Customer Service Skills List and Examples

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Updated September 19, 2021

A company that relies on customers or clients to keep it in business will want to know what customer service experience and skills you have to offer. Before you fill out a job application, research the company and the position you are applying for, so you can share your most relevant customer service skills with prospective employers.

Giving good customer service does not require being an enthusiastic people person, though that certainly can help. Some types of customer-facing jobs do require an outgoing personality, but others do not. An honest desire to help other people is probably the most indispensable characteristic of someone who works in a customer service role.

What Are Customer Service Skills?

There is hardly a job description that doesn’t demand a certain level of customer service.

Any time an employee must engage a customer and properly represent the organization, they are exercising customer service skills.

While most commonly associated with call centers, companies typically devote an entire department to managing customer complaints or feedback. However, anyone in a sales or hospitality role must also exercise high levels of customer service skills.

When you're applying for jobs, it's important to show the employer that you have the customer service skills they are seeking. You can highlight those skills in your resume and cover letter, and share examples of the skills you have during job interviews. Here are some of the top skills you need to excel in a customer service role.

Examples of Customer Service Skills

Communication

Learn how to communicate clearly and honestly, and how to anticipate what the customer needs to know. If there is a surcharge, product warning, or another rack with a better selection in aisle 4, for example, don’t neglect to mention it simply because the customer didn’t know to ask.

The other half of communication is receptivity: customers will tell you what they need. Or they may express their needs through their language, so that you are able to identify those needs and better serve the customer. Be sure you know how to listen.

Active Listening
Oral Communication
Interpersonal Skills
Multilingual
Listening
Friendliness
Humor
Negotiation
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Telephone Skills

Empathy

Empathy is crucial for customer service workers. Not everybody wants the same thing in the same situation, so for empathy to be effective, you will have to keep an open mind and carefully observe others’ signals.

Caring
Courtesy
Customer Care
Kindness
Patience
Problem Solving
Poise

Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is perhaps one of the most important customer service skills you can have. All the willingness to listen or to help won’t be helpful if you can’t actually answer the customer's question or help solve their problem.

Try your employer’s (or prospective employer's) products, learn about its services, and when you get a question you can’t answer, go and do some research.

Learning
Memory
Researching
Student Mentality
Moderate Sales
Initiative
Proactiveness

Diligence

Diligence means honoring deadlines, keeping promises, and maintaining standards in order to provide optimal customer service.

Attention to Detail
Detail Orientation
Following Up
Quality Assurance
Prioritization
Adaptability

Personableness

Politeness, cheerfulness, and tact are skills everyone associates with great customer service. These skills come easier to some people than others, but they can be learned and do improve with practice.

Patience
People Oriented
Positivity
Presentation
Tact
Confidence
Stress Tolerance

More Customer Service Skills

Accuracy
Adaptability
Analysis
Appearance
Assessment
Assertiveness
Attention to Detail
Attentiveness
Benchmarking
Caring
Confidence
Communication
Computer Skills
Conflict Resolution
Courtesy
Customer Service Soft Skills
Customer Care
Depersonalization
Detail Orientation
Diplomacy
Efficiency
Feedback
Flexibility
Friendliness
Humor
Improving Competitiveness
Increasing Customer Retention
Initiative
Proactiveness
Interpersonal Skills
Multilingual Ability
Listening
Microsoft Office

Multitasking
Negotiation
Organization
Oral Communication
Patience
People Orientation
Persuasion
Positivity
Problem Analysis
Problem Solving
Poise
Positivity
Presentation
Public Speaking
Quality Assurance
Prioritization
Responsibility
Sales
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance
Tact
Teamwork
Timeliness
Time Management
Valuing the Organization
Verbal Communication
Written Communication

Sample Customer Service Resumes and Cover Letters

Review examples of resumes and cover letters for customer service jobs.

Key Takeaways

Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume: Become familiar with what the company is seeking and brainstorm a list of customer service skills you have that pertain specifically to the job for which you're applying.

Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter: Try to be specific when mentioning the skills you can bring to the position in your cover letter and, if possible, have real-life examples you can share with employers during interviews.

Use Skill Words in Your Job Interview: During your interview, it's important to highlight the customer service experience and skills you can offer to the company.