How To Write a Retail Customer Service Representative Resume
A retail customer service representative resume should highlight your ability to communicate effectively with diverse customers and upsell products. Draw attention to your professional achievements rather than simply listing mundane job responsibilities. This guide provides valuable tips to help capture the nuances of your career in a results-driven resume.
1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your qualifications
The profile is your first connection with the hiring manager. It should provide a brief summary of your most relevant qualifications and what sets you apart from other applicants. Key aspects to note in the profile for a retail customer service representative resume include your ability to provide customers with a positive experience and your focus on teamwork and collaboration.
Remember, this section should only be a few sentences long, so focus on what’s most important, such as previous retail experience or communication skills.
Profile Example #1
A Retail Customer Service Representative with three years of experience specializing in sales, client relations, communication, and team leadership. A proven track record of interfacing with diverse customers to resolve issues and identify products according to client needs.
Profile Example #2
A Retail Customer Service Representative with four years of experience, specializing in customer support, client relations, sales management, and communication. A strong history of interfacing with a broad range of customers to identify appropriate solutions and ensure satisfaction.
2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
Much of a retail customer service representative’s job includes being available to answer questions for customers and taking care of store duties, such as tidying shelves or handling the cash register. These day-to-day duties are important to include, but make your work history more professional by using numbers to quantify your experience.
Hiring managers are likely to prefer candidates who can show they achieved high customer satisfaction scores or increased revenue. Demonstrate this by including metrics such as how many customers per day you interfaced with or how much you exceeded sales quotas.
Professional Experience Example #1
Retail Customer Service Associate, Multiverse Games & Comics, Philadelphia, PA
May 2020 – Present
- Provide education to customers on video games, board games, comic books, and retail products, maintain product knowledge to deliver recommendations, and identify upsell opportunities to achieve 130%-150% of monthly sales quota
- Field phone inquiries from prospective customers on collectible items, provide in-store support to customers in locating retail items, and achieve a 93% customer service score
- Coordinate with retail associates to organize product inventory, address customer issues, and identify opportunities to drive process improvements
Professional Experience Example #2
Retail Customer Service Associate, BestBuy, New York, NY
October 2019 – Present
- Provide support to 25-35 customers per day, educate customers on electronics, payment plans, and rewards programs, and exceed monthly sales goals by 30%-40%
- Identify solutions to customer issues, including defective products, refunds, store credit, and achieve customer satisfaction ratings of 91%-94% YOY
- Coordinate with a team of 20+ retail sales and customer service associates to reduce customer wait times, identify appropriate solutions, and enhance daily operations
3. Include relevant education and certifications
While many retail customer service representative positions won’t require any formal education, it’s always a good idea to include your highest level of education on your resume. Completing a degree shows the hiring manager you are dedicated and reliable, and it can qualify you for management positions in the future.
Any certifications or awards should also be listed in their own sections. Even something like winning employee of the month can set you apart from other applicants.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Associate Degree in Business
Kent State University, Kent, OH | 2020
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Example:
Certified Customer Service Professional, National Customer Service Association, 2021
4. List pertinent key skills
The objective of your resume is to impress the hiring manager with your skills and qualifications. Anything that doesn’t fit into your professional experience bullets can be organized into a key skills list.
This list can include hard skills, such as familiarity with point-of-sale (POS) software or inventory management, or soft skills, such as de-escalation or cross-functional collaboration. Here are some of the most relevant key skills for retail customer service representatives below:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Client relations | Communication |
| Cross-functional collaboration | Customer education |
| Customer relationship management (CRM) | Customer satisfaction |
| Customer service | Customer support |
| Inventory management | Merchandising |
| Microsoft Office Suite | Operations management |
| POS systems | Process improvement |
| Product displays | Retail customer service |
| Sales | Team leadership |
| Upselling | |
How To Pick the Best Retail Customer Service Representative Resume Template
Most basic resume templates are suitable for retail customer service representative jobs. Choose an option that has all of the sections you need already included so you can save time on formatting and only need to plug in your information.
It should be about one page long and well-organized, so it’s easy for a hiring manager to skim quickly. Stay away from anything that looks too casual, including templates with bright colors, design flourishes, or cluttered blocks of text.
Retail Customer Service Representative Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- #1
- #2
- #3
Joseph Corbin
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, PA, 12345
Profile
A Retail Customer Service Representative with three years of experience specializing in sales, client relations, communication, and team leadership. A proven track record of interfacing with diverse customers to resolve issues and identify products according to client needs.
Professional Experience
Retail Customer Service Associate, Multiverse Games & Comics, Philadelphia, PA
May 2020 – Present
- Provide education to customers on video games, board games, comic books, and retail products, maintain product knowledge to deliver recommendations, and identify upsell opportunities to achieve 130%-150% of monthly sales quota
- Field phone inquiries from prospective customers on collectible items, provide in-store support to customers in locating retail items, and achieve a 93% customer service score
- Coordinate with retail associates to organize product inventory, address customer issues, and identify opportunities to drive process improvements
Retail Customer Service Associate, Kohl’s Clothing Store, Philadelphia, PA
June 2019 – May 2020
- Supported 15-20 customers per day during store hours in identifying ideal clothing items, processing returns, addressing product issues, and locating merchandise
- Communicated with customers calmly and professionally to identify appropriate solutions and support an annual store customer satisfaction score of 91%
Education
High School Diploma
Benjamin Franklin High School, Philadelphia, PA September 2015 – June 2019
Key Skills
- Retail Customer Service
- Communication
- Sales
- Upselling
- Process Improvement
Cameron Malfara
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Bedford Avenue, New York, NY, 12345
Profile
A Retail Customer Service Representative with four years of experience, specializing in customer support, client relations, sales management, and communication. A strong history of interfacing with a broad range of customers to identify appropriate solutions and ensure satisfaction.
Professional Experience
Retail Customer Service Associate, BestBuy, New York, NY
October 2019 – Present
- Provide support to 25-35 customers per day, educate customers on electronics, payment plans, and rewards programs, and exceed monthly sales goals by 30%-40%
- Identify solutions to customer issues, including defective products, refunds, store credit, and achieve customer satisfaction ratings of 91%-94% YOY
- Coordinate with a team of 20+ retail sales and customer service associates to reduce customer wait times, identify appropriate solutions, and enhance daily operations
Retail Customer Service Associate, Target, New York, NY
June 2018 – October 2019
- Responded to phone calls and in-store inquiries from retail customers, guided shoppers in locating products and merchandise, and communicated with empathy and understanding
- Communicated with other local stores and departments to aid customers, resulting in a 91% customer service ranking over 12 consecutive months
Education
High School Diploma
Central Park East High School, New York, NY September 2014 – June 2018
Key Skills
- Retail Customer Service
- Communication
- Sales
- Upselling
- Process Improvement
Sarah Johnson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Bridge Street, Boston, MA 12345
Profile
A Retail Customer Service Representative with five years of experience, specializing in leadership, communication, cross-functional collaboration, and customer support. Adept at interfacing with a broad range of customers and identifying ideal product solutions.
Professional Experience
Lead Retail Customer Service Associate, Tiffany’s, Boston, MA
October 2018 – Present
- Deliver education on jewelry products, materials, and pricing to clients for a high-end retail jewelry brand, recommend jewelry according to customer needs, provide outstanding customer service, and generate over $80K in annual sales
- Utilize product knowledge to guide customers in making informed purchasing decisions with an emphasis on integrity, resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction rating
- Provide training to new hires on SOPs, customer service best practices, and products
Retail Customer Service Associate, Sephora, Boston, MA
June 2017 – October 2018
- Supported in-store customers in identifying, locating, and purchasing high-end makeup products according to individual needs and exceeded monthly sales goals by up to 50%
- Fielded phone inquiries from prospective customers, resolved issues with products and merchandise, and maintained customer service scores of 92% month over month
Education
High School Diploma
Belmont High School, Boston, MA September 2013 – June 2017
Key Skills
- Retail Customer Service
- Customer Support
- Product Education
- Team Leadership
- Client Relations
Frequently Asked Questions: Retail Customer Service Representative Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for retail customer service representative resumes?+
Start your bullet points with strong action verbs to create a more engaging experience for the hiring manager and increase your chances of moving on to the next round. Action verbs also let you incorporate keywords and language from the job description to tailor your resume. We’ve compiled a list of verbs to build your professional experience section:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Communicated | Conducted |
| Demonstrated | Educated |
| Engaged | Enhanced |
| Ensured | Implemented |
| Interfaced | Maintained |
| Managed | Monitored |
| Organized | Performed |
| Processed | Provided |
| Resolved | Supported |
| Trained | Upsold |
How do you align your resume with a job description?+
Job openings for both retail sales workers and customer service representatives are expected to decline over the next few years, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, this industry also experiences high turnover rates, which can improve your chances of finding an open position.
When you find a job that aligns with your goals, increase your chances of getting an offer by customizing your resume. This involves adjusting your word choice to mimic the job description and ensuring anything marked as a high priority is clearly identified in your resume.
A hiring manager may note that a retail customer service rep at an electronics store needs to be tech-savvy, be familiar with both PCs and Macs, and have experience with upselling and cross-selling. An example of a customized resume could include “tech-savvy” in the skills list, a bullet point about selling different computer systems, and the candidate’s successful upsell percentage in the profile.
What is the best retail customer service representative resume format?+
Most retail customer service representatives benefit from the traditional reverse chronological resume format. Starting with your most recent or current position, this format uses most of the space to provide a detailed work history. This ensures the hiring manager can see a strong track record of retail experience and get an idea of what you’ve done in other roles.
If you’re new to the industry or this is your first job, use other experiences, such as volunteer work or extracurricular activities, to show your skills and reliability.
Expert advice: include a cover letter with your resume
Attaching a matching cover letter to your resume provides the hiring manager with more information about your skills and experience. Use bullet points to call attention to your accomplishments, and add a sentence or two about why you want to work for this company. Our customer service representative cover letter examples have ideas on what to include and how to structure your letter.
