Customer Service CV: Sample & Writing Tips

If you’re applying for a UK customer service job in 2021, you must submit a perfect CV to compete. Here’s why:

A recent analysis of the UK job market shows that customer service positions are ‘roughly three times as competitive as the average job’.

Writing a perfect CV for a customer service assistant or advisor position is difficult, but if you follow these five tips, you’ll be ready to hit Submit on your application in no time:

1. Use proper CV formatting

The easiest way to properly structure your CV is to put your information into a CV template. A professional CV template (or your made-from-scratch document) should have:

• 1.27–2.5 cm margins to fill the page with information
• a recommended CV font set to between 10 and 12 points for headers and body text
• 1–1.5 spacing between lines
• a header with your name in bolded, extra-large text, and your contact information
• a personal statement (2–3 sentences or bullet points) that summarises your most marketable skills
• an education section that includes your most recent degree title and relevant A-level and/or GCSE results
• a work experience section with your top skills and achievements outlined in bullet points
• a bulleted hobbies and interests section

2. Make your achievements shine with data

Other applicants to your target position will fill their CVs with their customer service accomplishments. Make your achievements stand out by describing them with data and examples.

Here’s some data and examples to put on your customer service CV:

• Customer satisfaction rates
• Number of calls, chats, emails, and in-person customers dealt with daily
• Number of people managed or trained
• Amount of money handled daily
• Examples of times you resolved customer issues
• Examples of times you calmed angry customers

Place your relevant data and examples in your CV’s personal statement and work experience section. Here’s a good customer service CV sample that includes key data:

NEXT, Leeds
Customer Service Manager, June 2018–Present

• Direct a cross-functional team of 15+ customer service associates and representatives while setting personal and team sales goals
• Ensure positive shopping experience for all clients, increasing customer satisfaction rate by 35%
• Collaborate with the supervisor to train associates on how to handle escalated problems, reducing customer escalation rate by 15%
• Introduced incentive programs and effective customer service strategies, decreasing employee turnover by 7%

3. Promote your key customer service skills

Customer service jobs require both technical and transferable skills. Here are some of the top skills for your CV:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Foreign language skills
• Empathy
• Problem solving skills
• Typing skills (WPM, accuracy)
• Computer skills
• Cloud computing (Google Drive)
• Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Outlook)
• Memorising skills
• Customer service software (Salesforce and Zendesk)
• Chat software (LiveChat and Freshdesk)
• Management skills
• Delegation
• Collaboration

Before you add skills willy-nilly to your CV, read the job advert again to see which skills the employer values most. If you have those skills, include them throughout your CV.

4. Write your personal statement last

Your personal statement (also known as a CV summary or CV objective) goes at the top of your CV under the header. However, you should write it last. Here’s why:

The first part of your CV the employer reads is your personal statement. Therefore, your summary should only include your most relevant skills and achievements as a short introduction.

If you write your education, work experience, and additional sections first, you can easily pick out the best information to put in your personal statement.

5. Proofread for grammar mistakes and typos

A single grammar error or misused homonym could spell the end of your candidacy. To avoid such a tragedy, follow these steps:

• Proofread your CV, carefully reading every word and evaluating every punctuation mark
• Ask a friend to proofread your CV with their unbiased eyes
• Proofread again to ensure any changes your friend made are error-free