. Mention tools or techniques you use to organize your work.

What do you believe are the most important qualities in a customer service representative?

Tip: Discuss essential traits such as patience, empathy, communication skills, and problem-solving. Explain how you embody these qualities in your work.