How to Write a Customer Service Cover Letter

What Is a Customer Service Cover Letter?

The cover letter is not only one of the first things hiring teams see, but is also arguably one of the most important. It should be the front cover to your resume, which you’ll need to submit along with your application.

This is your chance to make a good first impression. The cover letter can be one of the main reasons your application is taken through to the next stage of the hiring process, which makes it imperative to iron out your relevant skill set and detail why your experience is right for the role in question.

The perfect time to shine, a strong cover letter is a great way to set yourself apart from other candidates and show hiring managers, and yourself, how well equipped you are for the job.

A cover letter also gives you the opportunity to put pen to paper and increase motivation. Detailing all you have to offer can put you in the right mindset to move forward with the application.

A customer service cover letter will need to be personalized to the specific role in question, and relevant experience is key.

Whether you are applying for a new role within the same business or want a different career path altogether, your work experience will need to match the job description given.

Having a good resume is important, but as mentioned above, the cover letter is what the hiring managers will see first – it’ll also give them personal insight into why you think the role is right for you.

What Should a Great Customer Service Cover Letter Include?

Making your customer service representative cover letter stand out all depends on how you format it and what you include.

It is a good opportunity for you to make the writing enticing and showcase your professional personality. Like most stories, a good customer service cover letter always has a beginning, middle and an end.

First things first, make sure you read the job description through multiple times before compiling your customer service cover letter so you fully understand what the role in question involves and the skill set required to fulfill said role.

Think about what qualifications you have that match the competencies required on the job description.

Even though all of your skills and qualifications should be outlined clearly on your resume, a cover letter is a great place to elaborate on your skills and concisely summarize them, taking care not to duplicate your resume.

If you’re new to the area of customer service or applying for an entry-level role, the same rules apply; cross reference transferable skills and qualifications from other jobs and see which ones match this particular customer service role.

For Instance, if you’ve had any customer-facing positions before, whether it be at a store or coffee house, you can highlight the customer service aspect of each role and how you interacted with people on a daily basis. This is relevant experience.

Or have you had any waitressing experience? If so, this largely consists of regular customer interaction that you can outline in your cover letter.

What Skills Should You Include in Your Customer Service Cover Letter?

For a role in customer service, you will need to exhibit the following skill set:

• To excel in a customer service job, you need to demonstrate strong communication skills. Customer interaction is a large part of the role and having the ability to connect to the customer is important.
• You must be able to showcase good listening skills to work alongside the customer in troubleshooting any problems that may arise.
• Developing empathy is key when performing a customer service role. You must understand your customer and communicate concisely to ensure the customer feels heard and understood. Your customer may need a lot of help during your time with them so it’s important you stay patient and listen to everything they have to say, thus creating a rapport with the customer.
• Diligence is another skill you will need to portray during this role. Being an efficient problem solver and really caring about what you are doing will stand you in good stead in a customer service role.
• Good computer skills are a must if you’re working in a technical role, you will have to be efficient in many software programs (for example, Microsoft Excel). Many companies have their own in-house platforms and relevant training may be offered; however, having basic technical skills is a must.

You can receive external training for all the competencies listed above; however, most efficiencies can be developed in-house.

How to Write Your Customer Service Cover Letter

To create a strong customer service cover letter, try to ensure it is straight-to-the point and easy for the hiring manager to read.

Short and succinct sentences are imperative to ensure you do not lose the attention of the hiring manager.

Try to ensure your cover letter is constructed like an actual letter and is structured accordingly.

Here are the key things you need to include, paragraph by paragraph:

First Paragraph – Your Introduction

To set the tone of your customer service cover letter, you must do your research before writing and find out a little bit more about the team and the company you are applying to.

If you do not have a direct contact for the recruiter in question, starting the dialogue with ‘Dear Hiring Manager’. However, it is well worth taking the time to research who to address your letter to. This sort of proactiveness will come across well to the recruiter.

The first paragraph of the cover letter is your chance to instantly make a good impression.

Start by introducing yourself, mentioning the company and clarifying the customer service position you are applying for.

You can even reference the information you have researched about the company in the first paragraph.

The first paragraph could start like this:

I am pleased to be considered for the Customer Service Executive position at Porter and Hodge Produce. With a wealth of experience in developing strong communication skills with clients, I thrive under pressure and ensure I build a strong rapport with every customer I serve.

Second Paragraph – Your Background and Experience

Now, this is where your experience and work history come in. It is also the time where you explain why you are good for the role.

From previous work placement to external training courses, anything you think is relevant to the job description needs to be detailed in this paragraph.

As mentioned above, if you are new to customer service, think of other jobs you have had in the past and outline the relevant skills you have learned at said job.

If this is your first ever job, it is time to delve into your personality traits and explain how your work ethic matches the competencies required for the job. You must start somewhere after all.

Showcasing your abilities and their relevance for the position will pique interest with the hiring manager and keep them reading. If they can’t see anything of importance within this paragraph, they may not want to continue reading your cover letter.

This is also a good chance to pick an achievement you think will make you stand out from other candidates.

This could read:

I was promoted to team leader at my last job at Gold Lake Conservatories, within 6 months of being there due to my flawless record of successful customer service calls.

Or you could mention a specific qualification you are immensely proud of, like this:

I have a high-level qualification in Excel that helps with documenting customer service inquiries for reporting. This helped me implement a new tracking system in my previous role.

If you do not have any experiences to pull out, think of a quality you possess personally and how it will make you perfect for the role.

For instance:

I am a highly competent person and find it easy to build a rapport with people. I was picked as a forum representative at university because of my diplomacy, representing the student body in meetings with staff.

If the job description mentions any other position, department or something you think you can relate to, this is your chance to mention it.

Third Paragraph – Your Qualifications

The third paragraph is all about your qualifications and highlighting the relevant skills you have.

This is not the chance to repeat everything you have listed in your resume, the hiring manager will not want to read the same thing twice, but is a chance for you to provide more explanation.

It could look something like this:

During my time at Gold Lake Conservatories I partook in a development program that provided me with a Level 1 Diploma in customer service.

You could also pick a moment where your customer service skills have worked in a difficult situation, maybe you have had to troubleshoot a large issue with a customer previously and this instance helped to develop your skills.

For example:

I had a challenging situation that saw the customer want to cancel their conservatory, but after listening, being diligent and troubleshooting the situation, the customer left with a conservatory and an overall happy experience. They even gave Gold Lake Conservatories a five-star review.

I would make this section quite snappy, hiring managers are remarkably busy and will not have the time to go through every qualification and achievement you have obtained.

Fourth Paragraph – Why You Are the Right Person for the Job

This is the paragraph where you explain to the hiring manager why you are the right person for the job, or in other words, why they should choose you.

This is where your previous research of the company will come into play.

You could mention how working at the company would motivate you to develop your current skill set and excel in what you’re good at, or you could pull out something specific from the job description and focus on that.

Remember to show the company what you can bring that will benefit them and their organization.

This could read like:

I can see that Porter and Hodge specialize in top-quality produce, and when I worked at an organic food store, I learned a lot about each product. This helped me increase my experience in this area. I would love your company to benefit from my knowledge of fresh produce.

Don’t hold back, if you have something the company can benefit from, make sure to let them know, this could be the key thing to take you through to the interview stage.

Fifth Paragraph – Closing Statement and Sign Off

The final paragraph can be quite daunting as this is your last chance to make a lasting impression. End the letter sounding motivated and excited to hear back from the hiring manager.

You could say:

Thank you so much for considering me for this application, I am really excited about this role and am eager to discuss the Customer Service Executive role further. You can contact me by email or telephone if you need any further information.

For the final sign off, end the letter with a professional ‘Sincerely’ and then your full name.

Customer Service Cover Letter Tips

1. Demonstrate That Customer Service Motivates You

A successful customer service executive needs to portray that helping people is their passion and assisting people troubleshoot problems is their motivation.

This enthusiasm will need to be seen in your cover letter through pertinent examples.

2. Use Personal Experiences as Examples

Do not be afraid to get personal and use any anecdotes the hiring manager may find interesting or relevant.

This could be heart-warming exchanges with a reoccurring customer you have built a strong rapport with, or a negative situation you have turned into a positive.

3. Make Your Cover Letter Relevant to the Company You Are Applying To

This should go without saying, but you should tailor each customer service cover letter to the company you are applying to.

A generic cover letter will bore the hiring manager and prevent them from reading the rest of the letter. Do your homework.

4. Check, Check, Check

There’s nothing worse than a poorly written cover letter. Hiring managers will pick up on grammatical errors immediately and take this as a lack of diligence, they may also lose trust in your thoroughness.

Use a spell checker and other tools to ensure each part of your cover letter is correct and easy to read.

Example Customer Service Cover Letter

Here is an example cover letter to inspire you:

[Your Full Name]
[Home Address]
[Contact Number]
[Date]

Dear Hiring Manager [or Name of Hiring Manager – if you know it],

I am excited to be applying for the Customer Service Executive role at Proctor and Hodge Produce. I am a fast learner, thrive under pressure, and have a passion for customer services. Working independently or as part of a team comes easily to me and I am competent in a range of computer software systems. My listening skills and due diligence help me to troubleshoot any issues that may arise and building a rapport with people comes easily to me.

During my previous role at Gold Lake Conservatories, I oversaw handling customer queries and escalations in a patient and reassuring way. My impeccable service to customers was picked up on by higher management and commended with various accolades, including but not limited to employee of the month awards.

My professionalism and eagerness are showcased in everything I do, and I like to ensure my enthusiasm spreads to my peers and colleagues so we can work together in a happy and nourishing environment. I endeavor to receive good feedback from leadership, colleagues, and my customer base – a good experience for all is imperative.

Thank you so much for considering me for this position. I look forward to speaking to you further about the Customer Service Executive position at Proctor and Hodge Produce. Developing my skill set and flourishing in this role is my aim. If you need any further information from me, you can contact me via cell or email.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

Final Thoughts

The final thing to think about before writing your own customer service cover letter is how you can appeal to the hiring manager and stand out from the crowd. Focus on what makes you different from other candidates.

Remember to keep things succinct, informative and concise.