Career Transition: From Wait Staff to Customer Service Rep
August 24th, 2015My son and I were eating dinner at a restaurant soon to be out of business (too bad, the pizza is great!). Our waitress had not found another job and I asked if she’d consider the career transition from wait staff to customer service rep.
Her response, “I’m not qualified to do that”. I asked, “Do you solve customer problems, provide service with a smile, work in a fast paced environment, have excellent listening skills, serve multiple tables in a short window of time, use a computer system, show up to work on time and not call in sick often”?
Her response, “Yes, I do all of those things and am pretty good at them”. “Well then,” I said, “Sounds like you’re qualified to train to become a customer service representative”.
Here’s how to build a resume to help you career transition from working as a restaurant server to a call center/customer service job.
Sample Resume
Step One: List your contact information.
Joan Smith
1234 Mockingbird Circle
Anytown, USA 54321
(555) 555-1212
joansmith@unknown.com
Step Two: List an objective. Your goal is to catch the hiring manager’s eye and stand out from the stack of resumes the pile.
Objective: Waitress voted employee of the month with over two years of experience looking to use my background in listening to customer needs while providing service with a smile in a fast paced environment into a full-time customer service position with XYZ Company.
In this objective, you’re stating your current occupation (waitress), citing a personal, work-related accomplishment (voted employee of the month) focusing on you can benefit the company (experience) and how some of your current skills relate to experience that a customer service representative needs (listening skills, providing service with a smile, working in a fast pace environment).
Step Three: List a summary of qualifications. This is your marketing pitch that lets you further showcase your skills and experience not mentioned in, or tied to your objective.
Summary of Qualifications:
- Remain calm and work well under demanding conditions
- Reliable – worked two years for same employer without missing a day of work
- 100% accuracy rate; consistently served customer the meal ordered, to specification
- Promptly greeted patrons and provided timely attention throughout the dining experience
- Able to think on my feet to quickly resolve customer complaints
- Used computerized system to enter meal orders, beverages
In this summary of qualifications, we convey that as a waitress, she has experience working in a fast paced environment, is on time for work and did not have excessive work absences, has excellent listening and time management skills, can solve problems and is comfortable using computerized tools.
Step Four: List a summary of accomplishments. This shows that you’re a motivated person.
Accomplishments:
- Voted ‘Employee of the Month’, July, 2015, April 2014
- Sold $30,000 of food and beverages to customers during 2014 (note; the restaurant manager should be able to provide you with a record of your sales)
Step Five: List your experience. If you have gaps in employment, briefly mention the circumstance.
Server, Pizza Restaurant, Anytown, WI August 2013 to Present
Responsibilities: Greet guests and make them feel comfortable, learn menu items and be able to describe them appropriately to guests, accurately take beverage and food orders, deliver beverages and food in a timely manner, check-in with guests to ensure that everything is going well, clear dirty dishes from table, refill beverages throughout the meal, deliver guest’s bill and thank them for dining at the restaurant, work with other servers and be a team player.
Step Six: List your education.
Education:
Graduate, West High School, Madison, WI, June, 2013
Are you an experienced waitress or waiter looking to change careers? Build a new resume following this format and email it to the ABR location nearest you.