It's probably not news to most that I worked at a bank this summer. In addition to getting the chance to save up money and work with some really great people, it was the first job that I had where I really had to deal with all sorts of people, 100% of the time. Sure, I had worked in food services before, but there was always the chance to escape to the back to fill up syrup bottles or let someone else take over the register. And being the shy and non-confrontational person that I am, I was pretty nervous to interact with new people for 8 hours a day, especially if there was a problem.
Now, I'm not saying that after a summer of doing this, I'm suddenly a customer service expert - it's quite the opposite, actually. I am definitely, by no means, the number one person to come to when there's a problem. However, I did walk away from this job with much more knowledge than when I started. Here are a few things that customer service taught me about people and life (not to get too deep, but...):
Patience is a virtue.
I thought I was a patient person before I started working at the bank, but I didn't know quite what I was getting myself in to. Let's be real - dealing with people is hard. It's probably the hardest thing I've done. And people will challenge you in ways that you've never experienced. But being able to politely handle any situation in front of you without getting too upset or worse, crying (which, maybe I'm guilty of...oops) is something that I think will absolutely come in handy later.
On the other hand, one moment can also ruin someone's day. When you're working in customer service, you see people for a total of ten minutes, maybe fifteen, tops. Something I've learned to remember is that this is just a tiny chunk of somebody's whole day: they've had a whole life before, and they're doing to have their whole life after, which means anything could've just happened to them before they walked through the doors and up to you. When a customer is being especially short with you, perhaps they've been through a rough morning. Similarly, I think after working this position, I now think about the flip side of this when I walk into a business -- maybe the cashier just dealt with a really awful customer, or maybe something at home ruined their morning, you never know...
I think it's important to remember that even though you are a fraction of someone's day, how you treat them can really change their outlook. I've had both really mean and really nice customers who have consequentially made my day either bad or good, just from the few minutes I spent talking to them. Personality and disposition are contagious, y'all. If you smile at someone, they might just be smiling the whole day. It sounds awfully cliche, but it's also very true.
One moment can make someone's day.
On the other hand, one moment can also ruin someone's day. When you're working in customer service, you see people for a total of ten minutes, maybe fifteen, tops. Something I've learned to remember is that this is just a tiny chunk of somebody's whole day: they've had a whole life before, and they're doing to have their whole life after, which means anything could've just happened to them before they walked through the doors and up to you. When a customer is being especially short with you, perhaps they've been through a rough morning. Similarly, I think after working this position, I now think about the flip side of this when I walk into a business -- maybe the cashier just dealt with a really awful customer, or maybe something at home ruined their morning, you never know...
I think it's important to remember that even though you are a fraction of someone's day, how you treat them can really change their outlook. I've had both really mean and really nice customers who have consequentially made my day either bad or good, just from the few minutes I spent talking to them. Personality and disposition are contagious, y'all. If you smile at someone, they might just be smiling the whole day. It sounds awfully cliche, but it's also very true.
Small talk is an art.
Sounds funny, I know, but it's true. I've always been awkward and not super talkative, so having to learn how to talk to people is something that made me a little uncomfortable. It's different than acting (at least, to me it is) in that you don't have lines you've memorized and you don't know what the other person will say. On the plus side, it makes things like interviews and first dates a little easier.
Being nice doesn't mean being a doormat.
This is easily the lesson that affected me the most. Here's a tip: You can be nice to someone and still be strong and confident. When I first started working at the bank, one little mistake would lead to me apologizing profusely. It's easy to get lost in "the customer is always right" (and from a business standpoint, that's absolutely true); however, it didn't take me very long to realize that this was something I too often applied to my own life. I know I have a bad habit of apologizing for things that I had no involvement in, and sometimes will go out of my way to diffuse a situation. But the longer I was in this job, the more I realized that being kind doesn't equal being submissive. I think more people need to realize that you can be polite and still be empowered.
I was glad to work this job over the summer (even if I decided it wasn't going to be my career; you can read about that here), because it ended up being more helpful to me than I thought. I grew in ways I didn't expect to this summer because I had to learn a new skill set and perform well at a job I had never even thought about before. When I got back to school, I felt like a whole new me -- in a good way.
Tell me, have you learned anything from a job that you've had? What kind of job was it?
Lots of love,
I was glad to work this job over the summer (even if I decided it wasn't going to be my career; you can read about that here), because it ended up being more helpful to me than I thought. I grew in ways I didn't expect to this summer because I had to learn a new skill set and perform well at a job I had never even thought about before. When I got back to school, I felt like a whole new me -- in a good way.
Tell me, have you learned anything from a job that you've had? What kind of job was it?
Lots of love,
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