diff --git a/doc/source/cli/command-objects/compute-service.rst b/doc/source/cli/command-objects/compute-service.rst
index 45e781e298..a76a9c26b9 100644
--- a/doc/source/cli/command-objects/compute-service.rst
+++ b/doc/source/cli/command-objects/compute-service.rst
@@ -18,13 +18,19 @@ Delete compute service(s)
 .. _compute_service_delete-service:
 .. describe:: <service>
 
-    Compute service(s) to delete (ID only)
+    Compute service(s) to delete (ID only). If using
+    ``--os-compute-api-version`` 2.53 or greater, the ID is a UUID which can
+    be retrieved by listing compute services using the same 2.53+ microversion.
 
 compute service list
 --------------------
 
 List compute services
 
+Using ``--os-compute-api-version`` 2.53 or greater will return the ID as a
+UUID value which can be used to uniquely identify the service in a multi-cell
+deployment.
+
 .. program:: compute service list
 .. code:: bash
 
diff --git a/openstackclient/compute/v2/service.py b/openstackclient/compute/v2/service.py
index 80c0be7ecb..625c0fad3a 100644
--- a/openstackclient/compute/v2/service.py
+++ b/openstackclient/compute/v2/service.py
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ class DeleteService(command.Command):
             "service",
             metavar="<service>",
             nargs='+',
-            help=_("Compute service(s) to delete (ID only)")
+            help=_("Compute service(s) to delete (ID only). If using "
+                   "``--os-compute-api-version`` 2.53 or greater, the ID is "
+                   "a UUID which can be retrieved by listing compute services "
+                   "using the same 2.53+ microversion.")
         )
         return parser
 
@@ -60,7 +63,11 @@ class DeleteService(command.Command):
 
 
 class ListService(command.Lister):
-    _description = _("List compute services")
+    _description = _("List compute services. Using "
+                     "``--os-compute-api-version`` 2.53 or greater will "
+                     "return the ID as a UUID value which can be used to "
+                     "uniquely identify the service in a multi-cell "
+                     "deployment.")
 
     def get_parser(self, prog_name):
         parser = super(ListService, self).get_parser(prog_name)