You have bought something or paid for a service at a certain company, shop or mall. What is the one thing that you always notice? The customer service. Companies are investing heavily in customer service, and landing a job in that role needs a stellar customer service CV.
Customer service is synonymously referred to as client relations or customer excellence - it varies from one company to another. But we need to first find out why customer service is so essential to any business.
The foundation of customer service
Remember, a business entity exists to solve a problem in the most innovative, creative and arguably most affordable way. That’s what a niche is all about. A business niche is a specialized or focused area of a broader market that businesses can serve to differentiate themselves from the competition, as Business News Daily rightly puts it.
When you identify your niche as a company, then you start the process of serving customers and clients in that area and you bring in revenue. It’s worth noting that as you do business with humans, they need to be handled in the right way. Human beings love to be treated with respect. They love to feel heard and understood.
This is what causes them to return and give a business more business. They will also refer a company’s services to their friends and partners. That way, the company will grow without even spending too much on marketing. In simpler terms, good customer relations excellence is a precursor to exponential organic growth for any company.
Data from reputable companies support this idea. A Salesforce research revealed that 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience. Additionally, research by Hubspot showed that 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies offering excellent customer service.
Essential skills of a good customer service representative
Now that you’ve already decided to pursue this line of career roll up your sleeves and ensure that you have the following skills. And if there’s one which is missing, develop it. These are the skills that you’ll need to include in your customer service CV leaving recruiters fighting hard to bring you into their company.
High emotional intelligence
We have all had a bad experience with a product or service. A good example is the internet service. You have a tight deadline to beat and on the d-day, you experience downtime. It goes on for the better part of the day and you decide to call the service provider.
I’m pretty sure that you won’t have kind words nor the patience to have a civil conversation when you know your work is on the line. Interestingly, most customer service agents are always cool, calm, and collected regardless of what the client throws at them. It’s because they have developed a high EQ (Emotional Intelligence), and a high tolerance for criticism that can take in a barrage of insults. In your customer care CV, you also need to highlight areas where you have demonstrated high emotional intelligence.
Patience is a virtue that goes hand in hand with EQ. Sometimes you need to let the client vent their frustrations while listening carefully to their pain points.
Communication skills
Any hiring manager who is sorting through CVs will be looking for a good listener because the role demands that you have excellent listening skills. This will help you know exactly what a client wants and respond to them effectively.
Moreover, you need to be a good communicator who can pass messages correctly and clearly in verbal and written forms. This will enable you to switch seamlessly between various channels such as calls, emails, and text messages.
A good communicator assesses a situation and evaluates the psychology of different clients so that they respond effectively to the particular situation. At the same time, you should demonstrate the ability to maintain a friendly tone in both verbal and written communication.
Knowledge of the product
If a client were to call about the product or service of the company you’re working in, you need exhaustive, comprehensive knowledge about them. That means that you have to be adaptive and willing to learn. In case a client inquires about how to use a certain product, you should be in a position to guide them and direct them to the department where they can receive additional support.
Problem-solving skills
In your customer care CV, you should highlight prominently that you can solve problems innovatively and creatively. Whenever a customer or client has a problem, you’ll need to respond quickly and effectively. You should be able to think on your feet and come up with creative solutions on the spot.
If the problem can’t be solved immediately, you should know how to defuse the situation and give reassurances that the problem will be resolved in good time. To understand the problem, you should demonstrate the ability to ask relevant questions that will help you understand the depth of the problem.
Customer service CV tips to use
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The executive summary should capture your passion and experience in the customer service industry. If you don’t have many years of experience, leverage the resume objectives. A resume objective is an eye-catching statement of your career goals that you place at the top of your resume.
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Don’t clutter your CV with a million skills. Experts recommend a maximum of 10 which are relevant to customer service roles.
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If you download a customer service CV template, customize it to fit your unique work experience, skills, education, strengths, and references.
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Include customer service keywords in your CV, such as communication, empathy, emotional intelligence, and the qualifications that are in the job posting.
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Ensure that your contact information, education, and professional experience are well articulated.
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Tailor your customer service CV to the needs of the employer by customizing it to the job description.
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You may be transitioning from another career into customer service, and this is your first customer service job. Don’t be anxious. In your previous work experience, you have interacted with clients and helped them. Include those instances in your CV and show how they prepared you for a customer service position.
Here is a sample Customer Service CV
