30+ Essential CV Customer Service Skills With Examples

Whether you're working on the shop floor, handling calls, or replying to emails, customer service skills on your CV can make the difference between landing an interview or being overlooked.

In this guide, you'll discover the top customer service CV skills, how to match them to the job description, and how to prove them with real examples that get noticed.

Ready to show you’re the right person to keep customers happy? Let’s dive in.

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Want to learn more about other types of professional abilities? Take a look at our other guides on job-winning skills:

• What are Analytical Skills? Meaning and Examples
• Top 10 In Demand IT Skills for Your CV & Career
• Top Interpersonal Skills for Career Success
• 50 Essential Computer Skills for Your CV
• 10 Communication Skills for CV and Career Success
• 10 Effective Leadership Skills for Your CV
• What Are Hard Skills? List and Examples for Your CV
• What Are Soft Skills? List of the Best Examples
• 99+ Key Skills for a CV [Best List of Examples for Every Job]

And for advice on writing CVs for specific jobs, take a look at our guides for customer service focussed careers:

• Barista CV Example
• Bartender CV Example
• Customer Service CV Example
• Hospitality CV Example
• Receptionist CV Example
• Retail CV Example
• Retail Manager CV Example
• Shop Assistant CV Example
• Waiter / Waitress CV Example

Customer Service Skills Example CV

Let's start with the definition—

What Are Customer Service Skills?

Customer service skills are the abilities that help you communicate clearly, stay calm under pressure, solve problems quickly, and leave customers feeling supported, even in challenging situations. In many fields and industries, these skills are essential.

Whether you’re answering phones, managing in-store queries, or handling complaints via email, how you treat customers directly affects business success.

In fact, 96% of consumers say customer service plays a key role in brand loyalty. And according to Bain, improving customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by up to 25%. In short? If you’ve got great customer service skills, employers want to hear about them, especially on your CV.

Customer Service Skills for a CV—Examples

Customer service is one of the most versatile skill sets you can include on a CV. And it’s not just for call centre agents or shop assistants. If your role involves interacting with clients, customers, or service users—in person, by phone, or online—these skills show you can handle it professionally.

Here’s a list of 30 key customer service skills to consider adding to your CV:

• Active listening skills
• Attention to detail
• Bilingual customer support
• Building customer loyalty 
• Communication
• Complaint resolution
• Conflict management
• Critical thinking skills
• Cross-selling / up-selling
• Customer journey mapping
• Decision making
• Dixa
• ERP
• Freshdesk
• Handling difficult customers
• Improving customer experience
• Interpersonal skills
• Jira service desk
• Microsoft Office skills
• MS Office suite
• Mytalk
• Organizational skills
• Patience
• Positive attitude
• Problem solving
• Product knowledge
• Salesforce
• Service-based selling / telesales
• Talkdesk
• Time management
• Zendesk

These skills are valuable across sectors—from retail and hospitality to admin, tech support, and B2B services.

And here is a little tip from me: Don’t copy and paste this list onto your CV. Instead, choose the skills that match the job advert and back them up with real examples from your experience.

Making a CV with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a CV ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

How Do You Describe Customer Service Skills on a CV?

If you want to impress a hiring manager with your customer service know-how, it’s not enough to say you’re “good with people.” You need to show how your skills deliver results.

Here’s how to highlight your customer service skills the right way:

• Read the job advert carefully – Pinpoint the specific customer service skills the employer is looking for.
• Make your own list – Match your experience against those skills. Use the previous section as inspiration.
• Spot the overlaps – These are your CV keywords—the ones to repeat across your application.
• Create a dedicated key skills section – Include up to 10 of your strongest, most relevant customer service skills. Mix soft and technical abilities.
• Back them up with bullet points – In your work experience section, prove each skill with a real example and measurable outcome.
• Include them throughout – Mention your best skills in your CV summary, skills section, and experience bullet points for maximum visibility.

According to our analysis of 133,000 CVs, people are most likely to describe their CS skills as:

• Excellent customer service skills
• Great customer service skills
• Good customer service skills
• Strong customer service skills

But remember! Anyone can say that. What matters is how you prove it. Instead of claiming to be great, demonstrate your value by showing what you achieved. For example:

Handled over 60 customer queries per day while maintaining a 98% satisfaction score over six months.

Customer Service Skills CV—Example Work Experience Section

Your work experience section is where customer service skills truly shine. It’s your chance to show what you did, how you did it, and what results you achieved. Here’s how to write the perfect CV: 

• Use the reverse-chronological CV format if you have relevant work experience. It’s the easiest style of a CV for hiring managers to scan.
• Start your CV with a strong personal profile to act as your elevator pitch.
• In your CV work history section, use 5–6 bullet points per role to describe your responsibilities and achievements. Begin each bullet point with a powerful action verb like handled, resolved, supported, or delivered.
• If you’re writing a student CV or an entry-level CV, include any unpaid work, volunteering, part-time roles, and internship experience that involved customer interaction.
• Don’t forget your CV education section. List your highest level of education only (GCSEs, A-levels, or degree).
• Highlight any certifications (e.g. customer service, call centre training, or CRM software).
• Add optional sections like languages, awards, or hobbies & interests, especially if they relate to communication or teamwork.
• For the best first impression, always pair your CV with a matching customer service cover letter. For more detailed tips, see our guide on how to write a cover letter. And don't forget to choose a matching CV cover letter template.

Here is an example on how to showcase customer service skills in your CV work experience section:

How to Improve Your Customer Service Skills

Great customer service doesn’t just happen. It’s built on practice, self-awareness, and a desire to get better. Whether you're new to the role or aiming to move up, here are seven proven ways to strengthen your customer service skills and stand out from the crowd:

1. Stay Positive and Never Say No

Avoid leading with negatives like “I can’t” or “I don’t know.” Instead, steer the conversation toward what is possible. Use positive language to focus on solutions, even when the answer is technically “no.” For example:

“While we can’t offer that specific refund, I can help you with an exchange or an alternative option right away.”

2. Step Up Your Game With Active Listening

Active listening is when you make a concerted effort to listen to and understand a speaker. Many customer complaints go unresolved simply because people don’t feel heard. In fact, lack of effectiveness is the number one most common cause of frustration with customer service. Active listening: focusing fully, asking clarifying questions, and summarising their issue shows the customer they matter.

You can improve your active listening skills by taking a course online (like this one from Coursera) and then making a conscious effort to practise this skill in every conversation.

3. Refer to the Customer by Name

Calling the customer by their name is a more personable alternative to repeatedly referring to them as ‘you’. Referring to customers by name helps build rapport and trust. It makes the interaction more personal and human.

If you're dealing with multiple queries a day, jot names down to help remember them throughout the call or email thread.

4. Know Your Product Like the Back of  Your Hand

The more confident you are with your company’s services or products, the faster and more effectively you’ll be able to help. This builds trust and credibility.

Read product guides, talk to more experienced colleagues, and listen to common customer questions to learn where the knowledge gaps might be.

5. Show Empathy

Empathy goes a long way in customer service. Acknowledge the frustration or concern, then reassure them you're there to help. And remember that sounding robotic or overly scripted can come across as dismissive. Always try to come across as understanding, and show that you genuinely want to help.

“I completely understand why that would be frustrating—I’d feel the same. Let’s see what I can do to fix this for you.”

6. Keep Your Technical Skills Up to Date.

From CRM systems (like Salesforce or Zendesk) to chat platforms and ticketing tools, technical skills are part of the modern customer service toolkit.

Not familiar with these? Online courses from platforms like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning can get you started in no time.

Technical skills in customer service are changing, and one example of that change is chatbots. But the future isn't about replacement, because people still prefer speaking with humans over chatbots to resolve most issues. More probably, customer service will increasingly involve collaboration between customer service reps and chatbots. That’s why gaining a better understanding and having experience with chatbots can help you excel at your customer service job.

7. Master the Art of Patience

Let’s face it, customers often reach out when things have gone wrong. They may be upset, stressed, or confused. Staying calm and collected helps you de-escalate the situation and find a solution faster.

Take a breath before responding, practise empathy, and remind yourself: it’s not personal. It’s the problem talking.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Thanks for reading! Now I’m curious about what you think. What are customer service skills that you find most helpful on the job? What’s the most difficult customer service experience you’ve ever had? Is AI the future of customer service? Let’s chat in the comments!

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Sources

• https://www.statista.com/statistics/815599/causes-of-customer-service-frustration-us/
• https://www.coursera.org/lecture/conflict-resolution-skills/active-listening-skills-lesson-1-k8hAP
• https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-future-of-customer-service-is-ai-human-collaboration/