Customer Service Resume Examples, Skills List & Summary

Customer Service Duties for a Resume

Customer service professionals are a company’s frontline representatives. They are responsible for assisting customers with inquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring a positive experience. They rely on strong communication and problem-solving skills to understand customer needs and provide solutions. 

This description wouldn’t cut it on a resume, though—you’ll need to get more specific in your application. Exact duties will vary between roles, but take a look at this general list of customer service responsibilities for a resume: 

• Assist customers with inquiries by providing prompt and accurate responses regarding products, services, and policies.
• Resolve customer complaints efficiently to ensure satisfaction and maintain a positive relationship.
• Process orders and transactions, helping customers with placing orders, processing payments, and managing returns or exchanges.
• Maintain product knowledge by staying informed about company products and services to provide accurate information and recommendations.
• Document customer interactions by recording details of inquiries, complaints, and feedback in the system for future reference and quality assurance.
• Follow up with customers after resolving their issues to ensure satisfaction and encourage loyalty.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure seamless service delivery and address complex customer needs.
• Train new staff by providing guidance and support and sharing best practices and company policies.

You’ve already seen a customer service representative resume example above, showcasing very similar duties and framing them as achievements. For more ideas on how to describe customer service on a resume, take a look at these samples for other roles in the industry:

1. Start with the Right Customer Service Resume Format

Just as every interaction counts in customer service, every detail in your resume matters and first impressions are priceless. For these reasons, you should always use a practical, well-organized resume format to showcase your experience. When the recruiter first sees your resume, they’ll feel compelled to read it! 

Let’s go over the options available to you. The most popular and widely recognized format is the reverse-chronological resume. This is the “typical” resume you’ve probably already written at some point. Work experience, organized with the most recent job first, takes up most of the page. 

The functional resume format is a viable alternative for some candidates, although it’s not a common choice. It focuses on your skills, leaving details of your work experience to take a back seat. It can work for career change resumes, fresh grads with no experience, or those with resume gaps. However, this format won’t make sense to some recruiters immediately, so using it always carries a risk. 

Finally, the combination resume format gives equal space to work experience and skills and emphasizes the latter. 

In this guide, we’ll take you through writing a reverse-chronological resume. It’s the most universal and safest choice for customer service professionals. 

So, to get started, outline your resume structure with these sections: 

• Header with your contact details
• Resume summary to highlight your successes
• Work experience listing your professional accomplishments
• Education section
• A list of around 10 customer service resume skills
• Additional sections, such as volunteering or interests

Then, format your document with these tips in mind: 

• Pick a professional resume font like Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia. Set it to 10–12 points to ensure it’s readable. 
• Give each section a large heading (14–16 points) to make your resume more scannable. 
• Use 1.15 line spacing and one-inch margins on your resume to add white space. 
• Make sure your resume fits on a single A4 page. One-page resumes are the standard for most customer service roles, although you can consider a two-page resume if you have 10+ years of experience and you’re applying for a senior role. 

When you’re ready to submit your file, check if the employer has specified a preferred file format. If they haven’t, then send a PDF file. Unlike Word documents, PDFs can be opened on any device, and they always look the same, preserving your formatting. 

Pro Tip: Use standard headings for your resume sections, like “Experience,” “Education,” and so on. Most companies use ATS software to scan incoming resumes, and many ATS solutions won’t understand a creative heading like “My Professional Journey.”

Are you ready to see what a job-winning resume should look like? Here are the best customer service resume templates to consider:

2. Add a Professional Header to Your Customer Service Resume

A resume header is a small section along the top of your resume; its job is to hold your contact details. 

Be sure to include the following contact information on your resume:

• Your full name
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• LinkedIn profile URL (optional)

Ideally, the email address you use on a resume should include your full name and only a little else, such as john.smith@email.com. Never use personal email addresses with nicknames or other content on your resume—it looks unprofessional and can get an adverse reaction from recruiters. 

Include your LinkedIn URL on your resume only if you’re active on the platform. Recruiters will not be interested in an empty profile!

3. Write the Perfect Customer Service Job Descriptions for Your Resume

When listing work experience on a resume, start by listing your jobs. Your current or most recent role should appear first, followed by older jobs, in reverse chronological order (hence the format’s name). 

If you’re wondering how far back to go on your resume, 10 years of relevant experience should be enough. You can mention older jobs if you think it’ll help your application stand out. 

For each job, include your job title, company name and location, and dates of employment (month and year). Once you have an outline of your work experience, write 3 to 5 bullet points for each job. 

These bullets are what give candidates the most trouble, but writing efficient customer service job descriptions for a resume is much easier than you think. Follow these tips to add impact to your bullets: 

• Focus on your achievements. Each bullet should point to something you achieved in the role. Avoid bland, vague descriptions of duties—stick to accomplishments backed by facts. 
• Start each bullet point with an action verb that shows ownership of your successes. “Improved,” “boosted,” and “spearheaded” are all examples of powerful words to use. 
• Use numbers to give your resume achievement statements more credibility. “Boosted customer satisfaction scores by 12%” sounds much better than “Ensured customers were satisfied with the service they received.”
• Customize your bullet points for each job you apply for. Review the job advertisement to see what the employer needs—what skills or areas of expertise are they after? Then, rephrase your accomplishments (or choose different ones if necessary) to show you’re the ideal candidate for this particular job. 

Take a look at the customer service resume samples included in this guide to see what effective resume bullet points look like! What if you’re writing a resume with no experience, though?

Remember that you can use unpaid expertise in this section, too—volunteering and internship experience still counts. Treat these like any other job, detailing what you accomplished as part of your unpaid experience.

4. Provide an Overview of Your Education

In most cases, you would need a high school diploma to secure a job as a customer service representative. Some entry-level roles may require no specific education, though, and senior roles may ask for Bachelor’s degrees or other advanced schooling. 

However, regardless of your target role and its requirements, you should always include an education section on your resume. It helps to paint a more complete picture for your prospective employer. 

Provide details of your highest completed level of schooling, including: 

• The title of the degree, program, or diploma
• The name of the school or college and its location
• Your dates of attendance

You don’t need to list your high school diploma if you have a degree. Remember that you can also list education in progress—just make it clear that you’re still studying and provide your expected graduation date. 

For recent graduates, the education section is more than a formality—it’s your chance to shine. Add bullet points under your degree(s) or diploma, highlighting: 

• Your academic achievements include a very high GPA, scholarships, graduating with honors, and so on. This shows you’re a quick learner. 
• Extracurricular activities, mainly if they show skills that could be applied in customer service, like communication and problem-solving. 
• Relevant coursework, in case you studied a subject related to customer service. 

The idea behind adding these bullets is to show your transferable skills: abilities you learned elsewhere that would be useful in the role of a customer service professional. We’ll cover skills next, so look for the best abilities to highlight!

5. Tailor Your Customer Service Skills Resume Section

In this section, you’ll highlight up to 10 of your most relevant customer service skills. To help you decide on the right ones, remember the type of role you’re applying for. For example, the best customer service representative skills for a resume will be different from those for a supervisory role. 

Remember to use the job advertisement as a guide—does it mention any specific skills? If so, definitely include them on your resume. 

Customer Service Resume Skills

Here’s an example list of skills for a customer service resume: 

• Communication skills
• Active listening
• Problem-solving skills
• CRM software (Salesforce, Zendesk)
• Time management
• Conflict resolution
• Empathy
• Product knowledge
• Attention to detail
• Multitasking
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Leadership skills
• Positive attitude
• Data entry and documentation

Customer service professionals are experts at soft skills, like communication and time management, but try to include some hard skills on your resume. This shows your versatility as a candidate. 

Examples of hard skills for a customer service resume include: 

• Software proficiencies, such as CRM software (e.g., Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot), invoicing software, or call center systems (e.g., ACD and IVR technology)
• Report generation and analysis
• Data entry
• Data management
• Product knowledge

6. Boost Your Customer Service Resume with Additional Sections

What else can you share with the recruiter to boost your chances of getting noticed? Include a couple of additional sections in your resume for things that make you stand out as a customer service professional, such as: 

• Certifications resume section
• Volunteering resume section
• Foreign languages resume section
• Awards
• Memberships in professional associations
• Interests

As with everything else on your resume, relevance is critical. Only include information that has the potential to get you hired. Unnecessary details will work against you by concealing your essential skills and accomplishments. 

Pro Tip: Besides English and Mandarin, Spanish and French are among the most valuable languages for international business. If you need to boost your customer service career, learning at least the basics of one of these languages could prove helpful.

7. Include an Eye-Catching Customer Service Resume Summary or Objective

The final section to add to your resume is the introduction, known professionally as a resume summary. Remember that it should be placed immediately below the header—we’re only writing it last to make the process easier. 

To write a job-winning resume summary for customer service, start by going over your existing resume sections. What achievements stand out the most? List them out and compare them to the duties listed in the job advertisement. Pick a few of your accomplishments that best match the requirements in the job ad and arrange them into a single paragraph. Remember to include lots of numbers! 

Here’s a resume summary example for customer service professionals: 

“Results-driven customer service representative with over 4 years of experience delivering exceptional support in fast-paced environments. Successfully managed a high volume of inquiries, resolving over 1,500 customer issues per month while maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating. Implemented a new ticketing system that improved response times by 30%, resulting in a 20% increase in customer retention. Recognized for training and mentoring new staff, which enhanced team performance and led to a 15% reduction in onboarding time. Eager to bring my expertise in customer engagement to Sunnydale Solutions, with a commitment to enhancing customer experiences and driving brand loyalty.”

The final sentence includes an offer to the prospective employer. This is the key to proving that you are determined to land this job and showing you’ve taken the time to personalize your application. Both can go a long way towards securing you that interview. 

For more customer service resume summary examples, look at the resume samples included in this guide. Each includes a well-written summary paragraph. 

Resume summaries are easier to write for experienced candidates, and you may be at a loss if you don’t have much experience. Don’t worry—write a resume objective instead. 

A customer service resume objective follows the same process and structure as a summary. So, start by listing your best achievements, then make them relevant to the job. 

Here’s an example resume objective for customer service jobs: 

“Motivated recent high school graduate with experience in customer service through volunteer work and extracurricular activities, seeking an entry-level position at Sunnydale Solutions. Developed strong communication and problem-solving skills while volunteering at a local community center, where I assisted over 100 visitors per week, contributing to a 15% increase in repeat visitors. As a member of the Student Council, I organized events that improved student engagement by 30%, demonstrating leadership and teamwork abilities. Eager to apply my passion for helping others and my ability to thrive in fast-paced environments to enhance customer experiences at Sunnydale Solutions.”

The point of a customer service objective for a resume is to show your transferable skills—skills you gained elsewhere that will make you an excellent customer service professional. Don’t worry about your lack of work experience. If the employer accepts applications from entry-level candidates, they’re open to training new employees.

Looking for other resumes in retail or sales? Check out these resume guides written by our experts: 

• Sales Resume Guide
• Retail Resume Guide
• Sales Associate Resume Guide
• Sales Representative Resume Guide
• Retail Sales Associate Resume Guide
• Customer Service Manager Resume Guide
• Retail Manager Resume Guide
• Inventory Manager Resume Guide
• Sales Manager Resume Guide
• Resume Guides and Examples for Every Profession

Sources

1. Labor Statistics, accessed October 4, 2024, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/customer-service-representatives.htm
2. The top skills needed for customer service, Glion Institute of Higher Education, accessed October 4, 2024, https://www.glion.edu/magazine/top-skills-needed-for-customer-service/
3. The top languages to learn for international business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, accessed October 4, 2024, https://thunderbird.asu.edu/thought-leadership/insights/foreign-languages-business