Customer service roles can be challenging at times. One moment you’re resolving customer issues, and the next, you’re dealing with an emotionally-charged client.
It takes a specific skillset to excel in customer service. As the old saying goes: if you’ve got it, flaunt it on your resume! Read on to learn how to create a strong customer service resume in 2022.
How to create a standout customer service resume
Regardless of the specific industry or sector, potential employers will be most interested in several aspects when reviewing your resume for customer service roles:
- For applicants with relevant experience, companies want to know specific details, such as the average number of guests or customers you deal with, transactions you handle or complaints you resolve each day.
- Employers look for transferrable skills, such as problem-solving, communication and relationship-building abilities, for jobseekers with no experience.
- For highly experienced customer service representatives, hiring managers or recruiters are interested in additional information, such as customer satisfaction rating or net promoter score.
Here’s how to put together a resume that’ll impress your potential employers
Specify your goals
Customer service is a broad industry so it’s necessary to know the type of role you’re interested in. Do you wish to apply for roles in a contact centre environment? Or do you prefer to liaise with clients face-to-face? Make this very clear when drafting your professional statement.
Customising and updating your resume is not as har as it may sound. As a general rule of thumb, if a specific job responsibility appears in the job ad and you have prior experience performing that task, it should be included on your resume.
Incorporate the right keywords
When you upload your resume on online job sites or company websites, your application will most probably pass through an applicant tracking system (ATS) before it is seen by a hiring manager or recruiter. This software will scan you resume for specific keywords to determine the right match. If the ATS is unable to find enough keywords on your resume, it might not even make it to the hands of the recruiter or hiring manager.
Customising your resume for each position you apply for will help you hit most of the right keywords, but below is a list of typical customer service resume keywords for inspiration:
- Accounts
- Client Service
- Complaint Handling
- Conflict Resolution
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Database Management
- Enquiry Management
- Guests Relations
- Problem Solving
- Troubleshooting
Write attention-grabbing bullet points
Writing show-stopping dot points will help you hold the hiring manager’s attention.
Whilst drafting your resume, go beyond stating your job responsibilities in each position. Spruce up your bullet points by using action verbs, metrics and results, whenever possible. Use the simple formula below:
Action verb + job duty + result
So instead of saying: Helped customers resolve their issues daily, you can say:
Seamlessly managed up to four live chats at one, resolving more than 80 customer issues daily, leading to a 95% customer satisfaction rating.
Stick to the basics
Always remember there are few general resume writing rules to keep in mind regardless of the industry you’re applying for.
-
Keep it between two and four pages
-
Highlight important content using bolding, italics, lines or light colours (e.g., grey or blue)
-
Include hyperlinks to email address and LinkedIn profile
-
Avoid using text boxes and tables as these are not scannable by the ATS
-
Write your work history in a reverse chronological order (with your most current/recent job on top)
-
Make sure 70% of the most important details about you is on the first page of your resume
-
Proofread your resume or ask a professional to review it for you for free
In a nutshell
As a bonafide customer service all-star, you deserve a resume that’ll impress a potential employer the same way you dazzle your customers. Using relevant keywords and engaging dot points will help your customer service stand out and secure those job interviews.
