Despite unfavorable circumstances, these employees show professionalism in how they handle situations. Through words and actions, they possess exemplary customer service. Some characteristics are innate in their persons and some through years of experience in the industries they serve. It is interesting to know how passionate these people are in giving quality service to all their customers. A customer service resume is the first step in taking on the responsibilities concerning customer service. Learn about what they are and common questions that follow customer service in the article below.

12+ Sample Customer Service Resume

What is a Customer Service Resume?

A customer service resume is an example of a formal document tailored to a specific job function. In this case, the purpose of the resume is for applying to customer service-related jobs. The objective is similar to a traditional resume, and it is to highlight the qualifications of job seekers applying for customer service positions. The goal of the resume is to showcase the experiences, education, and skills of the client. By doing so, recruiters find it easier to access the necessary information regarding the job seeker. It serves as a summary to highlight the relevant experiences the potential employee can contribute to the company.

According to data gathered by the Statista Research Department dated November 2020, a total of 66,690 people are working in customer service positions at federal, local, and state government agencies in the United States. It’s a large number, considering it only reflects employees in the government sector. The total number of people working in the customer service sector continues to grow each year.

The Components of a Customer Service Resume

Most job recruiters require resumes when people apply for particular positions. The content of the resume depends on the job you are applying for, including relevant skills and professional background. In this case, the document highlights related information about customer service. Here are the minimum requirements a recruiter looks for in a job resume.

Contact details: The contact information includes the complete name of the potential applicant, phone number or cellphone number, and email address. The link to your LinkedIn profile is advisable to be included if the information is up to date. Placing your home address is not recommended unless it is to prove the proximity of your location to the business address.Employee introduction: It is a summary of your skills and accomplishments from previous jobs or education. It follows the contact information and serves as the applicant’s job bio. The resume profile takes in many different forms. It can be in the form of a resume summary, professional profile, resume objective, or qualifications summary. Job seekers often put goals in their resumes. Each part of the resume objective or introduction touches upon specific skillsets, professional background, and possible contributions to the company. These sentences express why you’d be the best candidate for the job position. Educational background: This section of the resume lists the schools and universities attended by the employee. It also includes the highest educational attainment, majors, and minors. It also helps to include relevant coursework when the applicant has no background about the work or prior job experience. Related coursework is advantageous to gauge a person’s possible work ethic. The resume can also include the GPA as an option.Work history and experiences: List all relevant experience regarding the vacant position. Include the job title, the name of the company, and the years worked with the company. It is also advantageous to list down your roles and responsibilities and notable achievements while staying with the previous company. Include all relevant accomplishments in your resume as possible, especially if it relates to a customer service position.Relevant skills: Include all skills that are related to the job position as it is valuable for the employer. Ensure you add both hard and soft skills to the resume. It demonstrates that you are a well-rounded individual and a perfect fit for the position.Certifications and licenses: It is advantageous to include all documents related to the customer service position. Include the name of the certificate, certifying body, and date obtained. The key is to put the certifications where hiring managers see it directly. It lets them know that you are an estimable hire for the company.Awards and honors: Include the achievements along with the work experience section of the resume. It is also helpful to quantify results when possible. Credits are chronological in order and separate from other parts.

How to Structure a Customer Service Resume

An organized resume is advantageous to all job seekers. According to a published article by The Motley Fool published in September 2018, an estimate of 77% of hiring managers disqualifies resumes with grammatical errors. What more if the resume’s content is not properly composed. It may pose implications to the job seeker. Here are steps to follow in creating a well-structured resume tailored for a customer service position.

Step 1: Focus on What’s Important to an Employer

It is relevant to know what the employer considers valuable, and recognizing this increases your chances of being noticed. Reading the job description is an essential step before applying for a particular job. It helps you understand the roles and responsibilities corresponding to the job title before submitting your application. It is advantageous to refer to other similar positions and review the specifics in the job description, helping you acquire a broader understanding of the role. If you are familiar with professionals related to customer service industries, ask for insights, experiences, and tips they could share to help you land the position.

Step 2: Tailor the Resume to Fit the Job Description

Most recruiters prefer resumes specifically tailored to fit the role of the vacant position. Targeted positions follow a general set of conditions, and it is favorable to adjust your qualifications to cater to the job description of a customer service employee. It is also helpful to include languages revolving around the customer service industry. Knowing terms associated with the position assist employers in relating to the content of the resume. Keywords are the key to achieving this relationship. It helps the recruiter to determine the content of your resume and separate it from others. For career changers, your background provides you with a unique perspective, helping you stand out. Consequently, the lack of experience leaves you at a disadvantage.

You have to establish yourself as a qualified candidate. Focus on transferable skills and experiences, highlighting the advantages of your diverse knowledge. Familiarize yourself with the language, terminology, and jargon of customer service. If you’re a first-time job seeker, leverage yourself with the use of coursework, extracurricular activities, volunteer work to demonstrate how you conquer challenges, solve difficulties and achieve results.

Step 3: Choose a Suitable Format

After having an idea of the details of your resume, you can start writing. Templates are available across the web if you have no idea to create your own. Make sure all parts of the document are organized and easy to read. Ensure the use of simple designs if planning to use templates. Remember that the resume must range within 1 to 2 pages only.

Step 4: Gather Advice from People Knowledgeable On the Field

After completing the resume, it is advisable to have someone knowledgeable proofread and give feedback on the content. Make necessary adjustments from the feedback received, especially if it is related to grammar or typographical errors.

Step 5: Do Not Complicate the Content

Be careful not to over-optimize what is on your resume. Focus solely on your skills and experiences, and present yourself in the best possible way you can. Do not over exaggerate or emphasize experiences that have no relation to customer service.

FAQs

What are the common questions asked during an interview for a customer service position?

Employers are eager to know how much an applicant knows about the vacant position offered. It helps the one interviewing to interact with potential employees and provide sufficient assistance. Here are the ten most common questions asked by employers during an opening position for customer service and why recruiters ask them.

  • How do you define customer service? Recruiters ask the question to gauge what potential employees think about customer service and if it meets the standards set by the company concerning its goals of quality.
  • What does good customer service mean to you? In this instance, recruiters want to establish what the applicant considers to be good quality service and how they perform the services handling clients in the future.
  • Why do you think you’d be a great candidate for this position? The employers ask this question to figure out how a potential candidate relates to the company, culture, and the workforce. It is also an opportunity to set yourself apart from other candidates.
  • Why do you prefer to work in customer service? It enables the recruiter to see the applicant’s ability to work with people, solve problems, and sell products or services.
  • Tell me about an experience handling a difficult client and how did you manage it? The employers assess how the applicant acts and responds under pressure. It is also a behavioral question and a chance for the applicant to showcase problem-solving skills.
  • What would you do if you can’t assist or answer a customer? Aside from gauging the applicant’s problem-solving skills, the recruiter also wants to know the communication skills towards customers and fellow employees.
  • What do you think are the skills needed for effective customer service? In asking the question, the company wants to know how the applicant’s skills align with the mission, vision, and value related to the position.
  • How do you respond when a customer complains about your service responding to complaints? The recruitment team wants to know how an applicant handles stressful circumstances and negative feedbacks.
  • What do you know about the company’s products or services? Companies want to know if the applicants have any idea of what services or products the company offers. It helps the recruiters understand that the applicant put thought into the vacant position.
  • Do you have any previous customer service experience? It is necessary to assess the applicant’s overall exposure to customer service. If the person applying has plenty of experience, emphasize the relevant parts of each experience. If the applicant is new to the role or the industry, highlight related skills relating to customer service and an event where the applicant showcased said skills.

What is the importance of customer service?

According to the State of Global Customer Service provided by Microsoft in 2017, 96% of consumers globally state that customer service is an essential part of their loyalty to a particular brand. Customer service impacts not only the financial side of the business but as well as the company’s overall image. As also stated by the facts, retention of repeat customers heavily rely on good customer service.
Employees’ happiness equates with customer happiness. Happy, well-driven, and well-compensated employees perform much better and practice a good environment around consumers. This practice presents a reliable environment for customers to receive goods and services produced by the company. Well-designed company culture helps strengthen customer views. Understanding the structure of the company promotes a diverse culture in creating a collaborative environment with the consumers. Brand awareness soars with positive consumer experiences.
These experiences help spread positive notes and promote the company’s products and services through word of mouth, especially on social media. In turn, the company spends less on its marketing efforts since consumers happily advertise their products and services because of good customer service. Above all else, company growth and longevity depend on the satisfaction of customers. Loyal consumers help a business to grow and run for a prolonged period. Outstanding customer service is the most dependable way to keep up the initiative and minimize potential losses.

What are some duties and responsibilities of a person in customer service?

Most companies that post vacant jobs in search portals accompany it with a tailored job description. For customer service employees, they represent the company in handling customers and clients. In providing the most reliable customer service to clients, the organization provides sufficient training to employees once accepted.

The responsibilities of customer service employees include: communicating with customers about their experiences with products and services offered, providing information and advice about purchases of services and products, answering queries about proper usage and accessibility of the products and services, taking and processing orders when necessary, and listening and addressing customer complaints or concerns. There are plenty of responsibilities revolving around the world of customer service, and employees in this field showcase plenty of skills to ensure clients’ satisfaction in the company’s services and products.

Customer service is one of the most common professions globally. Sadly customer service employees are not well-recognized to be an integral part of the economy. All companies have their customer service representatives, and it is a big part of the workforce. Companies and businesses must recognize the importance of all customer service employees as they handle all inquiries, complaints, communication, and orders from clients. They are an essential part of what keeps companies running smoothly.

Managers and supervisors must give attention to their welfare and happiness as they contribute to the success and name of the business. To quote the words of Richard Branson, “I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way will treat your customers and that people flourish when they are praised.”. In a company, the relationship between you and your clients is greatly influenced by your employees, especially in customer service. Check out the customer service resume templates in the article above.