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20+ Key Customer Service Skills to List on Your Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

To land a job in customer service, you need to showcase your best skills to employers. Customer service involves both technical and interpersonal skills. This makes a diverse skillset all the more important! In this guide, we will uncover the best customer service skills to include on a resume. Plus, we will provide you with tips and tricks for formatting.

What is Customer Service?

Customer service is a vast industry spanning many different forms of business.

From answering customer calls to building customer relationships, there are many responsibilities involved.

Aside from the general Customer Service Representative, other common examples of jobs within customer service include:

  • Call Center Representatives
  • Administrative Assistants
  • Restaurant Workers
  • Salespeople

Essentially, any job that deals with working directly with customers falls under the customer service umbrella.

Why Should I Include Customer Service Skills on My Resume?           

When applying for a job in customer service, showing your ability to work well with people is key.

Including skills on a resume allows you to showcase your best strengths to employers.

By adding specifically customer service skills, you can demonstrate your most relevant abilities according to the job you are applying to.

You never want to include skills just for the sake of it.

It is imperative to always tailor your skills to match the requirements listed in the job description.

Moreover, you should always be honest in what skills you include.

Never list a skill you don’t actually have!

Need help brainstorming skills? We have a free guide with 100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2024 (with Examples for Any Job) to help you out.

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Accountant

What Are the Best Customer Service Skills I Should Add to My Resume?

Before you can determine the best customer service skills to include on your resume, you need to understand the two main types of skills:

  • ‍ Interpersonal (Soft) Skills: These skills are based on emotion and human interaction. Much of customer service relies upon interpersonal skills such as communication and problem-solving. ‍
  • Technical (Hard) Skills: Hards skills have to do with your technical abilities, such as writing or working with software.

When writing out your skills on a resume, it is important to include both soft and hard skills.

For customer service, you should always take the time to plan out the skills you want to include.

By making a large list you can then narrow it down to the most relevant and best ones.

10 Soft Skills for Customer Service

Here are our top 10 soft skills for customer service to consider adding to your resume:

  • ‍ Conflict Management: Being a customer service representative means dealing with conflict. The ability to calmly and effectively manage customer conflicts is essential.
  • ‍ Communication: Communication skills are arguably the most important soft skill for customer service. You need to be able to communicate clearly and easily with all types of customers. ‍
  • Empathy: Customers want to feel like you relate to them. A strong sense of empathy comes in handy when working in the customer service realm.
  • ‍ Compassion: You never know what’s going on in a customer’s head or life. Treating each situation with compassion towards the customer is highly necessary.
  • ‍ Problem Solving: During customer conflicts, being able to think of a solution quickly is key.
  • ‍ Patience: Miscommunications can occur when interactions are rushed or not given proper attention. Having patience is crucial when working in customer service.
  • ‍ Attention to Detail: Many technicalities can affect customer service. The ability to pay close attention to a customer’s issues and the solutions given is a core component of good customer service.
  • ‍ Intuitive: Making customers feel as though all their problems have been solved is very beneficial. Acting intuitively and proactively to address potential customer issues makes for great customer service.
  • ‍ Goal-Oriented: When working with customers, it is essential to set clear goals and boundaries. This helps to ensure everyone understands the expectations and standard of work being provided.
  • ‍ Persuasion: In sales positions especially, having the ability to persuade a customer’s emotions and viewpoints is highly necessary. You should be able to position yourself as the guide that can offer the best solutions to them.

Customer Service Representative

10 Hard Skills for Customer Service

Here is a list of 10 hard skills for customer service to use on a resume:

  • ‍ Microsoft Office & Google Suite: Microsoft and Google programs are widely used across all industries. Familiarizing yourself with these programs will give you a competitive edge, as employers won’t need to train you on how to use them.
  • ‍ Writing: Writing skills are majorly important in any job related to communication. In customer service, this often translates to writing emails and official company copy.
  • ‍ Bi/Multi-Lingual: Speaking multiple languages is always a plus in customer service. If you can fluently speak and translate more than one language, be sure to include this on your resume.
  • ‍ Data Entry: Customer service can sometimes involve a huge amount of data. Understanding the basics of data entry is foundational for a successful customer service professional.
  • ‍ Performance: Customer service professionals take on a persona used to persuade, empathize, and relate to customers. Having a good ability for performance and acting can be highly useful in this field as a result.
  • ‍ Situational Analysis: Every customer and situation is different. An important hard skill for customer service reps to have is the ability to thoroughly analyze each situation. This can involve note-taking, research, gathering feedback, and many more essential tasks.
  • ‍ Telecommunication: In an increasingly digital world, good telecommunication has become crucial for customer service. This can refer to any interaction happening digitally, including phone calls and online services.
  • ‍ Bookkeeping: A fundamental component of customer service is keeping thorough records. Transactions, contracts, and more can all fall under the umbrella of bookkeeping. Honing these skills is good for any professionals seeking employment in customer service.
  • ‍ Closing Ability: A customer service professional must develop a specific skill known as their “closing ability.” This is their ability to finalize a deal or transaction with a customer. It combines many soft skills, such as negotiation and persuasion, to create a more technical skill.
  • ‍ Product Memorization: The ability to memorize large quantities of information is highly important in customer service.

No matter whether they are hard or soft skills, all your skills should be selected according to the job.

In fact, tailoring your resume for the job is crucial for impressing employers!

Read our career advice article on how to Tailor Your Resume to Any Job in 4 Easy Steps to learn more.  

Customer Service Representative

How Do I Describe My Customer Service Skill Levels?

When describing your customer service skills on a resume, it is important to indicate your level of proficiency.

Generally, there are three levels commonly used on resumes:

  • ‍ Expert: At an expert level, you can employ a skill according to your own assessment of a situation. Little to no outside direction is required. ‍
  • Intermediate: Intermediate skill levels indicate that you are proficient but may still need some supervision. ‍
  • Novice: A novice skill level lets employers know you understand the basics but do not consider the skill one of the best proficiencies.

We recommend only including your very best skills on a resume.

As such, you should aim to mainly include skills that fall into either the expert or intermediate categories.

How Do I List My Customer Service Skills on a Resume?

To include customer service skills on a resume, there are two main formatting options:

  • Listing the skills in the work experience section
  • Creating a dedicated skills section

Oftentimes, the best approach is to combine these two formatting options.

Including soft skills in your work experience section allows you to include greater context and explanation.

Comparatively, hard skills need less explanation and can benefit from being place in a separate section.

Here are two quick breakdowns for these formatting options:

Method 1: Listing Customer Service Skills in Your Work Experience Section

Work Experience Customer Service Representative, Whole Foods April 2018 – May 2020 · Good communication skills · Worked closely with customers · Learned better closing tactics

Why It’s Wrong: In this example, the bullet points are too vague and provide little information about the person’s responsibilities.

Adding in skills to your work experience section should add extra value, not detract from the descriptive nature of the section.

Work Experience Customer Service Representative, Whole Foods April 2018 – May 2020 · Communicated daily with customers through the call center · Fostered loyal customer relationships through an empathetic approach · Developed a strong closing ability and increased sales by 15 percent

In this corrected example, the skills clearly tie into the person’s qualifications.

The information given is much more insightful into the applicant’s work ethic and skill set.

ProTip: When describing skills in your work experience section, make sure to use active language. For help in doing so, take a look at our list of 350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective in 2024 .

Customer Service Representative

Method 2: Creating a Dedicated Customer Service Skills Section

Customer Service Skills · Caring for customers · Answering the phone · Helping customers with returns · Using Microsoft Excel and other programs

Why It’s Wrong: This example fails to use strong skill keywords.

Additionally, it is not inherently bad to include extra words in a skills section.

However, these extra words should add value, not just take up space in your word count.

Customer Service Skills · Empathizing with Customers’ Specific Needs · Call Center Telecommunication · Conflict Resolution for Customer Returns · Microsoft Office Suite

In this corrected example, the extra words being used give the skill greater detail and specificity.

Do you need more help writing your ideal resume? Check out our guide on the 20 Best Resume Writing Tips and Tricks for 2024 (with a Free Checklist) !

Final Takeaways

Customer service is a massive industry with many employment opportunities.

To heighten your chances of landing a job in this field, focusing on your related skills is key.

Here are our 5 main takeaways for listing customer service skills on a resume:

  • Include both your hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) customer service skills.
  • Relate your skills to the job you are applying for.
  • Use skills in both your work experience section and a dedicated skills section.
  • Provide context around interpersonal skills.
  • Aim to include your best – or “expert-level” – skills first.

To learn more about creating the perfect resume, check out our many free resume guides and career advice articles !

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed Moss is an author for Easy Resume

Ed is a co-founder of Easy Resume. His background in scaling teams at tech startups over the last decade has given him extensive experience and knowledge around how to hire top talent and build successful teams. He enjoys mentoring, coaching, and helping others reach their career goals. When he's not writing about career-related advice, he's playing with his dog, Lilo, or going on long hikes in upstate New York.

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Customer Service Skills for a Resume [W/ Full List & Examples]

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Customer service skills are vital if you want to get hired for any customer-facing position. 

That’s because customer service skills can help you resolve customer complaints, improve customer satisfaction, and even drive new sales.

Want to learn which customer service skills are a must-have on your resume in 2024? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about customer service skills, including: 

  • What Are Customer Service Skills
  • 20 Essential Customer Service Skills For Your Resume

3 Steps to Add Customer Service Skills to Your Resume

  • How to Improve Your Customer Service Skills

Let's dive in! 

What Are Customer Service Skills?

Customer service refers to the relationship between a business and its customers. The better this relationship, the more successful a business can be. 

Customer service skills are a set of soft skills that allow you to provide the best customer experience possible. They involve being able to:

  • Communicate effectively
  • Solve problems promptly
  • Demonstrate patience
  • Create genuine connections

Customer service skills are essential for any customer-facing role out there, including customer support representatives , salespeople, cashiers , and the sorts. 

But what is it, exactly, that makes customer service skills so valuable? Let us give you the data-backed answer. 

Why Are Customer Service Skills Important 

If you’re someone who’s looking for a job in customer-facing roles, you probably already know that having strong customer service skills can significantly improve your employability. 

Finding employees who can resolve customers’ complaints and make them feel heard, understood, and appreciated is of the highest importance for potential employers.  

Here are all the benefits that employees with strong customer service skills can bring to a company: 

  • Improved customer experience. The better customer service you can provide, the more satisfied will your customers be. And, according to this HubSpot study, 68% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for products and services from a brand known to offer good customer service experiences.
  • Increased profits. Happy customers are more likely to spend money on a product or service. A study by Bain found that companies that excel at customer experience grow revenues 4%-8% above their market .
  • Higher customer retention. According to Invesp, investing in new clients is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining existing ones. Considering that 80% of consumers said they’d do business with a competitor after a bad customer service experience, customer service is essential in retaining customers.
  • Established brand loyalty. According to the study by Zendesk, nearly three out of five consumers report that good customer service is vital for them to feel loyalty toward a brand.
  • More referrals. Your customers are bound to talk about their customer experience - especially if it’s really good or really bad. According to Esteban Kolsky, Chief Evangelist for customer experience at SAP, after a positive customer experience, 72% of customers will share their opinion of your brand with at least six people.

20 Customer Service Skills to List on Your Resume 

As we already mentioned, customer service doesn't consist of a single skill, but of a set of skills. 

As such, the customer service skills you should list on your resume greatly depend on the specifics of the position you're applying for. 

That said, there are some customer service skills that are in demand for the majority of customer-facing roles out there, such as communication and active listening.  

Here is a list of the most in-demand customer service skills for your resume in 2024: 

  • Active listening
  • Adaptability
  • Attention to detail
  • Bilingual customer support
  • Building customer royalty
  • Communication
  • Complain resolution
  • Organizational skills
  • Decision making
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Persuasion skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Product knowledge
  • Time management
  • Upselling/Cross-selling
  • Service-based selling
  • Computer skills

Now that you know what the most important customer service skills are, it’s time to list them on your resume.

Below, we’ll teach you which resume sections are best for listing your customer service skills, as well as teach you how to do it in the most compelling way possible.

Let’s get started!

#1. Mention Your Customer Service Skills on Your Resume Summary 

The first place where you can (and should) mention your customer service skills is the resume summary . 

customer service skills resume summary

In a nutshell, the resume summary is a short, three or four-sentence paragraph that describes you as a candidate. Typically, it mentions: 

  • Your professional title and years of experience
  • Your top skills
  • Your most notable achievements

Done right, the resume summary will show the hiring manager you’re a qualified candidate from the get-go and get them to go through your resume in more detail. 

As such, for roles where customer service skills are practically essential, it’s very important to higlight that you possess such skills in your resume summary.

Here’s an example of customer service skills listed in a resume summary:

  • Attentative and communicative customer service representative with five years of retail experience responding to all manner of customer inquiries. Career highlights include receiving 99% positive customer survey results at XYZ Convenience. Seeking a role at ABC Tech, where my problem-solving and interpersonal skills can be leveraged to achieve and maintain the highest level of customer service.

#2. List the Right Customer Service Skills 

The most obvious place to list your customer service skills is on your resume’s Skills section. 

The key here, though, is to list skills that are relevant for the role you’re applying for.

We already mentioned how different roles may require different customer service skills. A customer support agent, for example, requires comunication skills and active listening.

Whereas a sales represenative, on the other hand, requires persuasion and upselling skills.

What we’re getting at here is that you shouldn’t just randomly list all the customer services skills we covered in this article - you should pick out the ones that are most relevant for your role.

Here are our top tips on how to list the most relevant customer service skills for your position:

  • Check the job description. Most jobs tell you exactly which skills they’re looking for in candidates, all you’ve got to do is check the job description. As a customer service representative, for example, it’ll typically tell you that you need active listening skills, multi-tasking skills, communication skills, knowledge of CRM systems, etc. 
  • Identify the skills you possess. Single out the skills that you actually possess instead of adding every single skill mentioned in the job description. 
  • Add them under Soft/Hard Skills. Add skills like time management, communication, etc., under Soft Skills and technical know-how like computer skills or product knowledge under Hard Skills. 

#3. Prove Your Customer Service Skills In Your Work Experience Section 

Last but definitely not least, you should use your work experience section to prove to the hiring manager that you possess the customer service skills you mentioned in your resume summary and under your soft skills.

After all, anyone can claim they have customer service skills. It's backing up your claims with facts that can make all the difference. 

Done right, your work experience will leave no doubt in the hiring manager’s mind that they should call you back for a job interview .

Here's exactly how you should build your work experience section so that it highlights your customer service skills: 

  • Tailor your work experience to the job description. Don’t use one generic resume to apply to dozens of openings. Each position has its own specific requirements and your resume sections should be tailored to show the hiring manager that you can meet them. If you’re applying for a cashier position, for example, the hiring manager will want to know about your experience as a restaurant server, but not about the time your mowed lawns as a teenager . The first experience highlights yoru customer service skills, while the second does not.
  • Focus on your achievements instead of your responsibilities. The hiring manager most knows exactly what your responsibilities were in previous jobs. What they want to know is how you made a positive impact with your achievements. As such, focus on highlighting how you made an impact on your work experience section instead of simply listing what your basic responsibilities were. 
  • Make your achievements quantifiable. Speaking of achievements, supporting them with data-backed evidence is what really makes a difference. After all “helped company increase customer retention by 14% by providing customers with a personalized experience” sounds much better than “helped with customer retention.”
  • Use action verbs and power words . There are hundreds of words and verbs you can use instead of “helped” or “served.” The more descriptive you are of your achievements, the more impressive you can make them sound. 

Here’s an example of a work experience section that highlights the candidate’s customer service skills perfectly: 

Customer Service Representative 

YXZ Convenience Store

03/2018 - 04/2022

  • Achieved the highest up-sell rates in both 2019 (2.6%) and 2021 (3%).
  • Worked at the customer information desk for 10+ hour shifts.
  • Welcomed and provided personalized customer service to 1000+ customers during the store opening event.

7 Ways to Provide Excellent Customer Service 

Customer service skills don't come naturally to everyone. 

Some people are much better at making customers feel heard and appreciated, while others may struggle to form that connection that makes all the difference when it comes to providing good customer service. 

Well, if the first case applies to you, don't worry. 

Below, we cover seven ways to provide excellent customer service (that can be practiced and learned):

#1. Stay positive

Developing a positive mindset and attitude is an essential part of improving your customer service skills.

Think about your own customer experiences. You’re probably not too happy when, say, you sit at a restaurant and the server taking your order looks miserable, right? Or when you call customer support to resolve an issue and they’re less than willing to help. 

So, whether you’re communicating by phone, face-to-face, or via e-mail, try to stay as positive as possible (even in the face of difficult issues or customers).

#2. Don’t say no

Even if the answer to a customer complaint or issue is “no, it can't be done” or “no, I can’t help you with this,” you should always refrain from phrasing it this way. 

When customers hear the word “no,” they’re more likely to associate it with “this customer service worker doesn’t want to help me” rather than with “this is beyond this employee’s control.” 

So, whenever it’s possible, go out of your way to solve a customer’s issue or help them. And, if doing something to help them really is out of your control, use positive language to tell them, avoid the word “no,” and try to offer them alternative solutions/options that could satisfy them. 

That way, they’ll see that you’re trying hard, despite the fact that you might be unable to solve their problem.

#3. Practice active listening

Active listening is the process of mindfully listening to a speaker, providing feedback, and being observant of non-verbal cues to ensure effective communication. 

Considering that 40% of our daily communication consists of listening , making sure you’re listening effectively to what your customers have to say is an essential part of providing excellent customer service. 

Some ways to do that include: 

  • Paying attention and not getting distracted. Try to stay away from your phone and avoid multitasking when you’re interacting with customers. 
  • Asking open-ended questions. Open-ended questions require more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer. You can ask such questions to get your customers to describe their needs or problems more comprehensively. 
  • Asking probing questions . Similar to open-ended questions, probing questions aim to get a 360-degree view of a topic. Not to mention, they don’t just help you understand better, but also help the speaker to think more comprehensively about what they’re saying.
  • Being more attuned to the speaker’s feelings. Customers don’t appreciate feeling like they’re talking to a robot. Asking them about their day and being sympathetic towards their feelings (be they frustration, anger, or annoyance), is a great way to make them feel heard. 

#4. Know your customers

The better you know your customers, the more you can understand their needs and expectations. 

In turn, you can find more creative ways to meet said expectations and improve your customer service. 

Here are some ways you can better understand customer needs: 

  • Ask yourself/the team questions such as “who are our main customers?” “what market are they from?” “how does our product/service meet their needs or expectations?” and “what could we do to further help them?”
  • Step into your customers’ shoes by considering your own challenges and needs as a customer or what would make your life easier while using the company’s product or service. 
  • Encourage customers to give detailed feedback.
  • Analyze customer feedback by identifying trends and gaps in your service. Share any results with your team or your colleagues. 

#5. Know the product/service

The better you know the company’s product or services, the more qualitative the customer service you can provide. 

As a salesperson , for example, you’ll be able to sell a product or service better. As a customer support representative, on the other hand, you’ll be able to solve customers' problems more effectively. 

On the same note, knowing a company’s products or services can come in particularly handy when you’re interviewing for a job too. The hiring manager is bound to be impressed with your dedication and effort to learn all about the company before you’re even hired.

Some places where you can easily acquire knowledge of a company’s product or services are:

  • Company’s website
  • Company’s handbooks 
  • Online forums 
  • Customer feedback 
  • Your own experience with the product 

#6. Be empathetic

We cannot stress enough how important it is to connect with your customers more than just on a professional level. 

Actually connecting with the customer on a personal level and showing real empathy for their issues can really make a world of a difference when it comes to customer experience.

In the first case, if you can’t resolve a customer complaint or help with a specific issue, the customer will be much more likely to feel disappointed with you and the company in general. 

In the second, however, they might cut you some slack and still think “well, at least they listened and genuinely tried to help.”

This can be the difference between losing customers and retaining them and it’s definitely an important part of providing amazing customer service. 

#7. Personalize your customer service

Personalizing your customer service is what can make customers feel special, and who doesn’t like to feel special, right? 

Here’s how you can provide personalized customer service that’s guaranteed to improve your customer service skills: 

  • Greet your customers by name and make them feel welcome.
  • Contextualize your customer service depending on the customer’s lifestyle and personality.
  • Don’t get distracted by anything else when you’re interacting with a customer. Make sure that the customer feels like they’re your center of attention.
  • Go out of your way to find the best possible solution/option for the customer, and make sure that the customer knows how much effort you’re putting into helping them.

3 Customer Service Representative Resume Examples 

Below, we’ll show you three examples of how you should list customer service skills for different roles. 

We hope these resumes, created with our tried-and-tested resume templates , inspire you to go after the customer-facing role of your dreams:

#1. Customer Service Representative Resume Example 

Customer Service Representative Resume Example

#2. Cashier Resume Example 

Cashier Resume Example

#3. Sales Executive Resume Example 

Sales Executive Resume Example

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap. By now, you should know everything there is to know about customer service skills and how to highlight them on your resume. 

Before you start putting our tips into practice, let’s go over the main topics we covered in this article: 

  • Customer service skills are a set of soft skills that allow you to provide the best customer experience possible.
  • Companies are always looking for candidates with strong customer service skills because they can provide the best possible customer experience and, in turn, help them increase their profits, retain customers, improve their brand loyalty, and get more referrals. 
  • Some in-demand customer service skills include active listening, interpersonal skills, communication, complaint resolution, empathy, and positivity. 
  • To best highlight your customer service skills, list them in your resume summary, work experience, and skills sections. 

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How to List Customer Service Skills on a Resume | Best Skills and Examples

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  • What are customer service skills to list on your resume?

Examples of customer service skills

How to improve customer service skills shown on a resume.

Customer service skills include the soft skills necessary to communicate with others, solve problems, demonstrate patience and understanding, ensure customer satisfaction and resolve customer complaints. Customer service skills are important for service-related jobs, but also apply to any job that involves working with others, completing requests and solving problems. In this article, you can learn how to list customer service skills on your resume by reviewing the examples and following a few simple steps.

What are the best customer service skills to list on your resume?

The best customer service skills to include on your resume are ones that demonstrate your ability to serve others. You will want to evaluate the job description’s keywords to select skills that match the job description keywords.

When choosing customer service skills to include on your resume, use the skills included in the job description to show you are a good fit for the position. You will notice that the list of required skills may vary based on the position you are applying for. 

Some common customer service skills employers look for include:

Effective communication

Effective communication is the ability to convey thoughts and ideas in ways others can understand. This may include written or verbal communication. This skill is important to ensure customers understand products or services as well as company policies.

Active listening

Active listening is the ability to listen to others with the intent to understand them and without being distracted by external noise. This includes asking questions for clarification, summarizing and paraphrasing to ensure you thoroughly understand the customer’s needs.

Positive language

Communicating with positive language includes explaining to customers what you are able to do for them (as opposed to saying what you are not able to do). This is important to convey a helpful attitude and communicate that your goal is to assist customers instead of giving excuses for why you’re not able to fulfill their requests or resolve their complaints.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving is the ability to find solutions that are mutually agreeable for the customer and the company. This includes recognizing that a problem exists, identifying available solutions and providing the customer with options to resolve the issue.

This skill involves continued support and engagement with customers without expressing frustration about other things you could be doing. It involves providing each customer with the same level of service and attention.

Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to the emotions of others. This skill is important when helping with customer requests and resolving customer complaints.

Resilience is the ability to provide quality service without internalizing the problems or attitudes of others. This is an important skill to maintain quality service when assisting a high volume of customers or when working with difficult customers. 

Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to successfully navigate and respond to change. An example may include adapting to customers’ changing needs. This skill is important to meet changing demands from customers in the workplace.

This skill involves thorough knowledge about your company’s products or services necessary to process customer requests or resolve complaints. It also includes admitting when you don’t have sufficient knowledge to complete a request or resolve a complaint, in which case it is important to direct customers to someone who can help them.

By following these simple steps, you can improve how you list customer service skills on your resume:

1. First, review the job description

Review the job description for the position you are applying to and identify keywords in the duties, responsibilities and required experience sections. Highlight or list keywords from the job description that are a good match for your customer services skills.

2. Second, consider your skills

Consider the customer service skills you’ve developed throughout your life. Select customer service skills and experience that match the keywords you highlighted in the job description. These are the skills you will include in the resume you submit for this job application.

3. Third, include a skills section on your resume

Create a section of your resume dedicated to listing your skills. Use this section to list specific customer service skills that match the job description keywords and demonstrate you are a good fit for the position.

4. Fourth, highlight skills throughout your resume

When listing experience from previous employment, include experience that demonstrates the customer service skills you selected. Use the keywords you highlighted in the job description as well as similar phrasing to describe your experience. For example, if you list communication as a relevant customer service skill, include job duties in your work history that demonstrate this skill.

When creating bullet points for the work history and work experience sections of your resume, consider specific experience that demonstrates your customer service skills. This allows you to build on the skills section, where you list your relevant experience and accomplishments that specifically demonstrate those skills. For example, you may include your ability to provide exceptional service for each customer when working with a high volume of customers.

customer service skills to list on resume

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28 Customer Service Resume Examples for 2024

Stephen Greet

Customer Service Resume

  • Customer Service Resumes by Experience
  • Customer Service Resumes by Role
  • Writing Your Customer Service Resume

As the face of the organization, the customer service team is instrumental in building and maintaining a business’s reputation.

To be a successful customer service professional, you must have a wide-ranging skillset—patience, empathy, critical thinking, and detailed knowledge of your company’s products or services.

With such a tall order, you shouldn’t also have to be an expert at  building a resume . Our easy  resume tips  are available at your fingertips!

We’ve analyzed countless resumes and  chosen the 28 best customer service resume samples to help you land your next job in 2024 .

Furthermore, we’ll share our recommendations and advice so you can put your best foot forward on your resume; before you know it, you’ll also be ready to tackle your  customer service cover letter !

or download as PDF

Customer Service resume example with 10 years of experience

Why this resume works

  • The best way to do this is by making your points concise and highly relevant to the job to which you’re applying. If you include a  resume summary , tailor it to the business to which you apply. As a rule of thumb, the more you customize and  fine-tune your resume  for each job application, the more likely you are to get an interview. 

Entry-Level Customer Service Resume

customer service skills to list on resume

  • Choose two tastefully contrasting fonts: one for your section headers, and one for your body text. 
  • Leverage white space throughout your resume to give it a clean, easy-on-the-eye, professional feel.
  • We suggest bold (but not garish) colors in the header and titles to draw attention.
  • Say goodbye to excess white space by adding some relevant projects you’ve worked on.
  • Just make sure they relate to the  customer service job description  and emphasize your most relevant skills.

Customer Service Associate Resume

Customer Service Associate Resume Example with 5 years experience

  • Something very impressive on a  customer service associate resume  is when you’ve gone the extra mile to be certified. Definitely include any licenses or certifications you have in a dedicated “Certifications” section.
  • Our  user-friendly resume templates  and  Google Docs resume templates  allow you to quickly add a section just for certificates and licenses.
  • For example, “Handled an average of 40+ customer complaints per day with a 93% customer satisfaction rate.”

Customer Service Manager Resume

Customer Service Manager Resume Example with 9 years experience

  • Don’t worry though! You can easily tailor it by mentioning the specific job title you’re seeking, the company’s name, and any position-specific skills you’ve learned. If these kinds of details paralyze you, take a breath; now, make a resume with one of our  free resume templates  or  Google Docs interactive resumes  that already have sections laid out for your objective.
  • Though including a  resume objective  is optional, we recommend one if you’ve had a career change, are entry-level, or simply need to effectively fill a little space on your resume.
  • If you choose to add it, make sure it’s unique and personalized for every application you submit. That’s right. Every single one.

Customer Service Lead Resume

Customer service lead resume example with 8 years of experience

  • Also, a technical support specialist position might have refined your problem-solving skills and technical knowledge, essential for resolving issues beyond the first line of support. A moment or two when your leadership stance shone brightly is a welcome addition to your customer service lead resume.

Senior Customer Success Manager Resume

Senior customer success manager resume example with 8 years of experience

  • Here’s the inside scoop: dig into the job ad to get a grasp of what hiring managers are after, whether killer communications skills , a track record of success in customer handling, or knowing your way around the latest industry software (think Salesforce, Slack, and Zendesk). Then, spotlight these proficiencies in your showpiece. See? A piece of cake!

Customer Care Resume

Customer care resume example with client relations coordinator experience

  • Think along the lines of “Spearheaded the integration of Freshdesk to streamline client communications, reducing response time by 37%” and “Negotiated service agreements with high-value clients, bringing in $576,987 in new business”. These should be your highlights—front and center of your resume’s work experience section. After all, wouldn’t you notice a candidate with figures to prove they’re a mover and shaker?

Airline Customer Service Resume

Airline customer service resume example with 4 years of experience

  • In the same line, use larger fonts to draw the hiring manager’s attention to different essential parts of your resume. For example, role titles should be in a larger font and title case format, while terms accentuating your skills, hobbies, contact information, and education should be in uppercase.

Customer Service Call Center Resume

Customer service call center resume example with telemarketing experience

  • It’s fine even if you mention them in other unrelated job roles. Just ensure that you clearly state how your assistance helped customers in a particular scenario.
  • If you run out of room in your resume, remember that a cover letter generator can help you expound quickly on the details you care about sharing.

Customer Service Bank Resume

Customer service bank resume example with 4 years of experience

  • Even if it’s only a short stint, mention how you went beyond resolving technical issues at a desk by adding your ability to make personalized follow-ups, maintain high-data accuracy rates, and implement any customer feedback provided.

Insurance Customer Service Resume

Insurance customer service resume example with 11 years experience

  • Remember that expertise in communication efficiency, accurate responses align well with the requirements of the role since you will be handling customers.

Client Service Manager Resume

Client service manager resume example with 11 years experience

  • And if you may, add your metrics on improving customer satisfaction to further prove your potential.

Customer Service Specialist Resume

Customer Service Specialist Resume Example with 10 years experience

  • Luckily, customer service is typically a metric-heavy role. From sales to customer reviews to retention, there’s a lot of numbers you can draw upon, such as customer satisfaction scores, how many customers you helped, and sales targets you exceeded.
  • Metrics draw the eye of the resume reader and increase the length of time they’ll review your  customer service specialist resume , which increases your likelihood of getting an interview. Since a hiring manager will, on average, spend six seconds reviewing your resume, hooking their attention quickly is key.

Retail Customer Service Clerk Resume

Retail Customer Service Clerk Resume Example with 2 years experience

  • The structure of your  retail customer service resume  can either help or hurt the flow of the employer’s reading experience and affect whether or not you get that interview.
  • We suggest you experiment with an array of  resume templates  and go for the one that zooms in on your greatest selling points.
  • Sprinkle in impressive numerical metrics such as team headcounts, sales targets met, and payment processing accuracy percentages whenever possible.

Customer Success Manager Resume

Customer Success Manager Resume Example with 10+ years experience

  • Challenge yourself to prove your impact with metrics.
  • For example, how much time did you save in labor hours? How much did you increase profits for the company? Provide any details that show how quickly you could boost numbers at the next business that’s smart enough to hire you. 
  • Striking a good balance between hard and soft skills is tricky, but doable—the  skills section on your resume  can emphasize the soft skills that made those impressive numbers happen in the first place.

Bilingual Customer Support Resume

Bilingual Customer Support Resume Example with 7 years experience

  • For example, you can mention the number of reward program members you signed on, the number of customers you helped per shift, the number of performance-based awards you earned, and the percentage of bilingual clients who specifically returned to you for assistance.
  • Pass the automated tracking system filter by peppering your skills section with relevant keywords you’ve taken the time to mine from the  job description .
  • Just be sure the keywords you glean from the job description truly match the skills you possess! Better to be a master of a few talents than have a surface knowledge of many.

Customer Service Consultant Resume

Customer Service Consultant Resume Example with 20+ years experience

  • Having trouble breaking up with the roles you had in high school? You can save old positions in a separate document, just in case. Just reassure yourself that you can discuss this expertise during an interview.
  • Rather than cramming your work experience down to microscopic font size, try honing in on your most relevant work history. 
  • Since you probably have plenty of experience, you may want to consider including a  resume summary , which can give a valuable overview of your skills and how they’ve driven results over the course of your lengthy (10+ years for a summary) career. 

Customer Service Agent Resume

Customer Service Agent Resume Example with 7 years experience

  • As long as you’re not distracting from the content of your resume, go ahead and get a little creative. 
  • Do this by  organizing your resume  into distinct sections (subheadings are your friend), and use an unexpected pop of color to draw on your personality. Who said your resume has to be boring? 
  • Focus on adding hard skills, like Zendesk, Salesforce, and Microsoft Word.

Customer Service Success Specialist Resume

Customer Service Success Specialist Resume Example with 5 years experience

  • Hiring managers in the customer service field often have less than a minute to review your resume, so it’s important that you place the most relevant information where they’ll see it! 
  • Emphasize growth in your career by ordering your work experience in a  reverse-chronological resume format , meaning that your most recent experience will be listed at the top of the page. 
  • Including numbers in your work experience bullet points shows the employer that you’re great at your job! Ultimately, they’re looking for specialists who can perform the job well, and numbers prove that you can. 

Customer Service Coordinator Resume

Customer Service Coordinator Resume Example with 8 years experience

  • That’s right. Your resume doesn’t need to look computer-generated to command respect. In fact, using a sprinkle of color can demonstrate your confidence and individuality, making you an even more appealing candidate. 
  • A word of caution: While more companies are valuing the individuality and flair of applicants, there are times when toned-down colors (like deep navy, slate gray, or hunter green) may be more appropriate. This can be especially true if you’re applying to a larger corporate business. Determine what’s best by investigating the  customer service job description’s  work culture.

Customer Service Advisor Resume

Customer Service Advisor Resume Example with 13 years experience

  • Now, that doesn’t mean you need to bring the entire color wheel to your resume. Instead, focus on grabbing recruiters’ attention by using one or two colors for your section titles. You can start from scratch to find a visually-appealing color, or use a  resume template  if you’re not artistically inclined. 
  • Take your resume personalization to the next step by adding a  career summary  section if you’re a total pro in the field with more than a decade of experience. Use this section for some humble bragging and tell hiring managers about your biggest accomplishments over the course of your career. Because if there’s any good time to brag, it’s on your resume, right?

Customer Service Technician Resume

Customer Service Technician Resume Example with 4 years experience

  • It’s surprisingly easy! Using hard numbers throughout your resume makes hiring managers slow down and read more carefully, plus using metrics supercharges your resume clout and indicates that you know your value (literally). 
  • Don’t be afraid to highlight your  hobbies and interests on your resume .
  • But, please, please ensure you can relate them to the job. If you’re including a super interesting hobby, a hiring manager is almost certainly going to ask you all about it. You better 1.) actually do that hobby, and 2.) be able to relate that hobby to relevant customer service tech job skills. 

Customer Service Representative Resume

Customer service representative resume example with 5 years experience

  • So, instead of simply adding ‘Sales’ as a skill in your customer service representative resume , use an example of where and how you used said skillset. Try, “Boosted high-end electronic sales by 34% through deep product knowledge and personalized demonstrations.”

Call Center Customer Service Resume

Call center customer service resume example with 5 years experience

  • Format your resume so that your most recent experience and achievements are at the top of your call center customer service resume . By doing this, you’re presenting those highlights in a way that they’re the very first thing a recruiter will probably look at.

Professional Customer Service Resume

Professional customer service resume example with 10+ years experience

  • Let’s say you have a Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP) certification on your professional customer service resume—it immediately lets a potential employer know you’re well-equipped and ready to provide exceptional customer service.

Customer Service Supervisor Resume

Customer service supervisor resume example with 3 years experience

  • If you know your way around a specific CRM or management software, don’t miss the opportunity to add it to your customer service supervisor resume and show an employer you’re a well-rounded candidate.

Remote Customer Service Resume

Remote customer service resume example with 2 years experience

  • By using a remote customer service resume template that’s clutter-free and spotlights what’s really important, you can show a recruiter what they need to see to form a positive opinion of you.

Customer Service Sales Resume

Customer service sales resume example with 3 years experience

  • Let’s take the poetry writing, portrait sketching, and vector illustration mentioned in this customer service sales resume . They convey that you have a knack for being creative, understanding design, and paying attention to detail—all of which will come in handy in your professional role.

Related resume guides

  • Receptionist
  • Sales Associate
  • Front Desk Receptionist

4 Tips to Improve Your Customer Service Resume Today

Recruiter points with yellow chalk to job skills and qualifications list on blackboard

Customer service resumes have gone beyond a simple list of experiences and education that prove your worth. Now, they’re as varied as the candidates themselves. Before writing a resignation letter and applying for your next job, check out BeamJobs’ list of recommendations to make your resume sound professional, look neat, and prove without a doubt that you’re the best candidate. We’ll cover:

  • Customer service skills
  • Formatting your customer service resume
  • Quantifying your previous impact
  • Customizing your resume for each job

customer service skills to list on resume

Tip 1: Confidently choose your customer service skills

The  skills section of a resume  might be short, but it packs a punch. This is where you sell what you’re capable of and what you can do. This section is especially important for ATS to keep you in the running, so it’s crucial to pay attention to what skills you possess.

You should list both hard skills (like Microsoft Office Suite, HubSpot, or HelpDesk) and soft skills (like organization, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication). The best place to find applicable skills would be the job description itself—see what’s required for the tasks listed, and then use those tasks to steer you in the right direction.

Let’s say you run across a  customer service job description  requesting bilingual support like this:

  • Answer telephone calls and emails promptly in Spanish and English
  • Maintain and extend client base through positive customer interaction
  • Excellent verbal and written skills in both Spanish and English
  • Strong organizational and analytical skills 
  • Flexible—must be able to work independently AND with a team daily

Based on the job description, it’s clear this company values a bilingual, organized individual who is an effective communicator. These skills (as long as they accurately define you) should serve as the foundation of your skills section. And a word to the wise—don’t apply for a job if you can’t honestly say you own the skill set required. 

Now, it’s time to tailor your skills section to the job description, which could look like this:

  • Bilingual (Spanish and English)
  • Organized 
  • Strong verbal and written communication 
  • Proven customer success 
  • Empathetic 
  • Methodical and thorough documentation 
  • CRM (HubSpot)

Not every customer service job description will look like the one above, so your skills section should reflect the role for which you’re applying.

The following skills would be great additions to other customer service positions:

  • Data analysis
  • Metrics-driven
  • Customer service reporting
  • Self-motivated
  • Social media
  • Creative problem-solver
  • Inquisitive

customer service skills to list on resume

Tip 2: Format your resume for the ATS and recruiters 

When you open the pages of a book, what’s more inviting: dense blocks of text with little color or short paragraphs with headings, indents, and plenty of white space? The latter is easier to read and, thus, more inviting. Your customer service resume needs to follow the same principle since it’s your first impression. Make the recruiter’s job as easy as possible by being neat, easy to read, and understandable. 

There are multiple ways to achieve this, but one of the easiest is to put things in  reverse-chronological format . This helps recruiters know immediately where you’re coming from. (For example, if you recently worked as a customer service representative, you’ll have a shorter adjustment period. And even if you were a customer service rep a few years ago, the reverse-chronological order will help recruiters quickly assess your qualifications.)

Further suggestions for keeping your resume easy to read: 

  • Bullet points rely on keywords, essential for making your resume ATS-friendly. The condensed structure and repetitive points also relieve eye strain when reading.
  • Place the customer service title beneath your name to make it easier for the recruiter to keep that specific job in mind as they scan your resume. This is especially crucial when a company is hiring for multiple positions.
  • The average time a recruiter spends looking at a resume is six to seven seconds, which means you should only include necessities. Anything else that’s relevant can be brought up in the job interview.
  • Some companies see them as antiquated, but others like knowing exactly what you’re aiming for. Scan resumes in the job field to see if others include them, and consider reaching out to current employees on LinkedIn for advice.
  • Primarily, fancy icons or images may confuse the ATS. Beyond that, leaving them off your resume looks more professional; plus, it leaves room for more important things, like skills or awards.

Objective or summary for your customer service resume?

Objectives and summaries  are a hot topic for resumes. It’s up to you to decide if an objective or summary is needed for your customer service resume. Typically, objectives/summaries are a good idea if you’re changing careers, you’re an entry-level applicant, or if you want to customize them for each application. Otherwise, it would be best to leave space for other things.

The difference between objectives and summaries rests in their purpose and your level of experience. Both are roughly two to three sentences, but  an objective describes your interest and qualifications for the job while a summary highlights your past work . If you have limited experience, you should choose an objective to sell why you’re the best candidate, but if you’re years into customer service, you could include a summary to describe your unique background.

No matter if it’s a summary or an objective, it should always be concise, informative, and personal ; this is your chance to show your personality and skills before the interview, so make it count.

When you write your objective, communicate your reason for applying and why you’d make a great candidate. Avoid making it generic, flat, or too casual: 

  • College graduate looking for work in the customer service industry to start a life-long career. I’m hardworking, great with people, and skilled with computers.

Instead, your objective should be specific, detailed, and unique to both you and the job description. Try something that highlights your skills regardless of your experience level:

Customer service resume objective

For those who have 10+ years of experience, a summary is the best way to go. Poor summaries have limited and vague information:

  • I’m a manager who is seeking further professional growth. I’m good at resolving conflicts, handling money, and writing reports; looking for a job that will give me experience and career options.

Rather, a summary should be a highlight reel of your accomplishments and expertise. To further showcase your talent, add metrics here, too:

Customer service resume summary

This summary is tailored to the position and outlines the candidate’s experience and skills while being personable and not too formal. By carefully crafting your objective or summary, you can rise above the competition in just two to three sentences.

customer service skills to list on resume

Tip 3: Leverage metrics on your customer service resume 

Leveraging metrics is all about avoiding generality and demonstrating success. Most job description bullets don’t describe how successful, friendly, or efficient you were. However, saying, “Assisted 200+ customers weekly with technical questions with a 98% customer satisfaction rate,” tells the recruiter the specifics of your talents and abilities. 

Writing metrics for every single bullet point isn’t necessary, but including an estimate when you can is better than staying vague.

Some customer service metrics to add to your resume include:

  • Customer satisfaction (CSAT) score: The core aspect of customer service is keeping customers happy, so providing high CSAT scores based on your interaction with customers is bound to get recruiters noticing.
  • Net promoter score: Just like the CSAT, this gives an insight into how happy customers are with the company. 
  • Employee retention rate: This statistic works well if you’re in a management position with a tight-knit group. That means your leadership has a direct effect on how many customer service reps leave or stay.
  • Resolution rate: By showing a percentage of solved cases, you demonstrate your effective problem-solving skills and care for the customer.
  • Customer effort score: This shows how much effort it took to get an issue resolved. Less effort means you’re easier to work with and more effective, which is why a low CES score is useful to add to your resume.
  • Customer/employee numbers: Providing the number of teammates, employees, or customers you’ve helped or served is a great way to show your capability in helping large volumes of people.

Now that you know what kind of metrics to include, below are some examples of how you can use them in practice. If you have trouble calculating some of the aforementioned metrics,  HelpCrunch  or  Kustomer  have some helpful formulas. 

  • Assisted over 250 patrons with technological questions monthly with a consistent 86 CSAT score based on interactions
  • Extended the client base through positive, empathetic communication, resulting in a net promoter score of over 50
  • Led a group of 20 employees through conflict resolution training, and updated onboarding processes that improved employee retention by 23%

Tip 4: Customize your customer service resume for the job 

Just as every company is different, no customer service position is identical. So, why would you submit the same resume for multiple customer service job applications? Tailoring your resume shows you have researched the job and helps corroborate your candidacy.

Check the following list for advice on how to customize sections of your resume:

  • Mention the company by name and what you hope to accomplish. Check the “job details” section of the job description to see what the company hopes to achieve, whether it’s boosting customer loyalty or increasing customer satisfaction.
  • Many customer service jobs require similar skills, but that doesn’t mean your skills should stay stale. Check the job description’s qualifications to scan for skill keywords to use. Keep it under 10 to avoid being excessive.
  • Include the job description requirements in your resume as much as you can. If the job description says they’re looking for someone who will “standardize quality customer service through positive customer interactions,” mimic that wording on your resume to describe your past achievements. This helps make your resume ATS-friendly while highlighting your skills.
  • No matter the customer service role you’re seeking, there are many ways to  write your resume  so that it’s relevant and unique to every application:

Customer service resume

  • All of these are good ways to customize your job description points.
  • Include a concise objective that mentions the company by name, and highlight why you’re qualified for the job.
  • Have you assisted large volumes of customers or boosted overall customer numbers? Have you increased efficiency or used specific software discussed in the job description? 

Customer service rep resume

  • Outcomes like increased sales or error reductions are great metrics to include.
  • Highlight skills like empathy, friendliness, and negotiation in your skills section and job description bullets.
  • Include your goals for your interactions with customers, like “established lasting relationships” to draw attention to your interpersonal skills.

Customer service manager resume 

  • Use verbs like “directed,” “led,” or “modeled” to demonstrate productive leadership.
  • Include a summary to showcase the success of your career so far and what you can bring to your new job.

Entry-level customer service resume

  • For example, if you were a lab assistant, you had to be highly organized and a great problem-solver, which would work well in a customer service resume.
  • Stress your ability to work well with people—include any courses,  extracurricular projects , or volunteer efforts where you interacted with people consistently. 

Retail customer service resume

  • Include past experience where you solved problems, troubleshot issues, or resolved disagreements.
  • Anything relating to product management would be an excellent addition—think of past jobs that dealt with marketing or sales, especially if you can provide metrics like increased revenue or reaching sales targets.

Customer success manager resume

  • CSMs must be able to see trouble coming and steer clear, so include responsibilities where you proactively and positively improved the customer’s experience.
  • Resilience and tenacity are two core elements of the customer success journey, so long-term projects and goals are solid additions to prove you’re willing to spend the time to get something done right. 

Bilingual customer support resume

  • Include all languages in which you’re fluent in the skills section. Also, make sure to highlight your bilingual (or multilingual) abilities in your objective or summary.
  • Mention how you improved your customer service strategies or practices as this will show you actively make customer experiences better for everyone.

Customer service consultant resume

  • CSCs are also great advocates for both the customer and the company. They see things from both the customer’s perspective and the company’s, so keep your resume balanced between your advancements for the company and your success with customers.

The keys to your customer service resume

Resumes are your first impression, so it’s important you make a good one. By taking the extra time to customize and adjust your customer service resume, you’ll catch the eye of hiring managers. With your list of relevant skills, professional formatting, specific job metrics, and customized additions, your resume is sure to stand out from the competition.

Upload your resume to our  resume checker  to see if your resume meets our AI-powered recommendations. If you’re starting from scratch, use the  best free resume builder , which allows you to create resumes from the ground up with helpful hints and tools from BeamJobs. If you’ve made it this far, it’s safe to say you’re well on your way to crushing your customer service resume!

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Customer Service Resume Examples For 2024 (20+ Skills & Templates)

customer service skills to list on resume

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Looking to land more job offers in Customer Service?

You're going to need a great resume. This comprehensive guide provides proven strategies, skills, templates, and examples for writing a job-winning Customer Service resume based on data from coaching thousands of successful job seekers.

From top to bottom, this guide will equip you with the tools you need to write an outstanding Customer Service resume and increase your chances of landing the job of your dreams.

Here's what we're going to cover:

  • What To Know About Writing A Job-Winning Customer Service Resume
  • The Best Skills To Include On An Customer Service Resume

How To Write A Job-Winning Customer Service Resume Summary

How to write offer-winning customer service resume bullets.

  • 3 Customer Service Resume Examples

The 8 Best Customer Service Resume Templates

Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

Customer Service Resume Overview: What To Know To Write A Resume That Wins More Job Offers

Wondering what companies are looking for when they're hiring someone for their Customer Service team?

Excellent communication and problem-solving skills are at the top of the list, but employers are also looking for things like empathy and positive attitude. Being able to work well under pressure, adaptability and technical proficiency are also important. Employers are looking for candidates who pay attention to detail, have excellent time management skills and are dedicated to ensuring customers have a top-notch experience.

Your resume should show the company that your personality and your experience encompass all of these things.

Additionally, there are a few best practices you want to follow to write a job-winning Customer Service resume:

  • Tailor your resume to the job: Make sure to read the job description carefully and tailor your resume to the specific requirements of the role (we'll show you how in the next section!).
  • Highlight your customer service skills: Emphasize your customer service skills, such as problem-solving, active listening, and conflict resolution, and give specific examples of how you have used these skills in your previous roles.
  • Include relevant experience: Focus on your customer service experience and include specific details about your responsibilities and accomplishments.
  • Use keywords: Make sure to use keywords relevant to the customer service role, such as “customer support,” “communication skills,” and “problem-solving” (more on keywords in a second)
  • Keep it concise: Keep your resume concise and to the point, using bullet points to highlight your achievements and experience.
  • Proofread: Carefully proofread your resume for errors and typos, as these can give a negative impression to potential employers.

Let's dive deeper into each of these so you have the exact blueprint you need to see success.

The Best Customer Service Skills To Include On Your Resume

Keywords are one of the most important factors in your resume. They show employers that your skills align with the role and they also help format your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

If you're not familiar with ATS systems, they are pieces of software used by employers to manage job applications. They scan resumes for keywords and qualifications and make it easier for the employers to filter and search for candidates whose qualifications match the role.

If you want to win more interviews and job offers, you need to have a keyword-optimized resume. There are two ways to find the right keywords:

1. Leverage The 20 Best Customer Service Keywords

The first is to leverage our list of the best keywords and skills for an Customer Service resume.

These keywords were selected from an analysis of real Customer Service job descriptions sourced from actual job boards. Here they are:

  • Customer Service
  • Communication
  • Flexibility
  • Organization
  • Team Member
  • Microsoft Office

2. Use ResyMatch.io To Find The Best Keywords That Are Specific To Your Resume And Target Role

The second method is the one I recommend because it's personalized to your specific resume and target job.

Customer Service Skills To Include On Resume

  • Open a copy of your updated resume
  • Open a copy of your target job description
  • Head over to ResyMatch.io
  • Copy and paste your resume on the left and then do the same for the job description on the right
  • Hit scan and review the results

ResyMatch is going to scan your resume and compare it to the target job description. It's going to show you the exact keywords and skills you're missing as well as share other feedback you can use to improve your resume.

Here's a video walking through this whole process:

You have a very short window of time to capture an employer's attention–an average of six seconds, to be exact.

To land more interviews an offers, you have to make each one of those seconds count. Start by putting the exact information the reader is looking for at the very top of your resume.

A quick Google search will tell you that a Summary or an Objective should hold this top spot but, unfortunately, that traditional advice simply won't capture your reader's attention. Winning in today's job market means using a more modern approach, what I like to call a “Highlight Reel.”

Here's how it works:

Highlight Reels: A Proven Way To Start Your Resume And Win More Jobs

The Highlight Reel is exactly what it sounds like.

It's a section at the top of your resume that allows you to pick and choose the best and most relevant experience to feature right at the top of your resume.

It's essentially a highlight reel of your career as it relates to this specific role! I like to think about it as the SportsCenter Top 10 of your resume.

The Highlight Reel resume summary consists of 4 parts:

  • A relevant section title that ties your experience to the role
  • An introductory bullet that summarizes your experience and high level value
  • A few supporting “Case Study” bullets that illustrate specific results, projects, and relevant experience
  • A closing “Extracurricular” bullet to round out your candidacy

Customer Service Resume Summary Example

The next two bullets are “Case Studies” of specific results they drove at their company. Finally, their last bullet focuses on a volunteering stretch project that led to some amazing results.

This candidate has provided all of the info any employer would want to see right at the very top of their resume! The best part is, they can customize this section for each and every role they apply for to maximize the relevance of their experience.

Here's one more example of a Customer Service Highlight Reel:

Customer Service Resume Summary Example

While the content in this example is a bit more light, you can see all of the elements of a great Highlight Reel (especially the emphasis on measurable outcomes and results!).

If you want more details on writing a killer Highlight Reel, check out my full guide on Highlight Reels here.

Bullets make up the majority of the content in your resume. If you want to win, you need to know how to write bullets that are compelling and value-driven.

Unfortunately, way too many job seekers aren't good at this. They use fluffy, buzzword-fill language and they only talk about the actions that they took rather than the results and outcomes those actions created.

The Anatomy Of A Highly Effective Resume Bullet

If you apply this framework to each of the bullets on your resume, you're going to make them more compelling and your value is going to be crystal clear to the reader. For example, take a look at these resume bullets:

❌ Responsible for increasing client satisfaction rates. 

✅ Improved customer satisfaction rates by 15% in 6 months through proactive communication and timely issue resolution, boosting retention and revenue. 

The second bullet makes the candidate's value  so much more clear, and it's a lot more fun to read! That's what we're going for here.

That said, it's one thing to look at the graphic above and try to apply the abstract concept of “35% hard skills” to your bullet. We wanted to make things easy, so we created a tool called ResyBullet.io that will actually give your resume bullet a score and show you how to improve it.

Using ResyBullet To Write Crazy Effective, Job-Winning Resume Bullets

ResyBullet takes our proprietary “resume bullet formula” and layers it into a tool that's super simple to use. Here's how it works:

  • Head over to ResyBullet.io
  • Copy a bullet from your resume and paste it into the tool, then hit “Analyze”
  • ResyBullet will score your resume bullet and show you exactly what you need to improve
  • You edit your bullet with the recommended changes and scan it again
  • Rinse and repeat until you get a score of 60+
  • Move on to the next bullet in your resume

Let's take a look at how this works for the two resume bullet examples I shared above:

First, we had, “Responsible for increasing customer satisfaction rates.” 

ResyBullet gave that a score of 0/100.  Not only is it too short, but it's missing relevant skills, compelling language, and measurable outcomes:

Bad example of a customer service resume bulelt

Now, let's take a look at our second bullet,  “Improved customer satisfaction by 15% tin 6 months through proactive communication and timely issue resolution, boosting retention and revenue.” 

ResyBullet gave that a 73 / 100. Much better! This bullet had more content focused on the specific criteria the hiring team is looking for. We can see by exactly how much they increased customer satisfaction, the skill and method they applied, and that it all resulted in an overall increase in customer retention and company revenue.

Good example of a customer service resume bullet

Now all you have to do is run each of your bullets through ResyBullet, make the suggested updates, and your resume is going to be jam packed with eye-popping, value-driven content!

And if you want to learn more about the underlying strategies behind writing great resume bullets, check out this guide.

3 Customer Service Resume Examples For 2023

Now let's take a look at all of these best practices in action. Here are three resume examples for different situations from people with different backgrounds:

Customer Service Resume Example #1: A Traditional Background

Customer Service Resume Example #1

Customer Service Resume Example #2: A Non-Traditional Background

For our second Customer Service Resume Example, we have a candidate who has a non-traditional background. In this case, they are coming from the wellness industry but have experience working directly with customers.  Here's an example of what their resume might look like when applying for Customer Service roles:

Customer Service Representative Resume Example #2

Customer Service Resume Example #3: Senior Customer Service With Masters Degree

For our third Customer Service Resume Example, we have a candidate who has 5+ years of experience and a Masters degree. Here's an example of what their resume might look like when applying for Customer Service roles:

Customer Service Resume Example #3

At this point, you know all of the basics you'll need to write an Customer Service resume that wins you more interviews and offers. The only thing left is to take all of that information and apply it to a template that's going to help you get results.

We made that easy with our ResyBuild tool . It has 8 proven templates that were created with the help of recruiters and hiring managers at the world's best companies. These templates also bake in thousands of data points we have from the job seekers in our audience who have used them to land job offers.

Just click any of the templates below to start building your resume using proven, recruiter-approved templates:

ResyBuild For Account Manager Resume Templates

Key Takeaways To Wrap Up Your Job-Winning Customer Service Resume

You made it! We packed a lot of information into this post so I wanted to distill the key points for you and lay out next steps so you know exactly where to from here.

Here are the 5 steps for writing a job-winning Customer Service resume:

  • Start with a proven resume template from ResyBuild.io
  • Use ResyMatch.io to find the right keywords and optimize your resume for each role you apply to
  • Start your resume with a Highlight Reel to immediately grab your target employer's attention
  • Use ResyBullet.io to craft compelling, value-driven bullets that pop off the page
  • Compare the draft of your resume to the examples on this page to make sure you're on the right path
  • Use a tool like HemingwayApp to proofread your resume before you submit it

If you follow those steps, you're going to be well on your way to landing more Customer Service interviews and job offers.

Laura Headshot

Laura Lorta

Laura is an Editor at Cultivated Culture. She transitioned from teaching into the world of content so she's no stranger to career pivots. She also has a bachelors in Entrepreneurship and a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction / Bilingual Education. She currently shares job search advice to help people like you land jobs they love without applying online.

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17 Key Customer Service Skills [List & Resume Examples]

customer service skills to list on resume

Poor customer service is hard to forget. One mistake and you are out. Businesses understand it better than ever. As a result, skilled customer service representatives are in high demand.

It is clear that you can’t have happy customers without offering amazing support. Period.

But which customer service skills translate into great customer service experiences? Is good service more than solving a customer’s issue?

In this article:

  • Customer service hard skills and soft skills
  • What personality traits make a good customer support rep
  • How to improve customer service skills
  • How to list your service skills on a resume

If you want to learn more about delivering excellent customer service, you can also read:

  • Do You Know What Customer Service Means at All?
  • What is Customer Retention? 8 Best Strategies [+Apps]
  • 7 Ways to Deliver Excellent Customer Service [Examples & Tips]
  • Customer Success Essentials [Metrics, Stories, & More]
  • Customer Support vs. Service [Definition + Software]

What are the best customer service skills and traits?

Here is our list of good customer service soft skills, hard skills, and personality traits.

Soft skills for customer service:

  • Emotional intelligence
  • Body language
  • Clear communication
  • Active listening
  • Conflict resolution
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Time management

Hard skills for customer service:

  • Foreign language fluency
  • Technical knowledge
  • Typing speed
  • Knowledge of CRM software
  • Microsoft Office/Google Docs Editors
  • Live chat, chatbots, and email software

Personality traits for customer service representatives:

  • Determination
  • Responsibility

Learn how to improve customer service and recreate in-store experiences

Let’s discuss each of these customer service core competencies in detail.

If you need general training, you may also be interested in joining a training program for agents. Here are some of our recommended courses and useful exercises: 19 Best Customer Service Training Programs & Activities

1. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize and manage emotions. This refers both to your own emotions as well as those of your customers.

High levels of emotional intelligence and empathy are critical for dealing with customers. It has become one of the main criteria for employee development. People with high emotional intelligence outperform employees with high IQ but low EQ .

Emotional Intelligence model

Many modern organizations use EQ assessments on a regular basis. It is one of the essential customer service skills.

There is a very strong correlation between your emotional intelligence and your results as a support agent. On average, high-performing customer service representatives get better scores on emotional intelligence tests. A report by TalentSmart demonstrates that they score 17% higher than engineering and 3% higher than sales departments.

Empathy is the most important component of EQ for customer service jobs. A good agent should be able to see every problem through the customer’s eyes. Here are some useful resources that will help you develop and improve EQ—especially empathy:

  • 13 Best Emotional Intelligence Activities & Exercises
  • Useful Phrases That Convey Empathy to Customers

2. Positive body language

The role of body language in retail customer service is invaluable. However, it is difficult to put it into an easily definable framework. Some say that 90% of communication is body language. Others argue that 55% is nonverbal, 38% is the tone of voice, and the remaining 7% are words and their meaning as such.

It is difficult to measure the exact impact of your posture or voice. But controlling your body language is a necessary skill for a customer service agent. Unless you are using live chat or other text-based types of customer service , obviously.

Proper posture might be instinctive for you already. But the ability to communicate through body language is also something you can learn. Make sure to:

  • Maintain eye contact with a customer (but do not stare at them)
  • Smile and nod to acknowledge customers and what they say
  • Try to use a calm, low-pitch voice that is not too dynamic
  • Observe the behavior of your customers to read what’s on their minds (e.g., if they are irritated or in a hurry)

Body Language for customer service: make eye contact, nod, smile and observe

If you want to learn more about conveying the right message through your body language or read your customers’ body language like a book, check out:

  • How to Read Your Customer: The Body Language of Yes and No
  • 6 Tips for Increasing Customer Satisfaction Through Positive Body Language

3. Clear communication

Have you ever tried to make a written transcript of your conversation? Sometimes we may think we are communicating in a clear and effective manner. But in fact, most of our everyday conversations with friends are very chaotic and choppy. Chatting with someone is very different from explaining a complex technical issue.

Cohesive communication is one of the most important items on our customer service skills list. Fortunately, you can communicate with your customers very effectively using fine-tuned canned responses . Today, there is no need to come up with original answers to every question from scratch and write new messages. You can achieve clear communication by crafting and perfecting your regular set of canned replies.

Obviously, troubleshooting unusual issues will still require your full attention. You can always reach a good communication level with customers if you follow a process. For example, you should break down your instructions into several steps. Ask for feedback after each step and rephrase the instructions that were misunderstood. This way you can clear up any issue.

Here are two interesting pieces on improving your communication skills for customer service:

  • 15 Tips for Better Customer Service Communication
  • 7 Rules for Effective Customer Service Communication

4. Active listening

Active listening is a technique that uses paraphrasing and reading non-verbal conversation cues. It gives you more insights about customers and allows you to follow their train of thought. Active listening is equally essential when interacting through office phone systems or live chat tools, as you have to comprehend customers’ needs and concerns quickly and accurately. By asking follow-up questions you ensure that you are on the same side.

Our recent customer experience survey shows that businesses are very bad at listening to customers . Only 17% of customers believe that online businesses listen to them. It is a little bit surprising since the problem is easy to address. You can instantly improve the quality of customer experience by using proven formulas.

Some of the most powerful phrases that you can ask to steer customer service conversations in the right direction are:

  • Could you tell me a little bit more?
  • It sounds like you are experiencing [X], am I correct?
  • I’m sorry you have to go through that
  • It would make me angry too
  • Let’s make sure that I’ve got everything right

By using active listening skills you show a customer that you understand them. It allows you to make an instant connection. Active listening helps to convey that their problems are your problems too and you feel responsible for finding a solution.

Further readings to improve your customer service active listening skills:

  • How to Listen to Customers Effectively
  • 20 Best Practices For Live Chat Etiquette

5. Conflict resolution

In customer service, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques are used every day. To deliver good customer service , an agent should be a good negotiator and know how to calm down a raging bull.

Conflict Resolution skills and qualities  presented in an infographic: communication, stress management, impartiality, EQ, empathy, negotiation

Being able to deal with customer complaints and angry customers can be hard at first. But you can learn some useful statements and tricks to turn those situations around:

  • Stay calm and don’t argue, even if you are right
  • Withhold your judgment and keep your opinions to yourself
  • Use empathy, apologize to your customers, and show that you understand how they feel
  • Offer a solution and describe the end result
  • Provide different alternatives and empower the customer to make the ultimate decision
  • Shift the focus of the conversation on achieving the outcomes described before
  • Make sure that the problem has been solved
  • Thank your customer for providing feedback and bringing the problem to your attention

If you want to find out more about resolving difficult situations with unhappy clients, read:

  • How to Handle Customer Complaints [10+ Response Examples]
  • How to Deal With Angry Customers in 5 Easy Steps [Tips & Examples]

6. Decision making

Working as a customer support agent requires thinking on your feet. You don’t have to always make the best decision. But you need to be decisive and display confidence. Customers want to be taken care of—and they won’t trust you if you don’t know what you are doing. You should, at the very least, try to make a good impression.

If you want to make a good impression and make the best decisions, keep the following things in mind:

  • Focus on your goal . Think what is the ultimate reason why customers reach out to you.
  • Make decisions fast . Try to develop a habit of making decisions quickly. Even if something goes wrong, it will be a valuable lesson for the future.
  • When in doubt, dig deeper . If you can’t decide on the right solution, it may mean that you don’t have enough information. It’s a good idea to ask the customer for details.
  • Ask for help if you need it . Consult with someone who knows more about the topic if you still can’t decide on your best option.

Be careful! Being decisive does not mean that you can make arbitrary judgments. You should make sure what kind of decisions you are allowed to make and which ones are beyond your competencies. Your future customer success manager should prepare a well-defined policy. Situations such as giving discounts or accepting returns should be spelled out. Just stick to the rules.

7. Problem solving

The primary job of a customer support agent is to solve the problems of customers. And you can’t really do that if you are not willing to experiment, analyze, and try out different approaches. Sometimes you’ll have to be very creative and think outside the box.

Comics presenting a job interview conversation

You can solve anything if you break down the process into smaller steps. Follow this pattern to deal with any challenge thrown your way:

  • Describe the problem in your own words and make sure that you understand it
  • Check if someone solved a similar problem already (and how they did it)
  • Prepare a list of possible solutions and analyze their pros and cons.
  • Eliminate the most difficult, expensive, or otherwise impossible and prohibitive ideas
  • Determine your main course of action and a backup plan
  • Put the plan into action and see if it works. Try to draw additional conclusions and go back to step 1 if it doesn’t.

The most important part of problem-solving is identifying what the problem actually is. You should always try to dig deeper and understand why a customer wants to achieve something.

For example, people keep asking how to trigger automatic messages with Tidio’s JavaScript API . But when our agents ask some follow-up questions it turns out that those users don’t need the API. They can create chatbots to reach their goals instead.

8. Time management

Multitasking is a myth. People can’t really handle many processes simultaneously. But what they can do is divide their time into smaller chunks and use it more effectively . It is another important customer service skill.

There is a very simple way to help your customers around the clock. Many businesses improve customer experience with AI chatbots. In some situations, you don’t need a customer support team at all. One bot can do the job. Find out  how to start with Tidio chatbots here .

But customer service is usually very hectic in itself, right? Do we need to organize our time and work at all? Isn’t it just about dealing with incoming calls as they pile up?

Well, things get complicated if you handle one “important” case for three hours and try to catch up by speeding up during the rest of the day.

It may be a good idea to start using time and task management techniques. For example, the Eisenhower Matrix can help you decide which tasks to prioritize.

Eisenhower matrix: urgent vs. important

Try to measure how long it takes to provide assistance to an average customer. Then you can determine which cases take more effort and require more time. Once you start measuring it, you can discover many patterns and insights. You’ll learn that:

  • You can delegate some cases to other agents
  • It’s better to take regular breaks than to do customer service marathons
  • Setting benchmarks and allocating time slots improves your efficiency
  • It is perfectly fine to be assertive and provide customers with resources instead of direct supervision

Time is a critical factor in customer service. You should know when to devote it to providing help and when it’s better to focus on other tasks.

Read more about time management as a tool in your customer service skillset:

  • 6 Time Management Tips for Call Center Agents

9. Foreign language fluency

Customer service outsourcing is extremely popular. There are high chances that you are not a native speaker of the language that you’ll use to chat with customers. Working on your spoken language fluency is the single most important hard skill for customer service.

Interestingly, you don’t need to worry if you have a slight accent. Being able to communicate effectively is more important than perfect pronunciation. Using the right intonation and stressing critical words is something you should really pay attention to.

You shouldn’t obsess about using advanced vocabulary. Instead, try to make your language sound more natural by:

  • Using filler words such as well/um/right/let’s see to make your sentences less choppy (just don’t overdo it)
  • Speak out loud as you practice and record it on your mobile—listen to the recording to catch your mistakes
  • Use a chatbot like Chirpy Cardinal to practice “neverending” conversations online in real-time

If you want to brush up on your English speaking skills, check out this document provided by Maryland Department of Labor:

  • English for Speakers of Other Languages: Customer Service Curriculum

10. Technical knowledge

People don’t call customer service for fun. They usually need technical support. This means that you must understand the ins and outs of your product. And—let’s face it—they are more likely to need help with their malfunctioning smartphone than a non-electrical device.

Good customer service agents need to be tech-savvy. There is no way around it, especially if you want to work in a corporate environment. The majority of customer service agents have to look things up on their computers and solve technical problems.

Being able to use a computer doesn’t count as a technical skill. You shouldn’t list it on your resume because it is obvious that you should be able to use it. Focus on enumerating specific software tools and technologies instead.

Understanding how products work is an essential customer service skill for SaaS companies. For example, our customer service representatives need to have extensive knowledge on:

  • Ecommerce platforms and technologies
  • Chatbots and conversational interfaces
  • Marketing automation and email marketing
  • Integrating live chat widgets on websites

If you are looking for a customer service job, it may be a good idea to show that you are familiar with the products that the company offers. It shows that you are curious and that learning new things doesn’t scare you. Doing it before your actual product knowledge training sends a good signal.

11. Typing speed

This customer service skill is pretty straightforward. The faster you type, the faster your response time . It has a direct impact on your performance as an agent and makes your life a lot easier. This skill is also quite easy to learn and measure.

Typing speed is usually measured by multiplying your accuracy and the number of words typed per minute. For example, if my typing speed is 70 words per minute but my accuracy is 92% (words without a typo), my adjusted typing speed is 64 WPM (70 WMP x 92%).

Scale from to professional typinst presenting typing speed benchmarks

Typing speed benchmarks:

  • Slow: below 20 WPM
  • Average: 20-40 WPM
  • Fast: 40-60 WPM
  • Professional typist: 60-90 WPM

Some companies make it a formal requirement and may assess your typing speed during an interview. For example, to work at Concentrix your typing speed should be at least 35 words per minute.

Go to this website to check your typing speed:

  • Online Typing Speed Test

12. Knowledge of CRM software

Customer service representatives usually use CRM software solutions such as Zendesk or Zoho. The tools are quite similar and getting used to them is only a matter of time. Still, if you have experience with a dedicated customer service app, your chances are brighter.

Some of the best apps that companies use include:

Contact view in Tidio panel

To find out more, check out our ranking of the best customer database software .

Make sure you are not confusing CRM software with project management and team collaboration apps such as Jira, Asana, Trello, or Slack.

13. Microsoft Office/Google Docs Editors

Talking to customers makes up the majority of your work as a customer service rep. But what about the rest? Well, dealing with documents, reports, and presentations is a pretty safe bet. 

Sooner or later, you’ll be asked to prepare some kind of a spreadsheet or a dashboard with your results. Or write a detailed onboarding plan for new junior employees. Or help with presenting your company’s quarterly customer service KPIs .

The majority of businesses collect customer feedback by copy/pasting it into an Excel or Google Sheets file. Organizations tend to prefer Google Docs Editors because they make sharing documents easier.

Make sure to know how to create basic documents in:

  • Google Docs (Word alternative)
  • Google Sheets (Excel alternative)
  • Google Slides (PowerPoint alternative)

14. Live chat, chatbots, and email software

The customer service landscape has changed drastically over the last several years. Today, a live chat customer service agent equipped with quick replies and AI chatbot assistants can do the work of 10 call center agents.

Why is live chat so effective? Think of using a sort of autopilot—controlling and adjusting the exchange of messages rather than writing them from scratch. An agent is supervising the customer service flow and intervenes only if they have to.

It is also the favorite communication channel of about 46% of customers. Tools like Tidio allow you to switch between channels and provide omnichannel service. You can start a conversation through a live chat widget, continue it by exchanging emails, and finish on Facebook messenger. And you can manage everything in one dashboard. Firing up chatbots or canned messages is a matter of two clicks.

15. Determination

Determination is the ultimate personality trait for a customer service agent. You must be able to persevere and get to the bottom of a problem even when customers call you names. And you must constantly work on your customer service skills to increase customer satisfaction levels.

You need empathy to understand customers, but it can also take its toll on your mental balance. At first, the amount of work and stress can be overwhelming.

If you are determined to go the extra mile and deliver amazing experiences to customers, it will give you more motivation. After some practice, you’ll learn to get everything under control.

Grit score results example

You can measure if you are a determined person by taking a test designed by Angela Ducksworth. Your Grit Score will help you understand if you need to work on the strength of your character and perseverance. For example, West Point cadets usually score higher than Ivy League undergraduates.

16. Responsibility

This one may sound like a cliche. Responsibility is something that the majority of job applicants declare as their strong side. For pretty much every position imaginable.

But, in customer service, it is really crucial that you handle every case from start to finish and never leave your clients in the dark.

The common tasks and customer service requirements include:

  • Managing a high volume of incoming messages (or calls)
  • Building relationships with customer
  • Providing accurate information and answering customer questions
  • Meeting customer problem resolution quotas
  • Documenting customer interactions
  • Managing customer accounts
  • Increasing customer retention

You wouldn’t want an irresponsible person to take care of them all, would you?

17. Patience

Customer service professionals should be patient. They must be able to use positive language even if they are dealing with a frustrated customer.

Or if they are exchanging messages with people who take their time to type their messages in.

Incidentally, you can take a peek at customers’ messages even before they send them!

You can find more about premium features offered by one of the top customer service platforms here.

How to list customer service skills on a resume

OK, we have the complete list of excellent customer service skills. But you are probably asking yourself—which skills should I put on my resume for customer service? Surely I can’t put “nice moves and good body language” right next to my Microsoft Excel proficiency!

Skills for customer service resume:

  • Active listening skills
  • Adaptability
  • Attentiveness
  • Customer orientation
  • Cross-selling and up-selling techniques
  • Familiarity with de-escalation strategies
  • Great command of the language
  • Good communication skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Positive attitude
  • Proactive approach
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Self-control
  • High sense of responsibility
  • Team player

Here is an example of a resume that highlights customer service skills and qualifications:

Customer service skills resume

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202 555 019
New York, NY



A customer service representative with 7+ years of experience and good customer service skills. Nice presentation, customer-centric approach, and familiarity with conflict resolution techniques. Ready for new challenges and increasing customer retention of your business.



, CurbServic
New York, NY
January 2016–June 2021

▫️ Answered 50+ calls per day
▫️ Managed social media conversations
▫️ Helped build customer relationships
▫️ Onboarded new customer service team members

, Call Signal
Brookhaven, NY
August 2013–January 2016

▫️ Handled the live chat and email communication with premium customers
▫️ Helped to organize the processes within the support team
▫️ Designed a customer support chatbot to reduce the workload by 40%
▫️ Collected feedback through customer satisfaction surveys
 



Bachelor of Arts in English
The Borough of Manhattan Community College
Graduation: 2013
 



✔️ Active listening
✔️ Positive language
✔️ Up-selling
✔️ Chatbot automation
✔️ 60+ WPM typing speed 
✔️ Google Docs Editors
✔️ Salesforce
✔️ Tidio
✔️ Jira

Check out the top customer service interview questions and answers to better prepare yourself and boost your chances of getting the job.

You can become an awesome agent even without much job experience. Typical resume skills for customer service include emotional intelligence, empathy, and clear communication. The way you approach other people is more important than working for X years at a specific company.

If you need more tips on deciding which skills you should put on your customer service resume, here is a useful guide:

  • What Skills to Put on a Resume  

Building a customer support team is extremely difficult. If you meet several of the requirements mentioned in this article, you are already among the top. And you can improve the remaining customer service skills through practice.

Customer service representative skills that you should focus on:

  • Voice tone/cohesive writing

If you are looking for a job in customer service, make sure to mention at least some of them on your resume.

Still, you can always enhance the effectiveness of your customer service efforts by using the right tools. Want to try an app that turns mediocre customer service skills into great customer experiences? See what happens if you have great customer service skills already.

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Kazimierz Rajnerowicz

Kazimierz was one of the original authors of Tidio Blog. His primary objective was to deliver high-quality content that was actionable and fun to read. His interests revolved around AI technology and chatbot development.

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Never Leave Your Customer Without an Answer

10 Customer Service Skills You Need on Your Resume in 2024

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Customers Interviewed by:

amazon

Although it can be challenging at times, being a customer service representative can also be an incredibly rewarding job.

After all, you have the opportunity to help people solve problems and improve their lives in some way.

Customer service is an important part of any business. In one survey , 61% of customers said they would switch to another brand after only one bad experience. This is why businesses are always looking for people with strong customer service skills. 

In this article, we’ll show you the top ten customer service skills employers are looking for. You’ll also learn how to highlight these skills on your resume and in an interview.

Table of Contents

What are the top 10 customer service skills to add to your resume, what are customer service skills, why are customer service skills important, the top 10 customer service skills, how to highlight customer service skills on a resume, how to highlight customer service skills in a job interview, how to develop customer service skills.

Here are the ten customer service skills you should consider adding to your resume to make you a more attractive job candidate:

  • Communication
  • Active listening
  • Problem-solving
  • Product knowledge
  • Time management
  • Adaptability
  • Positive language

Hiring managers are always looking for these skills, so if have any of them, make sure to add them to your resume!

Customer service skills allow you to interact with customers in a friendly and helpful way.

Customer service goes beyond just call centers and telephone conversations. It’s a skill needed in many job roles that involve customer interactions. Cashier skills , for example, must include the ability to handle customer queries and transactions with courtesy. Similarly, barista skills need a focus on customer service to provide a pleasant cafe experience. Server skills also require excellent customer service to ensure diners are happy with their meal. Receptionist skills are incomplete without good customer service, as receptionists often provide the first impression of a business. Strong customer service is even a vital part of pharmacy technician skills , helping patients understand their prescriptions and treatments.

Customer service skills are divided into two categories: hard skills and soft skills . 

Hard skills relate to your ability to use customer service software and tools. They also refer to the knowledge you have about your company’s products and services. Soft skills relate to interpersonal skills such as communication, problem-solving, and empathy. 

To make sure you include both the hard and soft resume skills required the job, use a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner . It uses AI technology to analyze your resume and give it a score.

Button that says "See my score"

It’s not an exaggeration to say that customer service skills can make or break a company. After all, if customers are not happy, they won’t come back. 

On the other hand, excellent customer service skills can help you build customer loyalty, satisfaction, and repeat business.

In fact, surveys show that 89% of customers say they are more likely to buy another product after a positive customer service experience. 

Customer service roles may vary depending on the industry. But there are certain skills that are universally valued by employers.

Here are the top 10 customer service skills that employers are looking for: 

1) Communication

Obviously, the ability to communicate with others is critical if you’re a customer service representative.

You need to be able to speak clearly and concisely, understand customer inquiries, and provide helpful responses. You also need to be able to effectively communicate with other members of your team to help resolve customer issues.

Communication skills are used in customer service in a number of ways, such as:

  • Explaining product features and benefits to customers.
  • Providing instructions on how to use a product or service.
  • Answering customer inquiries.
  • Resolving customer complaints.
  • Upselling and cross-selling products and services.

2) Active Listening

Active listening goes beyond simply hearing the words someone is saying. It involves trying to understand the meaning and intent behind those words. 

Active listening allows you to be fully present with the customer and really listen to what they are saying. It shows that you value your customer and care about their experience.

Some specific examples of how active listening is used in a customer service setting include:

  • Asking clarifying questions to ensure that you understand the customer’s request.
  • Paraphrasing the customer’s issue back to them to confirm your understanding.
  • Using nonverbal cues such as eye contact and body language to show that you are fully engaged in the conversation.

Empathy is the ability to share the feelings of another person and see things from their point of view. 

Using empathy when dealing with customers can create an emotional connection with them. This builds trust, which leads to repeat customers. In fact, 83% of customers say they won’t do business with brands they DON’T trust.

Some examples of how empathy is used by customer service reps include: 

  • Showing genuine concern for the customer’s situation.
  • Taking the time to really understand the customer’s needs.
  • Offering help or advice when it is needed.

4) Patience

Patience is a virtue as well as a skill, and it’s one that is absolutely necessary for customer service success.

Yes, it can be difficult to remain patient when dealing with customers, especially if they are being rude or demanding. But it’s imperative that you remain respectful and professional at all times .

Some examples of how patience can be shown by workers who deal with customers include: 

  • Not getting upset when customers are angry and rude. 
  • Taking the time to answer customer questions thoroughly.
  • Not rushing customers through their interactions.

5) Problem-Solving

Increasingly, employers are relying on customer service representatives to resolve most complaints themselves . It’s no longer the norm to pass these problems on to the manager. 

Problem-solving is about 1) identifying the exact nature of an issue and 2) resolving it in a timely and efficient manner. 

Examples of how problem-solving skills are used by customer service representatives include:

  • Giving a customer a discount on their purchase. 
  • Exchanging an item for a customer. 
  • Refunding a customer’s money. 
  • Fixing a broken product. 
  • Resolving a dispute between two customers.

6) Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is about understanding the company’s products and services. This is important if you want the customer to trust you.

Product knowledge is gained through training provided by the company, self-study, or experience.

Examples of how product knowledge is used by workers who deal with customers include:

  • Answering customer questions about product features and benefits.
  • Recommending products to customers based on their needs.
  • Helping customers troubleshoot problems with products.
  • Providing product demonstrations to customers.

7) Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and organizing how to spend your time to achieve specific goals. Good time-management skills can help you keep track of multiple tasks, deadlines, and customer requests.

Examples of how time-management skills are used by workers who deal with customers include:

  • Being punctual and starting work on time.
  • Answering the phone within three rings.
  • Being efficient in resolving issues.
  • Working at a consistent pace.

8) Adaptability

In today’s fast-paced workplace, it’s important to be able to adapt to new situations and people quickly and easily.

This is especially important for customer service representatives, who often have to change their approach based on the customer’s needs or moods. This can be both challenging and exciting, as no two customers are alike .

Examples of how adaptability skills are used by customer service reps include:

  • Taking the time to understand a customer’s needs and tailor their approach accordingly.
  • Being able to switch between tasks or roles as needed.
  • Being willing to change the way things are done in order to meet customer expectations.

9) Persuasion

Persuasion is the ability to influence people. Although this skill seems better suited to sales jobs, it’s highly useful in customer service as well. 

When an angry customer calls with a complaint, you need to be able to diffuse the situation and persuade the customer to accept a resolution that is beneficial to the company.

Examples of how persuasion skills are used by workers who deal with customers include:

  • Attempting to upsell a customer by showing them additional products or services that they may be interested in.
  • Giving a discount to customers who are willing to purchase a larger quantity of items.
  • Persuading a customer to buy a more expensive item by explaining its features and benefits.

10) Positive Language

Positive language is a way of communicating that focuses on the good , instead of the negative . 

For example, instead of telling customers “That product is not in stock and won’t be available for another two weeks,” you could say, “That product is not in stock, but I can go ahead and pre-order it and you’ll have it in two weeks.”

When you use positive language, you send the message to the customer that you are open to communication and willing to work together. 

Examples of how positive language can be shown by workers who deal with customers include:

  • Saying “Thank you for your patience” instead of “I’m sorry for your wait.”
  • Saying “That’s a great question! I’ll find out for you” instead of “I don’t know.”  
  • Saying “Certainly!” instead of “No problem.”

If you’re looking for a job in customer service, your resume should highlight your relevant skills and experience. 

Here are three ways to show that you’re the right candidate for the job: 

1) Be specific and provide measurable results

When describing your customer service experience on your resume, use numbers whenever possible. This demonstrates the specific, measurable results you achieved.

For example, instead of simply saying that you handled customer complaints, state how many complaints you handled on a daily or weekly basis. Then say what percentage of those complaints you were able to successfully resolve.

Here are some examples of being specific on your resume:

  • Handled an average of 70 customer complaints per day with a 97% customer satisfaction rating. 
  • Exceeded sales targets by 21% in 2022 by quickly assessing customer needs and providing them with detailed and accurate product information.
  • Suggested a new way to persuade customers to remain with the company, resulting in 7% fewer cancellations.

2) Highlight any awards you’ve received

Customer service is a competitive field, so standing out from the crowd is important. 

Awards are a great way to separate yourself from the competition. They show potential employers that you have a proven track record of providing excellent customer service.

If you have won multiple awards, it’s best to create a separate section on your resume titled “Customer Service Awards.” Otherwise, just list your awards in your work experience section. 

When listing awards, be sure to include the name of the award, the date you received it and, if necessary, a brief description of what it was for. Here are some examples:

  • Customer Service Representative of the Year, 2020. This award is given to one individual who demonstrated outstanding customer service representative skills.
  • Employee of the Month, April 2021. 
  • Customer Service Achievement Award, 2022. This award recognizes individuals or teams who have made a significant contribution to their organization’s customer service success.

3) Use keywords from the job description

Read through the job description and pick out words and phrases that are mentioned repeatedly. These are called keywords . Hiring managers are looking for these keywords. If they find them, they’ll keep reading. 

Keywords help you stand out in other ways. When you submit your resume, it usually goes into a computer database called an application tracking system, or ATS . 

Hiring managers then use the ATS to find suitable job candidates. They do this by typing certain keywords into the search bar (usually the same keywords found in the job description). If your resume contains those keywords, it will appear before the hiring manager.

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

Using a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner takes the guesswork out of this process. It will tell you the exact keywords to use for every job you apply to.

Congratulations! You’ve landed an interview. Now you need to talk about the customer service skills you listed on your resume. 

Here are six ways to discuss your customer service skills in a job interview:

1) Emphasize your people skills

Customer service is about interacting with people. So it’s important to show the interviewer that you have strong people skills .

For example, you might say something like, “I had a customer who was very unhappy with the product and difficult to deal with. I listened very carefully to their concerns and found a solution that satisfied them.” 

Another example would be if you can effectively communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures. This shows that you are able to adapt your communication style to meet the needs of others.

Whatever the example, be ready to talk about it in detail .

2) Show that you’re willing to go the extra mile

Another way to highlight your customer service skills in a job interview is to talk about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer. 

This could be something as simple as going out of your way to help them find the right product or troubleshooting an issue they were having. 

Whatever the scenario, be sure to emphasize how your actions made the customer’s experience better. 

3) Show that you can stay calm under pressure

Customer service can be challenging, so employers want to know that you can remain calm and collected even when things get tough. 

Share a story about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer or situation, and explain how you handled it.

4) Show that you’re a problem solver

Employers want customer service representatives who can quickly and efficiently solve problems, preferably on their own. 

In your job interview, try to give an example of a time when you were able to resolve a tricky issue for a customer without asking for help. 

First explain what steps you took to solve the problem, then discuss the positive results of your efforts. 

5) Explain how you earned any customer service awards or promotions

If you received a customer service award, be sure to mention this in your job interview. And don’t forget to explain what you did to deserve praise. If you received a promotion because of your customer service skills, even better! Highlight those promotions on your resume to really stand out.

For example, if you received an award because you increased customer satisfaction scores by 20%, then mention that accomplishment. 

This will give the interviewer a clearer picture of what you are capable of, and how you can help the company.

6) Discuss any training you received to develop customer service skills

If you’ve received any kind of customer service training or certificates , you should mention it in a job interview.

First, emphasize how the training helped you develop strong customer service skills. Then show how you used those skills in your previous work experience. Finally, highlight any specific customer service techniques that you learned during your training. Explain how you would use those techniques in the role you are interviewing for. 

For example, maybe you received training on how to actively listen to customers, or how to use positive language. Discuss how those specific skills made you a better customer service representative.

Like any kind of skill set, customer service skills are developed through practice, practice, practice. 

Here are the four things you can do to grow your customer service skills:

1) Always be polite and friendly

This may seem obvious, but your attitude will set the tone for your interactions with customers. 

If you’re rude or impatient, the customer is likely to respond in kind. However, if you’re calm and professional, they’ll be more likely to follow your lead.

2) Try to see things from the customer’s perspective

The customer is contacting you because they’re experiencing a problem, so it’s important to empathize with their situation. 

Really try to put yourself in their shoes and understand how they’re feeling. This will help you respond in a way that meets their needs.

3) Stay calm under pressure

Customer service can be challenging. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude even when things get tough. 

If you can stay calm and collected, you’ll be better able to handle difficult situations.

4) Follow up with the customer after the interaction is over

This shows that you care about their experience. A simple phone call or email can make all the difference in creating a lasting impression.

Customer service skills are important because they allow you to understand and meet the needs of your customers. Additionally, good customer service skills can help you resolve customer complaints quickly and effectively. This can improve customer satisfaction levels.

First, always be polite and professional. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to always treat your customers with respect. Second, go the extra mile. Try to do more than what is expected or required. This could mean going above and beyond to solve a problem or taking the time to follow up after an interaction. Third, keep your cool. No matter how challenging the situation, remain calm and collected. This will help you diffuse any tense situations and demonstrate to the customer that you’re in control. Fourth, be a good listener. Really listen to what the customer is saying and try to understand their needs.

Customer service is the process of providing assistance and support to customers or clients, either by telephone, in person, or online. Excellent customer service often results in repeat business and can help to build brand loyalty.

The ability to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important skill required for customer service. You must be able to listen to customers, understand their needs, and then provide them with the information or assistance they require. You must also be able to clearly explain procedures, policies, or product features in a way that is easy for the customer to understand.

Some of the skills that make you an excellent customer service representative are: • The ability to actively listen to customers and understand their needs. • The ability to provide clear and concise information. • The ability to remain calm and professional under pressure. • The ability to build rapport with customers. To fully optimize your resume and get more job interviews, use a tool like Jobscan’s resume scanner .

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Robert Henderson, CPRW, is a career advice writer and a resume expert at Jobscan.

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Customer Service Skills to Put on a Resume + How to List Them

A full list of the top customer service skills for your resume. Plus, tips for how to make sure you use all the relevant skill-related keywords so that your resume A) passes the ATS scan and B) impresses hiring decision makers.

customer service skills to list on resume

In this article

Your resume is more than just a list of work history—it’s a strategic tool designed to showcase your professional value. For customer service professionals, highlighting the right skills can set you apart from the crowd. But it’s not just about listing a bunch of abilities; it’s about strategically placing your key skills to catch the recruiter’s eye.

Whether you’re a frontline operator, a customer support specialist, or a seasoned customer experience manager, presenting your skills effectively is crucial. In this guide, we’re discussing the most important customer service skills to include on your resume and how to list them for maximum impact.

Important Skills to Put on Customer Service Resumes

Technical skills.

  • HubSpot Service Hub
  • Jira Service Desk
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Google Analytics

Software Skills

  • Microsoft Teams
  • WooCommerce

Methodologies

  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
  • Agile Methodologies
  • Lean Six Sigma

Soft Skills

  • Active listening
  • Clarity and conciseness
  • Analytical thinking
  • Conflict resolution
  • Prioritization
  • Multitasking
  • Inter-departmental coordination
  • Flexibility
  • Handling ambiguity

How to Put Skills on a Customer Service Resume

Creating a dedicated skills section.

Structure your resume with a distinct section titled “Skills” or “Core Competencies.” List your key skills here, using bullet points for clarity. Arrange them in order of relevance to the job you’re applying for.

  • Proficient in Zendesk and Salesforce
  • Excellent active listening and conflict resolution
  • Strong multitasking abilities with proven time management skills
  • Experience with Agile methodologies and CRM systems

Adding Skills to Other Resume Sections

Incorporate your skills within the work experience and resume summary sections to give them context and demonstrate application.

Resume Summary Example:

Dynamic customer service professional with over 5 years of experience in managing customer inquiries using Zendesk and Salesforce. Proven track record of improving customer satisfaction through effective communication, quick problem resolution, and a deep understanding of CRM principles.

Work Experience Section Example:

Customer Service Specialist, ABC Corp. | January 2019–Present

  • Utilized Freshdesk and Slack to handle over 50 customer interactions daily, maintaining a satisfaction rating of 95%
  • Implemented Lean Six Sigma techniques to streamline ticket resolution processes, reducing average response time by 30%
  • Acted as a key liaison between product development and customers, providing valuable feedback that led to a 20% improvement in product usability

Tailoring Your Skills to Match Job Requirements

  • Analyze the job ad. Carefully read through the job listing and identify the key skills the employer is seeking. Reflect these exact terms in your resume to show a tailored fit.
  • Prioritize relevant skills. Make sure the skills you highlight most prominently are the ones the job ad emphasizes.
  • Mirror the language used in the job ad. If the job description mentions “customer engagement strategies,” use the same term rather than a synonym such as “client interaction methods.”

Suppose a job ad specifies they need someone proficient in “multichannel support platforms like Intercom and Freshchat” and someone with strong “problem-solving abilities.” Your resume should clearly reflect these points. Like this:

  • Proficient in Intercom and Freshchat
  • Strong problem-solving abilities

Crafting an impactful customer service resume is about more than listing skills; it’s about strategic presentation. Highlight your technical and soft skills in targeted ways to appeal directly to the job you want. Use these tips to ensure your resume stands out and gets you noticed in the competitive field of customer service. Remember, the goal is to show not just what you can do, but why you’re the best fit for the job.

Editorial note: The first draft of this article has been created by AI. It has then undergone a normal editorial process, with our Editor-in-chief, Michael Tomaszewski , a Certified Professional Resume Writer, ensuring the advice in this piece is factually correct, in line with the best resume writing practices, and written in a clear, readable manner.

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Must-Have Skills in the Customer Service Industry on Your Resume for 2024

Here are the top ways to show your Customer Service skills on your resume. Find out relevant Customer Service keywords and phrases and build your resume today.

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In This Guide:

Top customer service skills for your resume, most popular customer service hard skills for your resume in 2022, how to list customer service skills on resume, where to include customer service skills on your resume, related resume examples with customer service resume skills, key takeaways.

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Customer service is one of the foremost branches in every company that sells products or services. The advance in technology made customers expect and demand rapid fulfillment and quick solutions to problems in the digital era.

The business world has to keep up with the latest technological advancements and try to improve customer service and client experience at any given time.

That’s why hiring managers are looking for experts who are keeping up with the current customer service trends and have the needed skills to face the ever-changing technological world.

So, we prepared this detailed guide with the most crucial customer service skill trends for 2022.

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • Definition and explanation of the top hard and soft Customer Services skills with examples;
  • How to list Customer Service skills on a resume;
  • Where to include customer service skills on your resume;
  • How to match your skills to the job position;
  • Resume examples with Customer service resume skills.

Companies now are investing many resources to improve their customer service experience, and as a customer services employee, you should have the necessary expertise to manage your clients’ needs. To emphasize your customer services skills on your resume, you should demonstrate the most on-demand hard and soft skills a customer support person should possess.

Technical skills

To provide flawless customer service, you need some technical support skills and knowledge to use certain tools and the technologies required to use those tools. Here is a list of some of the most required tech skills in customer services and how to emphasize them on your resume:

Computer skills

Most jobs now require computers, mobile devices, or software applications, and customer services is one of those jobs. Computer skills help you efficiently use computer programs and applications. Some of the most common computer skills are using Microsoft Office, email communication, data visualization, spreadsheets, communication, and collaboration platforms or software.

Here one example to illustrate your computer skills: Created Excel spreadsheets to track customer data and perform an intense reconciliation process

Find out more about Microsoft Office skills in this article.

Data entry is a large part of most customer service positions. It is the process of collecting and accurately entering customer information. This skill includes knowledge and understanding of using some specific software.

Here one example to emphasize your data entry skill: Utilized Siebel software for data entry of customer service information for accuracy and quality control

Read more about data entry on resume in this article.

Data analysis

Data analytics in customer service is collecting and analyzing data from customers to improve their experience and have a better understanding of the customer journey and behavior.

This is an example to showcase your data analytical skills: Reviewed live and recorded customer service and sales calls for quality assurance. Designed and implemented the customer service call scoring process to ensure exceptional customer service.

Read more about how to emphasize client management on your resume .

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

CRMs should be familiar with the software and other equipment related to their industry. CRM for an online learning platform should understand the basic principles of how the software works, common user functions and installation.

This is an example to showcase your CRMs skills: Developed CRM training curriculum, instilling best practices for instructor led classes.

See examples of how Relationship Management is used in resumes.

Email management software

Email Management Software is an essential tool for communicating and reaching out to your customers. The ability and the knowledge to use email management tools can help evaluate and provide on-time support, reporting, and analytics insights of all the received emails.

This is an example to showcase your CRMs skills: Managed and tracked weekly large-volume (1 million and up) email blasts, triggered sends and email alerts within Front email platform

Read more how to emphasize client relations skills on your resume.

Communication tools

Here one example to illustrate your computer skills: Organize an open and connected structure for internal communication and managing all the projects between the customer service and sales team using the Basecamp platform. Increase the team’s efficiency by 40%.

Checkout these customer service resume examples .

Digital literacy

Digital literacy skills are a person's ability to find, evaluate, and clearly communicate information through typing and other media on various digital platforms and continuously learn about new and emerging platforms and the appropriate communication styles for each of them.

Here one example to illustrate your digital literacy skills: Monitored phone, fax, and electronic database systems for incoming customer inquiries and responded in a timely manner via telephone, email, or in writing.

Checkout these customer care manager resume examples.

Information and communications technology

ICT plays a vital role in new age customer service industry. There are basic ICT skills and technology needed to communicate efficiently. Candidates with theoretical understanding of topics like computer science and web development are on-demand in customer service industry.

Here one example to illustrate your ICT skills: Participate in the design and development of chatbots, AI, and system integrations. Find out more about artificial intelligence skills on resume

Selling Skills

A customer service team in the company has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the sales team. Forward-thinking sales organizations align their sales and customer service teams to improve customer experience and increase cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Here is a list of selling skills to emphasize on your resume.

Cross-Selling / Up-Selling

Upselling is the practice and the ability to encourage customers to purchase a comparable higher-end product than the one in question, while cross-selling invites customers to buy related or complementary items.

This is an example to showcase your Cross-Selling / Up-Selling skills: Achieved an 80% closing rate on upgrading systems to current clients and 40% in up-selling antivirus software to the existing clients.

Check out our guide for an inside sale resume.

Telesales skills refer to the skills and qualities necessary to relate to the customer's needs and reassure them of your service may increase the customer satisfaction and comfort level. Telesales skills can improve customer satisfaction, help customers' journeys, and increase sales.

This is an example to showcase your Telesales: Converted 89% of phone calls into upgraded services. Check out our guide to Technical Sales Representative Resume

Business Communication

Business communication skills can encompass both hard and soft skills that help customer service professionals succeed in the workplace. Describing how your skills contributed to your past role can help employers get an idea of how you perform on the job.

Here is an example to demonstrate business communication skills. Maintained a strong knowledge of all products, services and promotions to guarantee the best service and experience for all clients.

You will also be interested in how to emphasize persuasion skills on your resume

Sales presentation

Sales Presentations skills are the abilities needed in the customer service industry to deliver a clear and short presentation of a solution to a client's problem that your product or service will give them a satisfying resolution.

Here is an example to demonstrate your sales presentation skills. Demonstrated excellent sales presentation skills by presenting the new product to current and new clients and was responsible for 20% of the total sales.

You will also be interested to learn more about Presentation Skills on resume .

Product and industry knowledge

Product and industry knowledge is a vital skill each customer service professional and sales manager should have. It is the ability to have a deep understanding of the industry of the business one works. Be highly knowledgeable about a product’s or service features and can clearly explain its benefits to a customer.

Here is an example to demonstrate these skills. Increased customer retention by demonstrating exceptional knowledge of our products and service - by 15% and added new customers increasing company production by 20%.

See more essential skills to add on your resume in 2022.

Top soft skills for customer service industry positions

Nowadays, employers consider soft skills either as important as or more important than hard skills. The key customer service skills are soft skills, because customer service role is considered as the human face of the company. This industry relies on employees who have positive attitude and create effective dialogue with customers, be helpful, emphatic and keep the positive image of the company.

Interpersonal skills

Every great leader is an even greater team player. Being able to be both a leader and a follower is an exceptional quality that’s highly appreciated by recruiters.

Some other interpersonal skills besides teamwork and leadership include communication skills, accountability, patience, conflict management, and even emotional intelligence.

A great way to mention interpersonal skills on your resume is by sharing how they’ve helped you resolve issues and gain success.

Read this article for some additional tips and tricks on showing strong interpersonal skills in your resume.

Active listening

Active listening is one of the most important skills in a customer service role. This is the ability to listen attentively and understand what customers are saying to provide appropriate feedback, help or assistants to them.

You can demonstrate your listening skills by give an example how you solve a problem or provide effective assistants to a customer

Read more about interpersonal skills in this article .

Conflict resolution

Conflicts at the workplace are common, but the more important thing is how you deal with them, especially if you are in a customer service role. The possibility for conflict exists when you have to communicate with different customers.

That’s way employees in customer service sector need to know how to resolve conflict and be equipped with the necessary skillset, like excellent communication skills, problem-solving and critical thinking.

You can demonstrate your conflict resolution skills by giving an example how you resolved a conflict issue with a customer or coworker.

You will also be interested to read about transferable skills on resume .

Time management

Time is of the essence in the customer service industry, and for many employees it is difficult to find the balance between speed and quality of service. Time management is the ability to organize your time efficiently, so you can finish your daily task on time.

You can incorporate your time management skills in your resume by using effective phrases on the summery and achievement section, like organized, planned, and prioritized work to finish your daily goals on time.

Learn more how to demonstrate your time management skills on your resume.

Decision-making

Decision-making is the process of evaluating risks and opportunities, gathering information, and taking action after analyzing the available options and circumstances. The ability to make a quick decision can help you do your job efficiently.

Demonstrated your decision-making skills on your resume by showing examples of how you evaluated risks and opportunities and made the best decisions to achieve your goals.

Detail tips and tricks how to emphasize your decision-making skills you will find in this article.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving skills are the ability to define problems, come up with alternatives, assess the best course of action, and act on it. Problem-solving is an excellent customer service skill.

Demonstrate your problem-solving skills by providing an example of how you proactively sought out information to solve a problem and provide better customer service.

Read more about how to show your problem-solving skills on your resume.

Make sure the skills you list are relevant to the position

Before you start to write your resume for the chosen customer service job, you should carefully read the job description. Learn about the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills listed, so you can emphasize them on your resume section.

Remember to explain why your experience, skills, and prior achievements will benefit the company and help it grow. Customer service jobs are all about providing solutions, and prioritize the customers' needs at each step of the process.

To stand out of other candidates, you should list the skills that highlight your expertise in customer service software and tools.

Provide concrete examples with numbers

The hiring managers want to see on your resume how you apply your skills in real work situation and what make you an exceptional employee.

Describe your skillset with concrete examples with numbers to give the hiring manager a clearer picture of your accomplishments.

This examples with numbers can be how many calls you handle on a daily basis or what are your customer satisfactions rating compared to company average.

Be specific

One example can demonstrate more than one skill. These examples help the hiring manager to understand your skills and the scope of your abilities.

In the header section of your resume

The header of your resume is the section where you place your name and contact information. One of the most important lines there is the name of your current job tittle. Write it as specific as it can be because it represents your main skills and expertise.

Communicating your customer service skills in the summary section

The summary section of your resume is to summarize your experience and important skills in 1-3 sentences. Include your soft and hard skills that are more consistent with the job application.

Showcasing your customer service resume skills in your experience bullet points

The resume experience section is where the hiring manager look to get to know your work experience better and see if you will be a good fit to the company. Spend an extra effort to provide detailed information about your employment history and how you apply your skills.

  • • Increased customer retention by 15% and added new customers, increasing company production by 20%
  • • Demonstrated a strong record of accomplishment for working collaboratively on cross-functional and cross-culture teams
  • • Tailored my communication to meet customer needs in an efficient and exemplary manner whether via phone, Email, or post
  • • Utilized Siebel software for data entry of customer service information for accuracy and quality control

How to match your skills to the job position

Recruiters are leaving you lots of clues about what skills and experience they're after in the job description, advertisement or other media.

To really match your resume to the company you are applying in addition to reading the job description, check out the company LinkedIn page and corporate blog. Big companies often share information about their teams, human resources and key employees.

Spending a bit more time on the company online presence, you will get the bigger picture of the work and what your future employers will expect from you.

Check out our best selection of resumes with compelling summary and specific hard and soft skills relevant for any kind of position that includes Customer Service.

  • Customer Service Associate
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Customer Service Manager
  • Call Center Customer Service
  • Emphasizes your hard and soft skills that are specifically mention in the job application.
  • Use an attention-grabbing resume summary by listing your hard and soft skills.
  • Demonstrate your skills and abilities in the experience section by highlighting your relevant achievements rather than your daily responsibilities.
  • Match your resume to the company you are applying by adding phrases mentioned in the job description.

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12 Essential Customer Service Skills In 2024

Laura Hennigan

Updated: May 3, 2024, 11:15am

12 Essential Customer Service Skills In 2024

Table of Contents

What are customer service skills, why good customer service is important, 12 essential customer service skills, how to nurture customer service skills, bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

When it comes to choosing where to spend your money, it is the little things that count. A friendly smile, empathetic listening or someone remembering your name can have a big impact on brand loyalty. On the flip side, one negative experience can send you to a competitor quickly. That’s the power of good customer service and illustrates the importance of having excellent customer service skills. Keep reading to learn about what these skills are and the top ones to start implementing immediately.

Customer service skills are made up of the knowledge, tactics, expertise and understanding that are needed to make customers as satisfied as possible. These skills are developed through several different avenues, including training, support and experience. There are generally two different types of these skills: hard and soft.

Both types of skills are equally important and top customer service professionals are able to strike a good balance of hard and soft skills to provide the best experience possible. Coaching your customer service team to understand and use both sets of skills can make a huge difference in your overall customer service strategy.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are technical skills, ones that can generally be taught and measured. Knowledge and proficiency of hard skills are usually built through education and training and typically focus on the specific tasks that are needed to complete a job. Examples of hard skills in customer service may include note taking, data entry, research or gathering information.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are more difficult to quantify since they tend to be personal attributes. Soft skills are aspects that are developed in someone’s personality so while there can be some training to teach them, these skills are largely learned by an individual over time. Soft skills in customer service include active listening, empathy, conflict resolution and problem solving.

Customer service isn’t limited to a one-time interaction at the point of a sale, but rather is an ongoing process that touches on every part of the buyer’s journey. It includes numerous activities that occur before, during and after a purchase and, ultimately, means serving your customers to the best of your ability.

Good customer service is arguably the most important part of building and maintaining positive, long-term relationships with customers. With so many choices today, dissatisfied buyers won’t hesitate to take their dollars elsewhere, but satisfied customers will remain loyal to the brands that treat them well.

Investing in the planning, training and implementation of a high-quality customer service strategy is one of the most important expenditures a business can make. Demonstrating that you truly care about your customers is a powerful tool that can lead to increased sales, improved brand image and expanded growth.

Customer service is a broad term and what it looks like for your business may be different from others. But no matter what the industry is, good customer service generally needs to include the three C’s: Communication, consistency and caring. All of these must work together to establish trust and build loyalty, which leads to growth. These three components are the backbone to every customer service skill and should be relied upon repeatedly.

These are the 12 most essential customer service skills that businesses should implement.

1. Active Listening

First, customers want to be heard, especially when they aren’t happy or have a complaint. Active listening may be the most important customer service skill that businesses can adopt. Listening sounds like a simple thing to do, but active listening requires a great deal of focus and concentration. When engaging in active listening, customer service team members need to be attentive, patient and nonjudgmental for customers to feel that their issues are truly being heard.

Empathy pairs with active listening because it means the customer service agent is hearing what the customer is saying without any preconceived notions or judgments. It focuses on recognizing, managing and responding to the emotions of customers as well as keeping your own emotions in check. Being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and empathize with how they are feeling is a crucial part of providing excellent customer service.

3. Problem Solving

When customers reach out with an issue, their expectation is usually that the customer service team will help them solve the problem. It’s crucial that businesses have efficient problem-solving systems in place to help customers as quickly and effectively as possible. While, sometimes, there will be one clear resolution, such as a product refund, in other situations problem solving may look more like offering different options and helping the customer decide what will work best.

4. Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are stressful and stress can lead to short tempers, irrational actions and difficulty thinking clearly. You don’t want your customers to feel stressed, so managing and resolving conflicts as soon as possible is a critical part of good customer service. This is where empathy and active listening come into play since fully understanding what the issue is helps customer service agents figure out how to best resolve the situation before it escalates.

5. Organization

Post-its filled with scribbled notes that others need to interpret is not how effective customer service works. Organization is key and every component needs to be as coordinated as possible. While everyday details like files and personal workspaces are important, it should also include bigger-picture organization, such as team structure and available resources. Being able to access both information and support quickly ensures that customer service agents will be able to assist customers confidently.

6. Good Memory

An already-annoyed customer who contacts customer service with an issue is guaranteed to get angrier and angrier the more they are asked to repeat themselves. Having a good memory is a customer service skill that will inevitably lead to a smoother dialogue, resulting in customers who feel less stressed and more taken care of. Small details, such as names, products and dates, are often important facts for customer service agents to remember.

7. Adaptability

Another important customer service skill is the ability to adapt and think on your feet. Circumstances can change quickly, depending on the nature of the issue and customer service agents must be able to pivot without hesitation. Adaptability in customer service means approaching a situation without expectations and knowing when it is time to switch directions to offer the most effective help.

8. Time Management

Customers want to receive prompt responses, and the only way for that to happen is when customer service teams are cognizant of their time management. Particularly in a call center setting where agents receive many calls daily, managing time will lead to shorter waits and less lag in replying. The best way to develop time management skills is to look at all current assignments and tasks and then prioritize them accordingly.

9. Knowledge

The quality of your customer service will rely heavily on team members’ knowledge about products and services. They need to know enough to answer questions, troubleshoot technical challenges and offer suggestions. It’s also important that representatives know when a customer’s issue has moved past their scope of knowledge and needs to be moved up to the next person in the customer service chain of command.

10. Communication

Whether in person, over the phone or electronically, communication is the cornerstone of customer service. Communicating effectively means taking the time to not only talk but also to listen. Customer service teams need to receive ongoing training that helps them learn how to communicate in many different situations as well as better understand what customers are truly seeking.

11. Transparency

Customers want their issues resolved, but they are also often interested in knowing how or why a problem may have occurred in the first place. Transparency in customer service doesn’t mean sharing all the trade secrets. Rather, it’s about being upfront and honest when helping to solve problems. Honesty goes a long way in building and maintaining positive customer relationships, even when it means admitting mistakes.

Unhappy customers are not funny and should never be treated like a joke. But when used correctly in certain situations, humor can be a powerful skill to help lighten the mood and diffuse tension. After figuring out what a customer is seeking and why they are frustrated, a well-timed funny comment is often exactly what is needed to help put the customer at ease and adjust their attitude.

Since most customer service skills are soft skills, making them more challenging to teach, you’ll need to make a concentrated effort to help nurture these skills in team members. Some ways to do this include:

  • Offer continuing education through workshops and webinars
  • Connect new employees with experienced mentors
  • Provide both initial and ongoing training about products and services
  • Support employees interested in taking additional courses or earning certifications
  • Create a comprehensive onboarding program
  • Ensure employees have constant access to a help center and frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Creating a customer service experience that will leave your customers feeling heard and cared for is one of the strategies needed to establish a long-term relationship with buyers. Whether their issue is large or small, customers need to feel like someone is invested in listening to them and helping find solutions. Investing the time and energy in training your team in excellent customer service strategies will benefit your business by building loyalty, establishing a reputation of helpfulness and, ultimately, promoting growth.

What are the qualities of good customer service?

The qualities of good customer service consist of the knowledge, tactics, expertise and understanding that are needed to make customers as satisfied as possible. These include active listening, empathy, problem solving, communication, conflict resolution, organization, memory, time management, adaptability, knowledge, transparency and humor.

What is the difference between hard and soft customer service skills?

Hard customer service skills are technical skills, ones that can generally be taught and measured. Knowledge and proficiency of hard skills are usually built through education and training. Soft customer service skills tend to be personal attributes, which people develop over time and cannot necessarily be taught.

What are the three C’s of customer service?

The three C’s of customer service are communication, consistency and caring. Working together, these components form the base for the entire customer service structure to help build brand awareness, establish customer loyalty and promote growth.

What are some common ways that customer service can occur?

Customer service can take place through a number of channels: in person, phone, email, live chat, text and social media.

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Top 12 Customer Service Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive job market, showcasing top-notch customer service skills on your resume can significantly elevate your candidacy, making you stand out to potential employers. This article compiles the 12 essential customer service skills you must include on your resume to demonstrate your ability to excel in customer-oriented roles and contribute to a positive customer experience.

Top 12 Customer Service Skills to Put on Your Resume

Customer Service Skills

  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • SAP Service Cloud
  • Oracle Service

Zendesk is a cloud-based customer service software platform that enables businesses to manage customer support and engagement across various channels such as email, chat, social media, and phone.

Why It's Important

Zendesk is important for customer service because it provides a comprehensive and intuitive platform that streamlines support requests, enhances communication with customers, and improves overall service efficiency and satisfaction.

How to Improve Zendesk Skills

To improve Zendesk for Customer Service, consider these strategies:

  • Automate Repetitive Tasks : Use Zendesk automation features to handle routine inquiries, saving agents time.
  • Integrate with Other Tools : Connect Zendesk with CRM, analytics, and communication tools for a seamless workflow. Check Zendesk Marketplace for integrations.
  • Optimize Knowledge Base : Regularly update and expand your Help Center to enable self-service for common issues.
  • Use AI and Bots : Implement Zendesk AI and chatbots for 24/7 initial customer interaction and ticket triaging.
  • Train Your Team : Invest in ongoing training for your agents on Zendesk's latest features and best practices.
  • Analyze and Act on Feedback : Utilize Zendesk Explore for analytics to monitor customer satisfaction and agent performance, and adapt strategies accordingly.

By focusing on automation, integration, self-service, AI, training, and analytics, you can significantly enhance your customer service experience with Zendesk.

How to Display Zendesk Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Zendesk Skills on Your Resume

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) software that helps businesses manage their customer interactions and support services, streamlining processes and improving customer service efficiency.

Salesforce is important for Customer Service because it provides a comprehensive platform for managing customer information, interactions, and inquiries, enabling personalized, efficient, and effective support.

How to Improve Salesforce Skills

To improve Salesforce for Customer Service, follow these key strategies:

  • Utilize Salesforce Service Cloud : Leverage its Service Cloud to streamline customer service processes, enabling faster and more personalized customer support.
  • Implement Salesforce Knowledge : Use Salesforce Knowledge to create a centralized knowledge base, helping agents provide accurate answers quickly and enabling customers to find solutions through self-service.
  • Optimize with Einstein AI : Integrate Einstein AI for predictive customer service insights, automating responses, and enhancing personalization.
  • Enhance Communication with Omni-Channel : Adopt Omni-Channel Routing to manage customer queries across multiple channels from a single interface, ensuring no query goes unanswered.
  • Train and Support Your Team : Continually provide training and access to Salesforce resources to ensure your team is leveraging the platform to its full potential.

Focusing on these areas will significantly improve your Salesforce implementation for Customer Service, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to Display Salesforce Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Salesforce Skills on Your Resume

3. LiveChat

LiveChat is a customer service software that enables businesses to communicate with their customers in real-time through a chat interface on their website, providing immediate support and assistance.

LiveChat is important for customer service because it provides instant, real-time assistance to customers, enhancing their satisfaction and improving resolution times.

How to Improve LiveChat Skills

Improving LiveChat for customer service involves several strategies aimed at enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, and customer satisfaction. Here are succinct approaches:

Train Your Team : Ensure your agents are well-trained in product knowledge and customer service skills. Utilize resources like HubSpot Academy for training.

Use Canned Responses Wisely : Implement canned responses for common queries without compromising personalization. Explore LiveChat's guide on creating effective canned messages.

Implement Chatbots for 24/7 Service : Deploy AI chatbots to handle basic inquiries round-the-clock, ensuring immediate responses. Intercom offers solutions for creating intuitive chatbots.

Monitor and Analyze Chat Metrics : Regularly review performance metrics such as response time and customer satisfaction scores. Tools like Zendesk Explore can help in analytics.

Solicit and Act on Feedback : Use post-chat surveys to gather customer feedback and make necessary improvements. SurveyMonkey provides customizable survey options.

Ensure Mobile Optimization : Guarantee that the LiveChat service is fully optimized for mobile users, enhancing accessibility and user experience.

Integrate with CRM : Link your LiveChat to a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for a unified view of customer interactions. Salesforce Integration can be a valuable tool for this.

By focusing on these key areas, businesses can significantly enhance their LiveChat functionality, leading to improved customer service outcomes.

How to Display LiveChat Skills on Your Resume

How to Display LiveChat Skills on Your Resume

4. Intercom

Intercom is a customer communication platform that enables businesses to provide personalized support and engage with customers through live chat, email, and messaging services.

Intercom is important for customer service because it provides a real-time, personalized communication platform that enhances customer support, engagement, and satisfaction through seamless interactions across various channels.

How to Improve Intercom Skills

To improve Intercom for customer service, consider the following steps:

Customize Messaging : Tailor welcome and ongoing messages to the user's behavior and history. Intercom's guide on personalization.

Use Bots for Triage : Implement bots to handle initial inquiries and direct complex issues to human agents. Setting up bots on Intercom .

Optimize Response Times : Monitor and improve your team's response times using performance analytics. Intercom's tips on response time.

Integrate with Other Tools : Connect Intercom with CRM, analytics, or support tools to streamline workflows. Intercom integrations .

Train Your Team : Regularly train your team on Intercom features and best practices to enhance efficiency. Intercom Academy.

By focusing on personalization, efficient triaging, swift responses, strategic integrations, and continuous team education, you can significantly enhance the effectiveness of Intercom for customer service.

How to Display Intercom Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Intercom Skills on Your Resume

5. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer service software that enables businesses to manage support tickets, assist customers through various channels like email, phone, and social media, and automate service processes for efficiency.

Freshdesk is important for Customer Service because it streamlines support queries across multiple channels into a single dashboard, enabling efficient ticket resolution and enhancing customer satisfaction through timely and personalized responses.

How to Improve Freshdesk Skills

Improving Freshdesk for customer service involves leveraging its features effectively and integrating it with other tools for a comprehensive support solution. Here are concise tips:

Utilize Automation : Automate repetitive tasks with Freshdesk's Workflow Automations to speed up ticket resolution and ensure timely responses.

Self-Service Options : Enhance your Knowledge Base and implement a FAQ section. This empowers customers to find answers quickly without needing to contact support.

Multi-Channel Support : Integrate Freshdesk with various communication platforms (Social Media, email, chat, phone) to provide support where your customers are most active.

Feedback Collection : Use Surveys to collect customer feedback on support interactions, helping you identify areas for improvement.

Customization and Personalization : Tailor your support portal to match your brand and personalize customer interactions to enhance customer experience. Use Freshdesk’s customization features for this purpose.

Training and Development : Continuously train your support team on Freshdesk’s features and best practices in customer service. Utilize the Freshdesk Academy for training resources.

Integration with Other Tools : Connect Freshdesk with other tools such as CRM software, analytics tools, and project management apps to streamline operations. Check out Freshdesk Marketplace for integrations.

Implementing these strategies will improve your customer service capabilities, enhance customer satisfaction, and make your support operations more efficient.

How to Display Freshdesk Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Freshdesk Skills on Your Resume

6. Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software applications. In regards to Customer Service, it provides tools for managing customer interactions, support tickets, service operations, and insights to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Microsoft Dynamics is important for Customer Service as it provides integrated, data-driven solutions that enable teams to deliver personalized, efficient support, anticipate customer needs, and enhance overall customer satisfaction through streamlined communication and service processes.

How to Improve Microsoft Dynamics Skills

Improving Microsoft Dynamics for Customer Service involves several strategies, focusing on enhancing efficiency, personalization, and customer satisfaction. Here are key points for improvement:

Integration with AI : Utilize AI tools for predictive analytics, automating responses, and personalizing customer interactions. Microsoft's AI solutions can help anticipate customer needs and streamline service.

Omnichannel Support : Implement an omnichannel approach to ensure seamless customer experiences across all platforms. Dynamics 365 Omnichannel for Customer Service provides tools for unified communication.

Self-Service Portals : Develop comprehensive self-service portals with FAQs, knowledge bases, and forums using Dynamics 365 Customer Service . This empowers customers to find solutions quickly and reduces the load on service teams.

Customization and Training : Tailor Dynamics to meet specific business needs and invest in ongoing staff training. Microsoft Learn offers courses and certifications to enhance skills and understanding of Dynamics 365.

Feedback Mechanisms : Implement and regularly review customer feedback mechanisms to continually improve service offerings. Dynamics 365 Customer Voice is a tool that can assist in capturing and analyzing feedback efficiently.

By focusing on these areas, businesses can significantly enhance their customer service capabilities using Microsoft Dynamics.

How to Display Microsoft Dynamics Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Microsoft Dynamics Skills on Your Resume

7. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a cloud-based customer service software that helps businesses manage customer support tickets, automate support operations, and enhance agent productivity, all aimed at improving the overall customer service experience.

Zoho Desk is important for Customer Service because it centralizes and streamlines support requests, enabling efficient ticket management, faster response times, and improved customer satisfaction.

How to Improve Zoho Desk Skills

To improve Zoho Desk for enhanced Customer Service, focus on:

Automation : Utilize Zoho Desk's Workflow Automation to streamline ticket management, ensuring quick and efficient responses.

Self-service Options : Implement Knowledge Base to empower customers to find solutions independently, reducing ticket volume.

Integration : Leverage integrations with other tools (CRM, live chat, etc.) for a 360-degree view of customer interactions. Explore Zoho's Marketplace for relevant integrations.

Feedback Collection : Use Zoho Survey integration to gather customer feedback directly through Zoho Desk, enabling continuous service improvement.

Training and Resources : Invest in training for your team using resources from Zoho Desk Resources, ensuring they are fully equipped to utilize all Zoho Desk features effectively.

Implementing these steps will significantly enhance your customer service capabilities within Zoho Desk.

How to Display Zoho Desk Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Zoho Desk Skills on Your Resume

Slack is a digital communication platform that facilitates instant messaging, file sharing, and collaboration among teams, widely used in customer service for efficient internal communication and coordination.

Slack is important for Customer Service as it enables real-time communication, streamlines collaboration across teams, and organizes customer queries efficiently, ensuring swift and effective responses.

How to Improve Slack Skills

To enhance Slack for Customer Service, focus on:

  • Integration with CRM : Connect Slack with your CRM system to streamline customer information access and updates.
  • Automate Workflows : Utilize Workflow Builder to automate routine tasks, such as ticket creation or customer notifications, improving response times.
  • Dedicated Channels : Create dedicated channels for key customers or service issues, ensuring focused and efficient communication.
  • Use of Bots : Implement customer service bots for quick answers to common queries, freeing up agents for more complex issues.
  • Training and Knowledge Sharing : Leverage Slack for internal training and knowledge sharing, ensuring your team is always updated with the latest information and best practices.
  • Feedback Collection : Use Slack to gather customer feedback, analyzing it to improve service and product offerings.

By focusing on these areas, Slack can become a more powerful tool for enhancing customer service efficiency and effectiveness.

How to Display Slack Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Slack Skills on Your Resume

JIRA is a project management and issue tracking software designed to help teams plan, track, and manage tasks and customer service requests efficiently.

JIRA streamlines issue tracking and project management for customer service teams, enabling efficient handling of customer requests, bug tracking, and task prioritization, thus improving response times and customer satisfaction.

How to Improve JIRA Skills

To improve JIRA for Customer Service, consider these steps:

Customize Workflows : Tailor workflows to mirror your customer service processes, ensuring efficient ticket resolution. JIRA Workflow .

Integrate with CRM : Link JIRA with your CRM system for a unified customer view and better service. CRM Integration .

Leverage Automation : Set up automation rules for ticket assignments, notifications, and follow-ups to speed up response times. JIRA Automation .

Use Service Level Agreements (SLAs) : Implement SLAs to track and meet response time commitments. SLAs in JIRA.

Optimize with Add-ons : Enhance functionalities with customer service-focused add-ons from the Atlassian Marketplace. Marketplace Add-ons .

Feedback Mechanism : Implement a system for collecting and acting on customer feedback directly within JIRA. Feedback Collection .

Reporting and Analytics : Utilize JIRA’s reporting tools to track performance, identify bottlenecks, and improve service. JIRA Reporting .

Knowledge Base Integration : Connect JIRA to a knowledge base to help agents quickly find solutions and reduce resolution times. Confluence Integration .

By implementing these steps, you can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your customer service operations using JIRA.

How to Display JIRA Skills on Your Resume

How to Display JIRA Skills on Your Resume

10. HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one customer relationship management (CRM) platform that offers tools and integrations for customer service, marketing, sales, and content management, helping businesses attract, engage, and delight customers.

HubSpot is important for Customer Service because it centralizes customer interactions, automates service tasks, and provides insights into customer needs, enabling personalized, efficient support that enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to Improve HubSpot Skills

To enhance HubSpot for Customer Service, focus on:

Integrating AI and Chatbots : Integrate AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 customer support. HubSpot's Chatbot Builder can help automate responses and guide users for faster resolution.

Personalization : Use HubSpot’s CRM to personalize customer interactions, ensuring responses are tailored to their history and preferences, improving satisfaction.

Training and Knowledge Base : Develop a comprehensive knowledge base and train your team regularly using HubSpot Academy. This empowers customers to find solutions and enhances agent expertise.

Feedback Loops : Implement regular customer feedback loops using HubSpot Surveys. Analyze this data to identify areas for improvement.

Reporting and Analytics : Utilize HubSpot’s Reporting tools to monitor customer service metrics and performance, making data-driven decisions to enhance service quality.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of HubSpot for Customer Service.

How to Display HubSpot Skills on Your Resume

How to Display HubSpot Skills on Your Resume

11. SAP Service Cloud

SAP Service Cloud is a comprehensive customer service and support solution that enables organizations to manage customer interactions, service requests, and support activities across various channels, improving customer satisfaction and service efficiency.

SAP Service Cloud is crucial for Customer Service as it provides a comprehensive platform to manage customer interactions, inquiries, and issues efficiently, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty by ensuring quick, personalized, and effective service.

How to Improve SAP Service Cloud Skills

To improve SAP Service Cloud for enhanced customer service, consider implementing the following strategies:

Utilize SAP's AI and Machine Learning : Leverage SAP AI Business Services to automate customer service processes, predict customer needs, and provide personalized service.

Integrate with SAP Analytics Cloud : Use SAP Analytics Cloud for real-time insights into customer behavior, service performance, and to identify areas for improvement.

Enhance Omnichannel Support : Ensure seamless service across all channels (email, chat, phone, social media) by leveraging SAP Service Cloud's omnichannel capabilities.

Implement Self-Service Portals : Deploy SAP Self-Service Portals that empower customers to find answers and resolve issues on their own, reducing the load on customer service teams.

Customize and Extend with SAP Cloud Platform : Use the SAP Business Technology Platform to develop custom applications or extend existing ones to meet unique business needs and improve service operations.

Train and Support Your Team : Ensure your team is well-trained on the SAP Service Cloud capabilities and continuously support them with SAP training and certification programs .

Leverage SAP Community and Ecosystem : Engage with the SAP Community and partner ecosystem for insights, best practices, and support to continuously improve your SAP Service Cloud implementation.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your customer service operations within SAP Service Cloud.

How to Display SAP Service Cloud Skills on Your Resume

How to Display SAP Service Cloud Skills on Your Resume

12. Oracle Service

Oracle Service is a comprehensive customer service solution that enables organizations to manage customer interactions across various channels, providing support and services to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Oracle Service is important because it provides comprehensive customer service solutions that enable businesses to deliver exceptional, personalized customer experiences across various channels, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to Improve Oracle Service Skills

Improving Oracle Service for customer service involves several key strategies focusing on leveraging Oracle's robust features, enhancing customer interactions, and optimizing operational efficiency. Here are concise strategies with external resources for deeper insights:

Implement Oracle Service Cloud Solutions : Utilize Oracle's cloud solutions for a unified approach to customer service. This includes Oracle B2C Service (formerly Oracle Service Cloud) for comprehensive customer service management. Oracle B2C Service Overview.

Leverage Oracle Knowledge Management : Use Oracle Knowledge Management for accurate, consistent, and faster responses. This improves agent productivity and customer satisfaction. Oracle Knowledge Management .

Optimize with Oracle Analytics : Analyze customer interaction data with Oracle Analytics to understand service inefficiencies and customer needs. Use these insights to improve service strategies. Oracle Analytics for CX.

Integrate Chatbots and AI : Implement Oracle Digital Assistant for automated customer support. AI-driven chatbots can handle routine inquiries, freeing up human agents for complex issues. Oracle Digital Assistant .

Enhance Mobile Experience : Ensure your Oracle Service interface is optimized for mobile users. A seamless mobile experience improves accessibility and customer satisfaction. Oracle Mobile Hub.

Train Your Team : Regularly train customer service representatives on Oracle Service's latest features and best practices. Oracle University offers various training courses. Oracle University Training.

Utilize Oracle Field Service : For businesses requiring field operations, integrating Oracle Field Service improves scheduling, routing, and customer communication. Oracle Field Service.

Seek Customer Feedback : Actively seek and analyze customer feedback on your service. Use Oracle's tools to capture, analyze, and act on customer insights. Oracle CX Feedback.

By strategically implementing these improvements and leveraging Oracle's comprehensive suite of tools, businesses can significantly enhance their customer service delivery, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How to Display Oracle Service Skills on Your Resume

How to Display Oracle Service Skills on Your Resume

Related Career Skills

  • Customer Service Administrator
  • Customer Service Advisor
  • Customer Service Agent
  • Customer Service Analyst
  • Customer Service Assistant
  • Customer Service Associate

12 Key Customer Service Skills to Add to Your Resume

Customer service is the beating heart of any business that's worth its salt. And having the right skills can be the secret sauce to your success. So, as you get ready to give your resume a glow-up, you want to make sure you're flaunting the very best of your abilities. These include a cocktail of soft skills like communication and empathy, problem-solving skills such as adaptability and conflict resolution, and technical skills like knowledge of CRM tools and juggling different platforms.

In a nutshell, these are the secret weapons that allow you to provide top-notch customer service, whether you're answering queries, solving problems, or building relationships that stand the test of time with customers. These are the skills that you'll want to strut on your resume as the must-have customer service skills .

Why Customer Service Skills Are a Big Deal

In a world where products and services are as identical as peas in a pod, customer service is often the tie-breaker for consumers. Businesses that offer exceptional customer service can stand out from the crowd, retain customers, and attract new ones through positive chit-chat.

For you, a customer service whizz, having strong customer service skills can open the door to a world of opportunities. These skills are highly sought after by employers in almost every industry, and showing them off on your resume can skyrocket your chances of landing the job of your dreams.

Moreover, customer service skills are transferable. That means even if you do a 180 and switch industries or job roles, these skills will still be relevant and beneficial. So, as you work on your resume, remember to highlight these skills. Not only will they demonstrate your ability to provide stellar customer service, but they'll also show potential employers that you have what it takes to shine in any customer-facing role.

customer service skills to list on resume

Communication Skills: The Heart of the Matter

Good communication is the bread and butter of customer service. The better you can express yourself, understand the customers, and respond to their needs, the more you'll shine in your role. Let's check out three must-have customer service skills you should definitely add to your resume.

1. Active Listening

When you're dealing with customers, you have to listen — and not just to respond but to truly understand what they're saying. Active listening is about paying full attention to the customer's words, their tone, and even their emotions.

Key pointers for active listening include:

  • Giving your full attention : Don’t multitask. Focus on the customer and what they're saying.
  • Acknowledging the customer’s feelings : Use phrases like, "It sounds like you're really frustrated with…" to show that you understand their emotions.
  • Clarifying and summarizing : Repeat back or summarize what the customer has said to ensure you've understood correctly.

2. Clear and Effective Communication

Customers appreciate it when you communicate clearly and effectively. They don't want jargon or long, complicated explanations — they want simple, straightforward answers.

Here are some tips for clear communication:

  • Be concise : Keep your responses as brief and to the point as possible.
  • Use simple language : Steer clear of industry jargon or technical terms that the customer might not understand.
  • Be positive : Even when delivering bad news, try to do it in a positive, constructive way.

Empathy is about more than just understanding a customer's feelings. It's about sharing those feelings. When you're empathetic, you can better understand why a customer is upset, angry, or frustrated – and that can help you find the best solution to their problem.

How to show empathy in customer service:

  • Validate their feelings : Let the customer know that their feelings are understandable and valid.
  • Show understanding : Use phrases like, "I can see why you're upset…" to show that you understand their perspective.
  • Offer a sincere apology : Even if the problem wasn't your fault, you can still say, "I'm sorry that you're having this problem."

So, if you're looking to pimp your resume, make sure you highlight these core communication skills. They could be just what you need to stand out from the crowd and land that dream customer service job.

Problem-Solving Skills: The Game-Changers

In the world of customer service, being a problem solver isn't just a bonus; it's a necessity. When you're dealing with customers, you need to be ready to tackle issues head-on and come up with effective solutions. Let's discuss three key problem-solving skills you should definitely include in your resume.

1. Adaptability

In the ever-changing landscape of customer service, adaptability is a must-have skill. It's all about how well you adjust to new challenges, changes, and situations in your work environment. Whether it's a sudden shift in company policy, a difficult customer, or a technical glitch, being adaptable means you're able to think on your feet and keep things moving smoothly.

How to showcase adaptability on your resume:

Describe a situation where you had to adapt to a significant change at work, and how your adaptability led to a positive outcome. This could be a shift in work processes, dealing with an unexpected issue, or navigating a change in team structure.

2. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is another essential skill for problem-solving in customer service. It involves analyzing situations or problems, considering possible solutions or approaches, and making decisions based on your analysis. When you're dealing with customer complaints or issues, critical thinking allows you to evaluate the problem and come up with the best solution.

How to showcase critical thinking on your resume:

Highlight instances where your critical thinking skills have led to problem resolution. This could involve a time when you identified a recurring problem and implemented a new procedure to prevent it from happening again.

3. Conflict Resolution

Conflict is inevitable in customer service. That's why conflict resolution is one of the top skills to add to your resume. It involves being able to understand and manage disputes effectively, whether they're between you and a customer, or between two customers. With good conflict resolution skills, you can help maintain a positive environment and ensure customer satisfaction.

How to showcase conflict resolution on your resume:

Provide examples of when you've successfully resolved conflicts in the past. This could be a situation where you managed to calm a difficult customer or resolved a dispute between team members.

When you're listing these must-have customer service skills to add to your resume , remember to provide concrete examples of how you've applied them in your past roles. Don’t just say you have these skills - demonstrate them. This will help potential employers see how you could apply these skills in their workplace, and why you'd be a great fit for their team.

Technical Customer Service Skills: The Digital Edge

In this digital age, having a firm grasp on certain technical skills can make you a stronger contender in the customer service field. Let's dive into a couple of must-have customer service skills to add to your resume that involve a technological aspect.

1. Knowledge of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

Today, many businesses are leveraging Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to streamline their customer service processes. These systems are designed to manage customer interactions, track customer information, and automate sales—all in one place.

Having a robust understanding of CRM tools can give you a significant edge in your job applications. It shows potential employers that you're comfortable working with technology and have the ability to utilize it to improve customer service operations.

When crafting your resume, it's worth mentioning your experience with CRM tools, including any specific platforms you've used. Don't forget to highlight any achievements or improvements you've made using these tools, such as boosting customer satisfaction rates or improving response times.

2. Multitasking Across Different Platforms

In a fast-paced customer service environment, the ability to multitask across different platforms is crucial. This could involve managing live chat enquiries while also handling phone calls, or switching between multiple customer service tools and systems. Being adept at multitasking allows you to efficiently handle multiple customer interactions simultaneously, enhancing productivity and service levels. It's an important skill that shows employers you can handle a high volume of tasks without compromising the quality of your customer service.

When adding this skill to your resume, be sure to provide specific examples of situations where you've successfully multitasked. This could involve a time when you handled customer enquiries across multiple platforms during peak periods, or when you efficiently managed a high volume of tickets using various customer service tools. These technical skills, alongside your communication and interpersonal abilities, can make you a well-rounded customer service professional. Don't shy away from showcasing your technical prowess—it could be the factor that sets you apart from other candidates!

3. Use of Productivity, AI, and Automation Tools

Customer service has gone through a lot of changes in the last decade, and automation has been a big part of this. To show recruiters you know how the new game of customer service works, experience with automation tools like Magical can be a big benefit. (Magical is a free Chrome extension that helps you automate repetitive tasks, like messaging customers or updating your CRM.) Not only does this show that you care about efficiency, but it also shows that you're up on the latest AI trends.

Interpersonal Skills: The Human Touch

Interpersonal skills are a big part of what makes a customer service professional effective. They help build rapport, resolve conflicts, and create a positive experience for customers. Here, we'll highlight three interpersonal skills: patience , positivity , and teamwork . Adding these must-have customer service skills to your resume can make you a standout candidate.

1. Patience

In the world of customer service, patience is definitely a virtue. It's about giving customers the time they need to express their concerns or frustrations, without rushing them or making them feel unheard. It's also about remaining calm and composed, even when dealing with difficult or demanding customers.

To highlight this skill on your resume, you could mention instances where your patience led to positive outcomes, like resolving complex issues or turning around a negative customer experience.

2. Positivity

Maintaining a positive attitude, even in challenging situations, is another valuable skill for customer service professionals. It's about being able to stay upbeat and friendly, regardless of the circumstances. This not only improves the customer's experience, but it can also help you manage stress and prevent burnout.

Showcase this skill on your resume by pointing out how your positive attitude contributed to a positive work environment or improved customer satisfaction ratings.

3. Teamwork

In customer service, you're rarely working alone. You're part of a team, working together to deliver the best service possible. Teamwork skills include collaborating effectively with others, supporting your colleagues, and contributing to a positive team dynamics.

To demonstrate your teamwork skills on your resume, highlight instances where you collaborated with others to solve customer issues, or times when you stepped up to help a colleague in need.

Remember, interpersonal skills like patience, positivity, and teamwork are just as important as technical skills in customer service. By showcasing these skills on your resume, you're demonstrating your ability to connect with customers on a personal level and work effectively with your colleagues. And that can make all the difference in landing that customer service job you're eyeing.

Making Your Skills Shine on Your Resume

After getting the lowdown on the must-have customer service skills to add to your resume, it's time to make them shine. Your resume and cover letter are the first impressions you'll make on a potential employer, so it's crucial to highlight your skills in these documents. Here's how to do it:

Including Skills in Your Resume Summary

Your resume summary is a brief section at the beginning of your resume that highlights your qualifications. It's the perfect place to showcase the customer service skills you possess. Start by identifying the key skills the employer is looking for in the job description. Then, highlight these skills in your resume summary.

For example, if the job description emphasizes empathy and clear communication, your resume summary might read:

 "Customer service pro with 5+ years of experience in fast-paced environments. Known for empathetic customer interactions and clear, effective communication."

Highlighting Skills in Your Work History

The work history section of your resume is where you can get specific about how you've used your customer service skills. For each job listing, provide a brief description of your role and responsibilities. Then, include bullet points that highlight the customer service skills you used and the results you achieved.

For instance:

Customer Service Agent, ABC Company -Leveraged active listening skills to understand customer concerns, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction score. ‍ -Used CRM tools to track customer interactions and provide personalized service.

Demonstrating Skills in Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter is another important place to showcase your customer service skills. While your resume might list your skills and experiences, your cover letter tells the story of your professional journey. Use this space to elaborate on the skills you've listed on your resume and provide examples of how you've used these skills in the past.

For example:

"In my previous role as a Customer Support Specialist at XYZ Corp, I often used my problem-solving skills to resolve complex customer issues. On one occasion, I was able to de-escalate a situation with a highly frustrated customer by using active listening and empathy. This experience reinforced the importance of these skills in providing excellent customer service."

By including your customer service skills in your resume summary, work history, and cover letter, you can make a strong impression on potential employers and increase your chances of landing the job.

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COMMENTS

  1. 21 Important Customer Service Skills (With Resume Example)

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  2. 31 Great Customer Service Skills (With Examples)

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  3. Customer Service Skills to List on a Resume [30 Examples]

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  4. 20+ Key Customer Service Skills to List on Your Resume in 2024 (With

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  5. 20+ Top Customer Service Skills + Resume Example

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  6. Customer Service Skills for a Resume [W/ Full List & Examples]

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  7. How to List Customer Service Skills on a Resume

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  8. 28 Customer Service Resume Examples for 2024

    28 Customer Service Resume. Examples for 2024. Stephen Greet May 29, 2024. As the face of the organization, the customer service team is instrumental in building and maintaining a business's reputation. To be a successful customer service professional, you must have a wide-ranging skillset—patience, empathy, critical thinking, and detailed ...

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  11. Customer Service Resume Examples For 2024 (20+ Skills & Templates)

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    Top 10 customer service skills + examples. Based on our research of resume examples, here are the 10 best customer service resume skills:. 1. Communication: Communicating clearly and effectively is at the core of all customer service skills. Communication skills affect how you listen and respond to customers' questions. They also determine how you interact with your team to provide seamless ...

  13. How to describe customer service skills on a resume

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  14. 17 Key Customer Service Skills [List & Resume Examples]

    5. Conflict resolution. In customer service, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques are used every day. To deliver good customer service, an agent should be a good negotiator and know how to calm down a raging bull. Being able to deal with customer complaints and angry customers can be hard at first.

  15. Key Customer Service Skills to Feature on Your Resume

    Learn about 10 important customer service skills and how to highlight them on your resume. Find out how to tailor your resume for each role, use measurable impact, and get certified by Coursera.

  16. Customer Service Resume Examples With Skills for 2024

    GOOD EXAMPLE. A customer-oriented retail sales associate with 1 year of retail experience. Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets by at least 5%. Eager to leverage communication, sales, and problem-solving skills to advise Eldorado's customers as part of the customer service team.

  17. 10 Customer Service Skills You Need on Your Resume in 2024

    How to highlight customer service skills in a job interview. Congratulations! You've landed an interview. Now you need to talk about the customer service skills you listed on your resume. Here are six ways to discuss your customer service skills in a job interview: 1) Emphasize your people skills. Customer service is about interacting with ...

  18. Customer Service Skills to Put on a Resume + How to List Them

    Analyze the job ad. Carefully read through the job listing and identify the key skills the employer is seeking. Reflect these exact terms in your resume to show a tailored fit. Prioritize relevant skills. Make sure the skills you highlight most prominently are the ones the job ad emphasizes. Mirror the language used in the job ad.

  19. Must-Have Skills in the Customer Service Industry on Your Resume for 2024

    Here one example to illustrate your computer skills: Organize an open and connected structure for internal communication and managing all the projects between the customer service and sales team using the Basecamp platform. Increase the team's efficiency by 40%. Checkout these customer service resume examples.

  20. Customer Service Resume Examples

    Customer service resumes often highlight qualifications and experience in customer-facing roles and industries. When you're writing your resume, emphasize your interpersonal skills, organizational abilities and experience in the customer service field.If you're applying for more senior-level roles, highlight your accomplishments as a leader.

  21. 12 Essential Customer Service Skills In 2024

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    Let's dive into a couple of must-have customer service skills to add to your resume that involve a technological aspect. 1. Knowledge of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools. Today, many businesses are leveraging Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to streamline their customer service processes.

  25. Customer Service Skills for a Resume with Full List & Examples

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