CVs & Cover Letters
Retail Cover Letter Example & Expert Writing Tips
In this post, we’ll focus on the role of Customer Service Assistant and share expert tips on writing a cover letter that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | 10 Aug 2020
Retail is a great career choice, with many different directions to explore and loads of scope for professional growth. It’s almost impossible to summarise here because retail covers everything from food and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to luxury fashion, and from homeware & DIY to beauty & self-care. The good news is there are lots of opportunities for career development, and for those with a sense of adventure, a career in retail could literally take you anywhere in the world.
In this post, we’ll focus on the role of Customer Service Assistant and share some expert tips on writing a cover letter that makes you stand out from the crowd.
What are employers looking for?
Customer Service Assistants fulfil a vital role in retail and have become even more crucial to the customer experience since the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll be there to make sure the customer is at the heart of the retail experience and you’ll need to be proactive, enthusiastic, friendly and willing to learn everything you can about the store’s products and customer demographic. Far from being an easy choice, this really isn’t the job for everyone. Employers are looking for someone who can exude energy, enthusiasm and friendliness all day, every day, even when they’ve been on their feet for hours. Someone who bounces back after criticism learns from mistakes and keeps smiling even after a customer has been rude, or a colleague unsupportive. It’s often a job in which a strong team is a great advantage, so team players and team builders are highly valued.Key points for your cover letter
Your cover letter should highlight flexibility in working hours, a passion for helping people, an understanding of the customer journey and the impact of individual touchpoints, and the resilience to deal with complaints and difficult conversations. You may also be active for most of your shift depending on the nature and layout store, so this could be a role for someone who has high energy and loves to be constantly on the move. Experience of teamwork is an advantage here, even if that’s outside of a work context. The role of Customer Service Assistant rarely requires previous experience as on the job training will always be provided, but if you can include examples of teamwork, or demonstrate a real passion for helping people, you can make sure you sound like a great candidate.Tone and style
Retail is a sector in which enthusiasm and customer focus is everything. Check out the company website before you write your letter and you’ll invariably see bright images, smiling faces, company slogans and attractive visual merchandising. Familiarise yourself with the brand, the target audience and the company mission before you start writing your letter. The tone & style will vary slightly depending on the company’s focus. For example, a brand targeting fast fashion may have a style that suggests excitement and informality, a luxury retailer may focus more on professionalism and high-end customer care, and a supermarket maybe somewhere in between - warm and friendly but still with a professional edge. Pitch your letter to match their tone and you’ll create a positive bias from the outset.Retail cover letter example showcasing best practice
Below is a sample retail cover letter that puts the tips we've talked through into practice. Go ahead and download the template as a Word Document here and use it as a starting point for writing your own cover letter.To: [Name of Recruiting Manager, Name of Business, City & Postcode] Re: [Title of vacant position; Job Ref where known] Dear [Joe] [Mr. Bloggs] [Recruiting Officer] [Sir/Madam] I am pleased to submit my application for the role of Customer Assistant at [insert company name] and to attach my CV for your attention. I am a confident communicator who enjoys meeting new people. As a Customer Assistant at [insert company name], I gained valuable experience in providing a quality service, understanding luxury brands, meeting challenging targets/KPIs and building rapport with a broad customer base. Whilst the needs of customers vary from store to store, there are similarities at the heart of customer service no matter where you work. These include a clean, tidy store, great visual merchandising, and friendly staff who are readily available to answer questions, offer great product knowledge, assess individual customer needs, and help diverse consumers to make informed choices. As a fast & efficient learner I can pick up product information easily and I am always pleased to build relationships with customers and leverage their specific needs to guide their purchases. My natural enthusiasm and energy are a great bonus in retail, helping to boost sales and increase customer & team confidence. Passionate about the buzz of great teamwork, I am an enthusiastic team player with the ability to bring people together and promote team spirit. I love a challenge; I have experience in complaints’ handling and I am resilient enough to bounce back after a difficult transaction - ready to greet the next customer with a smile and a positive attitude. I have found my niche and I am excited to learn more, develop further and keep providing great customer assistance by joining the team at [insert company name]. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, Name Goes Here 0123 456 7890
Glassdoor Team
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