Customer Service

Let me start this off by saying I love my job. I can see myself doing this same thing for many years. I work in a place that has high tourist traffic and my job is Guest Services. (No, I won't tell you exactly where I work, but thanks for asking)

At this job, I have to be the expert. I have to know the rules, the black and white, and also where the grey areas lie. That's where I do my best work and offer the most help, the grey area. On a typical day, I help a couple hundred people with answers to the smallest, simple questions like where the bathroom is located. Others are not so simple and require a lot of problem solving skills to figure out the best solution.

There are many people that would say my job is unskilled, or doesn’t require a degree of any sorts. That last part is true, but I wouldn’t say it is unskilled. Not everyone, with a degree or not, can read people, handle various problems back to back, and keep as many people happy at the same time. Anyone who thinks they can simply jump into a job like that, is lying to themselves.

98% of the time, my job and range of knowledge is either appreciated, or taken for granted. It takes a lot of natural talent to memorize all the basic information and bring to the forefront the exact piece of information needed for the moment. Not to mention, the constant changes that occur, that you must be aware of, and not provide inaccurate information on accident.

No matter where you work, especially when face to face with the general public, there will always be those people that seem to take their bad day or bad situation out on you. You get to be the proverbial punching bag for their words, and emotions which have accumulated up to that interaction. It is very difficult when you are the worker in these situations to remain calm, and not to meet the Guest with their energy. It takes much practice and patience (and anxiety medication for some) to simply smile, and ask what else you can do for them. It goes back to the whole debate about unskilled labor.

To those people, I say, maybe take a step back, and think about that person you are talking to. Appreciate their vast knowledge, the fact they are just trying to pay bills, and, at the heart of the matter, a fellow human trying to survive the day. Someone in my job or similar, doesn't usually do that job unless they do like helping people and get some satisfaction out of making a difference, no matter how small in the vast scheme of things. Many people in my department, I would label as an empath. We are not going out of our way to make your day worse. We want you to have the best day possible.

Sometimes, the answer to your inquiry will end up being a no. Usually that no is due to safety, company policy, or it is simply not within the scope of possibility. Most humans are not purposefully wanting to make you mad, or just to see what buttons we can push as if it is some sadistic psychological experiment of humanity.

When you are in the position of a customer the next time, take a step back and put yourself in their shoes for a moment. And maybe just be kind. Maybe, just maybe, the old saying holds true, that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Perhaps if you are kind, you can get closer to what you want to achieve.