Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Hardware associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical hardware associate skills. We ranked the top skills for hardware associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 30.1% of hardware associate resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a hardware associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 hardware associate skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how hardware associates use customer service:

Provided excellent customer service experience to clients and strategically provided alternative constructional needs to assist customers in project needs.
Dedicated customer service representative in hardware with motivation to maintain customer satisfaction and contribute to company success.

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 hardware associates use sales floor:

Assisted department manager in ordering and maintaining the in-stock of the sales floor using a hand-held computer.
Completed floor replenishment to maximize product on the sales floor in the Hardware and Floral department.

3. Plumbing

Here's how hardware associates use plumbing:

Provide fast, friendly service to to customers within the store and specifically within the hardware and plumbing department areas.
Worked in hardware dept as well as electrical, plumbing, building materials and window/door depts.

4. Stock Merchandise

Here's how hardware associates use stock merchandise:

Stock and down stock merchandise as well as assist customers while maintaining a safe work environment.
Operated a forklift to unload/load trucks as well as using powered equipment to stock merchandise.

5. Customer Issues

Here's how hardware associates use customer issues:

Resolved customer issues and complaints in an empathetic manner.
Provide excellent customer service via active listening and professional communication, and identifying root causes of customer issues.

6. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how hardware associates use product knowledge:

Clean DepartmentDown Sock ProductProduct Knowledge ClassesRekey LocksMake KeysAssist Customers
Demonstrated substantial product knowledge to negotiate customer needs.

Choose from 10+ customizable hardware associate resume templates

Build a professional hardware associate resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hardware associate resume.

7. Customer Assistance

Customer assistance is any help rendered to a customer of a business when the customer needs it. It's a service rendered by brands, businesses, or corporate bodies to those who patronize them. Every customer is entitled to assistance from the company he/she is patronizing during the purchase or after purchase.

Here's how hardware associates use customer assistance:

Lumber Associate: Sizing wood, customer assistance, advice on types of wood needed for particular projects.
Provided customer assistance on the selling floor and at cash registers throughout both departments.

8. Quality Customer Service

Here's how hardware associates use quality customer service:

Ensured effective communication with supervisors in order to provide quality customer service and maintain the commitment to excellence Nintendo strives for
Provide quality customer service support to over 200 customers including diverse international tourist at largest grossing clothing retail establishment.

9. Safety Policies

Safety policies are the rules and codes of conduct developed by an organization to ensure workplace safety.

Here's how hardware associates use safety policies:

Ensured the department I was working in was a safe working and shopping environment by following all safety policies & standards.
Led the responsibility of providing a safe working and shopping environment by following all safety policies & standards.

10. Pallet Jack

Here's how hardware associates use pallet jack:

Loaded, unloaded & retrieved merchandise using a Forklift, Reach Truck, Order Picker & Electric Pallet Jack.
Operated various types of material handling equipment such as fork lift, hand cart pallet jack and forklift.

11. Stock Shelves

To "stock shelves" is referred as the process of putting the supplies on the shelves in the store. It is important to stock the shelves timely as empty shelves can cost a business too much.

Here's how hardware associates use stock shelves:

Take care of customers to the best of my abilities, stock shelves, assist in other departments.
Maintain department and stock shelves, assist customers in locating products and answering any questions they may have.

12. Front End

Here's how hardware associates use front end:

Lot Attendant: Load and unload vehicles for customers, and maintain the front end of the store.
Attended weekly operations meetings, gave reviews, helped with scheduling, maintained the front end and morale.

13. RAN

RAN stands for "revenue anticipation note," which refers to a practice where an organization (often the government) borrows money to support a specific project. When these funds are then repaid, the money given to the lenders comes from the profits generated by the business originally funded.

Here's how hardware associates use ran:

97408Helped director customers to items, assisted with loading, ran cash register, processed returns
Worked as a team with other departments to make sure the store ran properly and efficiently.

14. Unload Trucks

Unload trucks is an activity that is undertaken to remove items that have been carried on a truck. It could be raw materials, work-in-stock or finished products. Unloading a truck may require people and some equipment that may help unload items that are too heavy or dangerous for humans to handle.

Here's how hardware associates use unload trucks:

Stock, load /unload trucks, set up pallets.
load and unload trucks, help customers, put up freight etc

15. Inventory Control

Here's how hardware associates use inventory control:

Worked side by side with the department manager in overseeing daily operations, stocking expectations, category resets and inventory control.
Inventory control; including re-ordering, merchandise re-stocking, and truck unloading.

5 Hardware Associate resume examples

Build a professional hardware associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your hardware associate resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help Hardware Associates find jobs?

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

List of hardware associate skills to add to your resume

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

Customer Service
Sales Floor
Plumbing
Stock Merchandise
Customer Issues
Product Knowledge
Customer Assistance
Quality Customer Service
Safety Policies
Pallet Jack
Stock Shelves

Front End
RAN
Unload Trucks
Inventory Control
Depot
Hardware Tools
Door Locks
Customer Complaints
Service Desk
Inventory Management
Retail Environment

Stock Product
Customer Orders
Product Selection
Hardware Products
Security Risks
Loss Prevention
Stock Inventory
Delivery Truck
Product Displays
Purchase Decisions
Re-Key Locks

Updated January 8, 2025

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

Browse sales jobs