Life of a peon
What comes to mind when you think of customer service? Is it the cringe of possible bad attitudes? Is it the possibility of walking into a store and never having anyone available to you for help? Many things come to mind when we think about customer service; but do we really take the time to understand what it is like for the actual employees in that profession? It is hard to imagine unless you are actually in that profession. The hardship that a person has to go through by being in customer service will make anyone want to change careers. True, no matter what job you are in, you deal with customer service but what is it to truly live in the bad side of customer service? The mall, the one place that workers dread but need because even though the money is not great, it is still there. Working in the business you deal with frustrated customers that are in a hurry and cannot find what they need. People who leave clothes in the dressing room and who steal from the store.
Some customers might even yell in your face because you cannot give them what they want. What has to be done is for you to keep your cool. Always think that this customer might be having the worst day of their life and might not think about how they are treating you. However, there are those customers who just do not care. There is an area of professionalism one must keep to make the work easier. It is hard to look the other way and to not take things personal. The first reaction is to make a face, roll your eyes and think how nasty this person is being. However, realize it is not you; it is something that has affected their life. Professionalism is at its best when working with the public. Building a rep-or with people is very important, it can give that person a better outlook on life and ease the pain and suffering that they are going through. Yes this type of profession can get frustrating at times and all you want to do is quit. Never take this road. It can always be worse, and so could someone else's life. You have to take into consideration the energy it takes to deal with different types of people and situations.
Take a moment next time you are at a store or in line for a coffee and put yourself in their shoes. It might make you think how to treat them. Show some appreciation for them because most of them are hard workers to; they just might not be as lucky as you are in your life. Take a moment to thank them, to smile or even leave a tip for your barista. Everyone needs a little kindness in their life, even if it is for just a few moments. Its contagious and trust me, they will smile back.
