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Customer Service Associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Quoted Experts
Meegan Feori Ph.D.,
Alexander Nagel Ph.D.
Customer Service Associate Example Skills

Some of the most important hard skills a customer service associate can possess is consistently providing efficient service, and adhering to company policies in conducting their duties. These skills represent some of the most important facets of a customer service associate's job. It's also important for customer service associates to have the hard skill of experience greeting customers.


When it comes to soft skills, customer service associates should have excellent customer service skills above all else. Customer service associates need to maintain a level of order within their store, so great communication and leadership skills are also crucial.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical customer service associate skills. We ranked the top skills for customer service associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 40.9% of customer service associate resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a customer service associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 customer service associate skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how customer service associates use patients:
  • Handled incoming calls from patients to processed payment arrangements; update insurance information answer general questions pertaining to billing and insurance.
  • Maintained patient's privacy and provided confidentiality concerning all patients' information.

2. Sales Floor

The sales floor is the area in a company or a business that is specified for retail activities or is designated as the selling area of the shop. A car showroom can be considered a sales floor, as it has cars in its display which are to be sold. A sales floor is generally crowded with sales assistants who are there to help you out while you can search and check out the products. Generally a sales floor has free access to the public and they can observe, view and get information about the product that is being sold.

Here's how customer service associates use sales floor:
  • Maintained and accurately inventoried sales floor keeping records of merchandise.
  • Managed sales floor appearance via display organization.

3. Plumbing

Here's how customer service associates use plumbing:
  • Cashier Electrical Customer Service Associate Plumbing Customer Service Associate Home Decor Customer Service Associate Paint Customer Service Associate Lumber Customer Service Associate
  • Provided electrical and plumbing expertise for customers' home improvement projects.

4. Quality Customer Service

Here's how customer service associates use quality customer service:
  • Provided quality customer service through inbound and outbound calls to members and providers regarding claims, benefit and eligibility information.
  • Provided consistent quality customer service, assessing customer needs, and meeting quality standards for services ensuring customer satisfaction.

5. Front End

Here's how customer service associates use front end:
  • Head of front end, organizing the day for employees, scheduling breaks and lunches for twenty-thirty associates at a time.
  • Experienced in role of Head Cashier responsible for being mobile in the front-end of store to readily assist front end associates.

6. CSA

Community Supported Agriculture - CSA is a direct marketing partnership between a farmer(s) and a dedicated community support/consumer network who help provide a portion of a particular farm's operating budget by purchasing shares of the harvest of the pre-growing season. CSAs provide consumers with a valuable opportunity to obtain fresh, local produce from farmers who love to grow food for people in their communities and create a symbiotic relationship between customer and producer.

Here's how customer service associates use csa:
  • Escalated questions to Sr. CSA or supervisory staff for additional analysis and information when necessary.
  • Coordinated CSA change management activities with the facility and discipline managers.

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7. Strong Customer Service

Here's how customer service associates use strong customer service:
  • Provided strong customer service support in the electrical/tools department and assisted other departments as necessary.
  • Developed a strong customer service desk to confront customer problems successfully.

8. Customer Inquiries

Here's how customer service associates use customer inquiries:
  • Provide superior customer service Provide inbound/outbound phone support Answer customer inquiries pertaining to coverage determinations and/or appeals Maintain call center performance metrics
  • Provided prompt resolution to customer inquiries by providing appropriate and accurate information concerning vacation rentals and offered other product lines.

9. Customer Care

Customer care, also known as customer service, is a one-to-one interaction between the consumer of a company and its representative.

Here's how customer service associates use customer care:
  • Provided welcoming and friendly customer care to ensure customer retention - Received and delivered orders - Food preparation - Maintained building cleanliness
  • Coordinate with distributors, sales representatives and customers and ensure optimal level of customer care services and maintain customer satisfaction.

10. Cleanliness

Here's how customer service associates use cleanliness:
  • Maintained accuracy and efficiency in all activities, including cash handling and processing and ensured cleanliness and sanitation throughout the facility.
  • Managed cash balances and inventory stock accurately; ensured cleanliness of all work stations and guaranteed excellent customer service.

11. Basic Math

Here's how customer service associates use basic math:
  • Worked accurately with numbers and perform basic mathematical calculations.
  • Practiced excellent communication and basic mathematical skills.

12. Service Desk

The point of contact between a services provider or enterprise and the end-user is referred to as the services desk. A service desk enables businesses to effectively implement daily internal and external tasks. It also helps enterprises in communicating with their customers and tending to their requests effectively.

Here's how customer service associates use service desk:
  • Provide information on products sold Manage customer service desk Open/close registers at beginning/end of shifts Assist management with accounting information Greet Customer
  • Train staff on cash office/register, service desk and utility protocol/procedures.

13. Food Preparation

Here's how customer service associates use food preparation:
  • Run register-Inventory management-Deli/Food preparation-Proper Handling/Safety procedures for combustible materials
  • Handled customers in both monetary exchanges along with working in food preparation and regulating sales of age-prohibited products including tobacco.

14. POS

POS is an abbreviation of "Point of Sale" which is the time and place where a customer completes a transaction. It can either be a physical shop that consists of POS terminals or a virtual shop. A POS system helps simplify the retail functions and track important sales data.

Here's how customer service associates use pos:
  • Verified delivery of inventory by truck into web-based Pulse management POS weekly.
  • Developed extensive knowledge of Lowe's-specific Genesis POS system.

15. Groceries

Here's how customer service associates use groceries:
  • Provided above average service to customers by bagging groceries appropriately and assisted with carryout and loading merchandise into customer's vehicle.
  • Provided excellent customer service to hundreds of satisfied customers, bagged groceries with speed and efficiency
top-skills

What skills help Customer Service Associates find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What Customer Service Associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Meegan Feori Ph.D.Meegan Feori Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Professor, San Diego Mesa College

My recommendation is to combine your interests and career goals. For example, if you are an avid rock climber, you could apply for an internship with the North Face or start a retail position at an REI near Red Rock, Nevada, a place known for excellent rock climbing. If relocating for your gap year is not possible, then seek out a local option such as working at the nearby climbing gym. Customers are crucial to the fashion industry, enhancing your customer service skills during your gap year will benefit you. You could apply to be a Stitch Fix stylist, a boutique, or a non-profit resale salesperson. Even customer service jobs outside of the fashion industry will build experiences that will enhance your abilities to design, produce, or sell amazing products. Another option is to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. Dedicating yourself to creating an influential Instagram account, podcast, or YouTube channel could showcase your skills and build your network. Opening a Poshmark, Depop, Teespring, Etsy, or another digital retail store could let you apply your skills. Finally, keep investing in yourself through learning. There are many massive open online courses and community college offerings that could further your career.

What soft skills should all Customer Service Associates possess?

Alexander Nagel Ph.D.Alexander Nagel Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor, Assistant Chair, Art History and Museum Professions, Fashion Institute of Technology

Soft skills needed are flexibilities to adapt quickly to new opportunities, to be open to non-traditional career paths. Being organized and responsive to email correspondence, being friendly and kind, having empathy are values that will never be out of fashion. FIT is known for being home to "unconventional minds," and our students are super creative, engaged, and ready to take on challenges.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about Customer Service Associate

List of customer service associate skills to add to your resume

Customer Service Associate Skills

The most important skills for a customer service associate resume and required skills for a customer service associate to have include:

  • Patients
  • Sales Floor
  • Plumbing
  • Quality Customer Service
  • Front End
  • CSA
  • Strong Customer Service
  • Customer Inquiries
  • Customer Care
  • Cleanliness
  • Basic Math
  • Service Desk
  • Food Preparation
  • POS
  • Groceries
  • Stock Shelves
  • Customer Service
  • Stock Room
  • Store Merchandise
  • Product Knowledge
  • Customer Complaints
  • Customer Calls
  • Inbound Calls
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Customer Transactions
  • PowerPoint
  • Store Inventory
  • Customer Orders
  • Outbound Calls
  • Customer Problems
  • Store Signage
  • Customer Issues
  • Pleasant Shopping
  • Loss Prevention
  • Telephone Calls
  • Sales Transactions
  • Computer System
  • Customer Accounts
  • Customer Support
  • Credit Card Payments
  • Bank Secrecy Act
  • Inventory Control
  • ATM
  • Cash Drawers
  • Customer Interaction
  • Materials Handling
  • Anti-Money Laundering
  • Financial Transactions
  • Branch Management

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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