This example is for a customer service adviser with a few years' experience who wants a team lead or senior role. It shows how to turn everyday tasks such as calls, complaints and chats into results a recruiter can measure.
Hannah Mitchell
Customer Service Adviser
Summary
Customer service adviser with five years in high-volume phone, email and live-chat support for an online retailer. Known for calm de-escalation and for fixing the causes of complaints, not just the complaints. Looking for a senior adviser or team lead role.
Experience
Senior Customer Service Adviser
Brightwell Home Retail · Leeds, UK
Online homeware retailer, about 400,000 orders a year.
Handle around 60 phone, email and chat contacts a day with a 94% customer satisfaction score, against a team average of 87%.
Cut repeat complaints about late deliveries by about a third by setting up a weekly review with the warehouse team.
Trained 6 new advisers on Zendesk, returns policy and complaint handling; all passed probation.
Act as the escalation point for the shift, resolving most escalated cases without a manager.
Customer Service Adviser
Northgate Energy Services · Bradford, UK
Energy supplier contact centre.
Answered 70+ inbound calls a day about bills, meter readings and payment plans.
Set up payment plans for customers in arrears, reducing the team's referral rate to debt collection.
Rated in the top 10% of advisers for first-contact resolution in 2022.
Sales Assistant (part-time)
Kirkgate Books · Leeds, UK
Served customers at the till and online click-and-collect orders; handled returns and gift card queries.
Education
A Levels: English Language, Business, Psychology
Leeds City College · Leeds, UK
A fictional example: the person, the employers and the contact details are invented. Shown in the Compass template.
Why this CV works
Handle around 60 phone, email and chat contacts a day with a 94% customer satisfaction score, against a team average of 87%.
Volume and quality in one line, with a comparison that shows she is above average, not just busy.
Cut repeat complaints about late deliveries by about a third by setting up a weekly review with the warehouse team.
Shows she fixes causes, not just symptoms. That is exactly what a team lead role needs.
Trained 6 new advisers on Zendesk, returns policy and complaint handling; all passed probation.
Proof of leadership before having the title, which matters when applying for a step up.
Rated in the top 10% of advisers for first-contact resolution in 2022.
An internal ranking is a credible result when you don't have revenue figures to show.
Looking for a senior adviser or team lead role.
The summary ends with a clear target, so the recruiter knows which job this CV is for.
Skills to include
Complaint handling
De-escalation
First-contact resolution
CRM systems (Zendesk, Salesforce)
Live chat and email support
Returns and refunds
Payment plans
Product knowledge
Training new starters
Written communication
Working to targets
A second language
Mistakes to avoid
Listing duties (“Answered customer calls”) without volume, quality scores or results.
Filling the skills section with “people person” and “good communicator” instead of the tools and methods you use.
Leaving out satisfaction scores, rankings or targets you hit. Contact centres measure everything, so use those numbers.
Country tip
In the UK, leave off your photo, date of birth and marital status: recruiters are trained to avoid them for anti-discrimination reasons. Two pages is the normal length; a mobile number and your town are enough contact details.
Frequently asked questions
What should a customer service CV include?
A short profile, your jobs with results (contact volumes, satisfaction scores, resolution rates), the systems you use, languages, and any training or team responsibilities.
How do I write a customer service CV with no experience?
Use any job where you served people, such as retail, hospitality or volunteering, and describe it with the same results-first bullets. Add the tools you know and a second language if you have one.
Which skills are most important for customer service?
Complaint handling, de-escalation and first-contact resolution, plus the CRM or ticketing tools the job ad names. Back each one up with a line in your experience.