Books and websites are full of free-for-the-taking tips and tricks for a kinder, gentler job search. There are free samples of virtually every kind of cover letter you can imagine - from teaching to taxidermy. Customer service, a wide and varied industry, is no exception to the rule. Advice on searching for a job in this field is every bit as diverse as the field itself. Just because the advice is free does not mean you should take it. A pre-formatted template cover letter will not provide the kind of information a hiring manager is seeking. When looking for a competent customer service professional hiring managers have a strong sense of what a business needs and are looking for a candidate to satisfy those needs. Your cover letter should convince the hiring manager that you are suited for and capable of the job.

All cover letters are on a mission - a mission to spark the reader's desire to learn more about the applicant. The cover letter is the first thing a potential employer sees and hears about you. It should be a head-turner. Keeping the reader's attention is necessary if you want them to make it as far as your resume. A good cover letter is just a hint of what is coming. Touch on achievements and experience without providing too much information. Indicate that more details are available in your resume, pressing the reader on to examine the finer points of your work history.

A bold headline that says something interesting about your customer service skills is a top-notch attention-grabber. Headlines like ?CUSTOMERS ASK FOR ME BY NAME? or ?5 GOOD REASONS WHY I SHOULD WORK FOR YOU? stand out from the boring, impersonal letters that hiring managers are accustomed to reading. If you want your cover letter to stand-up and get noticed right off the bat, cite specific examples to support that eye-catching headline. Let your personal customer service experiences speak for themselves.

Let the hiring manager know that you mean business. Use the first paragraph to establish how you heard about the opening and what you know about the company. Doing a little research on the company's history and purpose builds credibility. Taking the time to learn about the challenges the company faces and the company's goals for the future indicates a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. Customer service professionals must go out of their way on a regular basis. Proving beforehand, that you are willing to go the extra mile of your own volition, speaks volumes about your work ethic to a potential employer.

Written and verbal communication skills are an important part of any customer service position. Being able to understand the needs of the client or customer should be portrayed in your cover letter. Anticipating what the customer will want takes customer service to a whole new level. Use the content and construction of your cover letter to expound upon your ability to communicate effectively and thoroughly. Read the letter out loud to check for readability and comfortable flow. Consider letting a co-worker read over your letter. A different point of view may be the thing your customer service cover letter needs to be complete.

In the end, the customer service cover letter is an indispensable medium of expression. Allow the hiring manager to get to know a little about you as a person while they consider your prior experience and qualifications. Avoid just copying a sample of a free cover letter as a means to an end. Anything that easy cannot possibly hold up to the scrutiny of a manager that is looking for a first-class customer service professional. Spend the additional time to craft your own original thoughts and ideas about customer service into an appealing format. Make the reader believe that you are the one for the position with a combination of certifiable facts and passionate interest in providing quality service that keeps the customer and the company happy. Let your enthusiasm liven up what could be another submission bound for the not-interested pile of boring, run-of-the-mill applications. When the phone rings and the hiring manager asks you to come in for that interview you will be glad that you did.