Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor
Earlier this school year, for the first time, I decided to get a job working in the food service industry. It was the first real customer service position I had ever gotten, and it has already taught me so much.
In the few months I’ve worked this job, I have experienced a plethora of questionable interactions with people; I’ve had people come up to me at the front counter and pretend to “make it rain” with dollar bills, I’ve had a woman come up to me and scream in my face for something I didn’t do, I’ve had endless sighs and comments such as “really?”, or “you’ve got to be kidding” thrown at me due to the fact that I didn’t have specific food ready — that we don’t even advertise as having ready. Not to mention, numerous inappropriate comments about my appearance, prank calls and eye gazes have been gestured towards me.
I want, for just one second, any one of these people to step into my shoes — my incredibly uncomfortable, non-slip shoes, that is. Then they might understand why none of this is okay. They’d understand what I go through on a daily basis; I work anywhere between six to 10 hours in a given shift, my breaks are short, I’m running all over the place trying to get things done quickly and, all the while, I have to make sure that I have a smile on my face and that customers are being served very quickly. When you have the added factor of difficult customers that are for some reason “always right,” it can be exhausting.
In no way am I trying to throw myself a pity-party — I chose to take on this position and this workload. That being said, I honestly think that if at some point in everyone’s life they worked a customer-service job, I wouldn’t have to deal with these kinds of problems.
Working customer service is a great way to learn about several important aspects of life. You learn how to be more patient. Being on the other end of the counter teaches you how things work. There are times where I have 10 orders in front of someone, and they get upset if they have to wait 10 minutes. I’m sorry, did you want me to just magically make those tickets disappear? You have to wait your turn, and if you were in my position, you’d understand that.
You also learn how kindness can go a long way. A nice comment or a “keep up the good work” can actually put a genuine smile on my face. And finally, you learn why you should be understanding and respectful of the people who are serving you.
On the other hand, customer service can offer so many other great things. You learn about the lives of people that you otherwise wouldn’t have known. For instance, I’m beginning to learn the names of several regulars and about the many things that go on in their lives. Just asking “how has your day been?” has led to several conversations with random people, and often times it really brightens their day to have someone to talk to. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
While I have had several experiences that make me question why people are the way they are, I’m beginning to notice a pattern. Most of my frustrating experiences have been with people of an older generation. The younger ones are typically more respectful and willing to wait and work with me rather than just immediately get upset and throw a fit. It almost feels as if the older generation has become so removed from what it means to work a customer service job that they have higher expectations than what can actually be met. However, the consideration coming from the younger customers seems like a positive sign to me; the future is bright and the younger generation has a more empathetic attitude that is understanding and respectful towards customer service employees. I hope that carries on over time.
As for everyone else, you may want to consider picking up a customer service position at some point. Maybe then you can begin to understand why things happen the way they do, and why you shouldn’t be blatantly impolite toward the people who are serving you. But, hey, if you’re going to be disrespectful, at the very least, could you leave a tip?
Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
