For anyone in the business of selling products or services, customer satisfaction may be the number one success factor. Your understanding of that, as conveyed in a compelling customer service CV, could outweigh all other hiring considerations when prospective employers are reviewing job applications.
With CV examples geared to a growing number of specific occupations, Resume.io takes pride in creating quality job search tools to help you stand out, even in a crowded talent pool. An impressive customer service CV will reflect your ability to help keep customers coming back time and time again.
This writing guide, together with an adaptable customer service CV example, will walk you through the following:
- What customer service professionals do
- Top tips for writing an effective customer service CV, starting with the correct structure and most suitable format
- Optimising the impact of each CV section: header, summary, work history, education, and skills
- CV layout and design advice for a document that looks as good as it sounds.
What does a customer service representative do?
As the name suggests, a customer service representative — sometimes known as customer service agent or customer service assistant — is the customer's first point of contact, so being professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and confident are key attributes.
Customer service professionals are also typically responsible for upholding the brand of the company. They may work in a range of industries, including retail, where they deliver face-to-face customer service, or a call centre, where they speak to customers over the phone. In some cases, customer service representatives may deliver the service purely via electronic communication, such as social media or email.
According to data from Hubspot, 67% of customers will be willing to pay more if they receive a positive customer service experience.
How much do customer service professionals earn?
The average salary for a customer service professional in the UK is £19,190. In some customer service roles, you would also earn a commission, but this is usually only for target-driven customer service roles.
Job outlook for customer service professionals
A worker shortage across the UK has been attributed to the Coronavirus pandemic and Brexit. In August 2021, some employers were offering welcome bonuses of up to £10,000. With retail vacancies taking a hit during the pandemic, a shortage of staff saw retail vacancies rising by 14% from July 2021 to August 2021. This has been good news for customer service professionals; if you are looking to gain employment in the UK, you may well be fighting off the attention from employers.
How to write a customer service professional CV
It is a good idea to map out the writing of your customer service professional CV before you get started. These are the main elements of the CV you should consider:
- The CV header
- Summary (also known as the profile or personal statement)
- Employment history section
- Skills section
- Education section
Always tailor your CV to the job you are applying for. For instance, if you are fairly open to the industry and are applying for both retail customer service jobs and call centre roles, you should customise each version of your CV to suit the specific position and employer.
Make sure you find out all you can about the role and the company, as the expectations will vary. For instance, if you are applying to work in the Disney store as a customer service professional, you would be expected to show that you have a fun, engaging, confident demeanor and that you love kids — and Disney movies! However, if you are applying for a job as a customer service professional in a bank, the hiring manager will expect you to come across in a more serious, "corporate" manner. Do you understand why you must tailor your CV for every job? We hope so!
The purpose of your customer service CV is to get you to the next hiring stage — an interview. Regardless of the role, we suggest sticking to the same formula, including:
- Consider the employer and write your CV with that in mind. You may need to adapt the style depending on the company you are applying to.
- Keep it short — no more than one page
- Refer to relevant keywords throughout your CV to optimise it for an applicant tracking system ( ATS).
Choosing the best CV format for customer service
It is almost always advisable to use the reverse chronological CV format, with your employment history taking precedence. The only exception is if you have very little relevant customer service experience, in which case, you may want to begin with your education. This is really a judgement call with this, which should be based on your expertise and what the employer is looking for. Each section should start with your most recent education/experience and work your way back. Around 10 years is sufficient.
CV header
Customer service professionals need no reminder about the importance of first impressions, which is why a distinctive CV header design deserves careful attention. This is where the reader’s eyes will be drawn at first glance — the prominent display of your name, occupation and contact information. It’s also what duly impressed hiring managers will look for later when they are ready to contact you for an interview.
An attractive header, with generous amounts of white space separating it from the blocks of black text on the page, makes your CV document look much more inviting to read. We suggest doubling the impact with a matching cover letter header.
Customer service CV summary example: a brief encounter
The CV summary, situated at the top of your customer service CV, is sometimes referred to as the profile or personal statement. This brief self-introduction should be enough to give the hiring manager an appetite to learn more about you. In the case of customer service, it should portray your attitude and ability to deliver excellent towards customer service.
Avoid using the pronoun ‘I’ in your CV summary, but do use descriptive language that includes action verbs. For example, instead of saying, ‘I have strong customer skills,' say ‘demonstrated strong customer service skills by increasing retention levels by 20%.’
See our adaptable customer service CV sample summary below.
Enthusiastic customer service professional with 11+ years of experience in a retail setting. Outgoing, friendly personality, with the ability to make customers feel valued. Passionate about delivering exceptional service to customers and helping improve the company brand.
The summary can be a bit more challenging than the rest of your CV, as it is less structuredIt might be worthwhile to have a look at some of our other CV examples, such as the following: customer service manager CV sample, administrator CV example, administrative assistant CV example, and office administrator CV example.
Employment history sample: the path to success
Every journey has to start somewhere, and with your employment history, you want to encapsulate where you came from and what brought you to the place where you are applying for the role.
The employment history is usually the main CV section, except for graduate roles or if you have little or no work experience. Customer service is part of every job, so even if you have not worked directly as a customer service professional, you will be able to pull out some relevant customer service experience from any job.
Always start with the most recent employment, and remember to use descriptive action words when creating bullet points highlighting your work experience.
For added inspiration, and ideas for transferable skills that might be relevant to a customer service role, check out these writing guides and CV examples:
Hospitality CV example
Sales assistant CV example
Retail CV example
Sales CV example
Account manager CV example
Sales manager CV example
Many candidates merely outline previous job duties, which can be easily pulled from their job description. However, your customer service CV will stand out more if you can highlight your achievements. For example, did you improve customer retention? Have you made an impact on customer survey results? Quantifiable data is always more impressive than just rhyming off a list of responsibilities.
Check out our adaptable example of a CV employment history section below.
Customer Service Advisor at Hankee Candles, Glasgow
April 2018 - Present
- Work as part of a four-member team, supporting the day-to-day operations of the business.
- Assist and interact in a friendly, helpful manner with 70+ customers daily, striving to ensure all receive exceptional service.
- Handle cash and deal with other varied administrative tasks.
- Replenish shelves as required from new product inventory averaging three weekly shipments.
- Consistently retain the highest staff rate of success in resolving customer issues, and the most positive online customer reviews.
Sales Assistant at JJP Sports, Edinburgh
March 2014 - March 2018
- Delivered professional, friendly service in a busy mall store averaging 90+ customers daily.
- Replenished stock frequently to compensate for limited shelf space.
- Handled cash, including closing at the end of night shifts.
- Consistently exceeded targets for up-selling products where possible.
- Worked with colleagues to consistently deliver company sales goals.
- Ability to answer customer queries and resolve complaints contributed to 28% reduction in product returns and 21% increase in sales overall.
Customer Service Advisor at Supermart, City of London
February 2011 - March 2014
- Worked on a team of five, serving up to 225 customers per shift
- Dealt with customer queries during approximately 80% of working hours.
- Replenished stock frequently, from two to five times per shift
- Performed housekeeping duties during slower periods.
Customer service CV education example
Education is not usually as important as experience and skills with customer service roles. However, it is important to list your educational qualifications, including college degrees and any diplomas or certificates you hold. Also make note of internships, on-the-job training and courses or workshops. This information should be listed in reverse chronological order, from highest to lowest level. There's no need to include your high school graduation if you have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Check out the education section from our customer service CV example below.
Service Design, University of the Arts London
June 2006 - September 2010
CV skills example: what can customers expect?
When writing your CV skills section, you should consider it from the perspective of the customer and what they would expect from you. If you walk into a shop, or you call a company, what do you expect them to offer you?
Most people would expect a friendly demeanor and positive interaction as the customer service professional strives to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. This is what should come across in your CV skills section. Make the hiring manager feel that you are going to be an asset to the company and that you will aim to exceed customers’ expectations.
Below you’ll find the skills section from our adaptable customer service CV example.
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Ability to Multitask
- Effective Time Management
- Fast Learner
- Ability to Work in a Team
- Communication Skills
- Customer Service
CV layout and design: make the right impression
The number one priority for your CV is to generate an interview invitation. As such, the layout and design must be clean, well organised, and easily read on different devices. It is better to stick to a simple, straightforward layout, because an overcomplicated page may be off-putting to the reader.
You can use one of our CV templates and easy-to-use builder tool for professional, field-tested results. CV templates.
- Choose a distinctive header that stands out from the rest of the page.
- Proofread your CV before submitting it.
- Opt for a layout that matches the company you are applying to.
- Use more than two different font styles on one CV.
- Try to save space by choosing a tiny font size (or to compensate for insufficient content by using a font size over 12 point.)
- Dominate the page with too much text or it will become tiring for the reader.
Key takeaways for a customer service CV
- Put yourself in the shoes of customers and what they might expect when communicating with you.
- Use a clean, streamlined design without any gimmicks.
- Structure your customer service CV to best suit the position and employer, and use relevant keywords.
- Our adaptable CV example specifically for customer service representatives can give you insight into each section of a great CV.
