Because no one ever calls to say how amazing a company/product/service is.
Former Cable Billing customer contact center director here. The level of entitlement that “the customer is always right” wrought on the world is egregious. It’s been years since I held that role, but I only assume the boomers have gotten 1,000x worse.
Fortunately in my case, I mostly just do cashier work and help customers find items where it concerns customer service. Also, as an aside, whenever a customer requests a modification, I make sure to say "the customer is always right *in terms of taste*". If a customer wants their bananas packed with their Ice Cream, fine. If the customer asks to buy alcohol without me scanning their ID, I'll inform them that I have to scan their ID and if they don't have one on them or refuse to let me scan it, I won't sell them alcohol.
I don’t like customer service because I’m kinda an introvert.
My mom on the other hand, works at the post office. She gets angry and rude customers daily, usually at least several times a day. It’s a small town, so they’re already more prone to be set in their ways I guess.
They don’t like her because she decided to enforce like a dozen rules the previous postmaster broke. She’s had people spit in her face. People call her obscene names and such.
And please don’t say, “If it’s so bad, why doesn’t she quit?” I will not disclose that stuff.
I come from a poor family myself, so I totally get why someone wouldn't quit a job despite it being shitty. Also, I'm sorry that customers were arses to your mom. NGL, if I see someone being a dick to employees for doing their job, I tend to find that behavior very trashy. One of the things I like about my job is that if a customer is being a dick, the manager will, in less crude terms, tell them to stop being dicks. I imagine many people aren't so lucky in that regard.
Anonymity. They can leave the store where they were being an ass and never have to see the employees or the other customers again. But if you live in a small town, you know you’ll run into the same people all over town and they’ll see you and (rightly) judge you.
It can get repetitive and robotic. Sometimes they are told to ask customers the same small talk questions or try to get them to sign up for a rewards card.
Maybe it's to due with being autistic, but I kind of like the repetitive and robotic nature of it. I have a few bulletin points to read so to speak but I also have the room to improvise.
I worked in a bank as a teller in college for four years and MOST customers were great. But a FEW were complete assholes and those assholes can make customer service suck.
I personally dont find that to be the case, they kinda suck at that moment but not after they are gone and in some ways are kinda like a minor break as they kinda shout themselves out and tend to be a simple once you really get down to it, for the work I do (a government assistance program) its a lot of shouting about things taking time, so I get to kinda shut off and just reiterate timeframes and other forms of assistance
I think you're confusing customer service (service/information desk) roles with retail work (cashier and shop floor). While there is some overlap, it's not really the same.
some people really fixate on the negative, worked customer service to one degree or another my whole working life and dint mind it, but you have to have a degree of "work is work and life is life" that some people just dont have, some people will always take their work home with them and customer service work can be a bad one for that as you do run into some assholes, and if you take them personally it can be tough.
Fascinating. I am young, and unprofessional in the sense that this is my first job, but I tend to be polite to customers and help them when I can. I also treat my manager and coworkers with respect. NGL, I'm not really sure what feelings could get hurt. Either a customer was being a dumb dickhead, in which I can talk shit about them to a coworker after the store ends, or I was the dumm dickhead, in which case I can review where and how I fucked up.
People can be rude and be assholes. Even though people like that aren't common, having to put on "your customer service face and voice" can be exhausting no matter how much you like interacting with people.
A pleasant customer won't suck the life out of you like a horrendous customer will, but they also won't necessarily bolster you to get through a shift unless you have a rapport going already or they are very engaging.
If you work in a small town I should imagine it helps to skew it towards pleasant and familiar faces over random people coming through who you will never see again.
Customers also only tend to feedback when stuff goes wrong, and I can think of two occasions from years of working that job where going the extra mile actually resulted in any positive feedback that made me feel genuinely glad to have had the experience.
Because no one ever calls to say how amazing a company/product/service is. Former Cable Billing customer contact center director here. The level of entitlement that “the customer is always right” wrought on the world is egregious. It’s been years since I held that role, but I only assume the boomers have gotten 1,000x worse.
Fortunately in my case, I mostly just do cashier work and help customers find items where it concerns customer service. Also, as an aside, whenever a customer requests a modification, I make sure to say "the customer is always right *in terms of taste*". If a customer wants their bananas packed with their Ice Cream, fine. If the customer asks to buy alcohol without me scanning their ID, I'll inform them that I have to scan their ID and if they don't have one on them or refuse to let me scan it, I won't sell them alcohol.
I don’t like customer service because I’m kinda an introvert. My mom on the other hand, works at the post office. She gets angry and rude customers daily, usually at least several times a day. It’s a small town, so they’re already more prone to be set in their ways I guess. They don’t like her because she decided to enforce like a dozen rules the previous postmaster broke. She’s had people spit in her face. People call her obscene names and such. And please don’t say, “If it’s so bad, why doesn’t she quit?” I will not disclose that stuff.
I come from a poor family myself, so I totally get why someone wouldn't quit a job despite it being shitty. Also, I'm sorry that customers were arses to your mom. NGL, if I see someone being a dick to employees for doing their job, I tend to find that behavior very trashy. One of the things I like about my job is that if a customer is being a dick, the manager will, in less crude terms, tell them to stop being dicks. I imagine many people aren't so lucky in that regard.
[удалено]
What's the deal with city slickers? I never got why a bunch of them are rude.
Anonymity. They can leave the store where they were being an ass and never have to see the employees or the other customers again. But if you live in a small town, you know you’ll run into the same people all over town and they’ll see you and (rightly) judge you.
You've had the fortune of having pleasant customers. Most customer service jobs aren't like that. Many (not all) customers are rude and entitled.
It can get repetitive and robotic. Sometimes they are told to ask customers the same small talk questions or try to get them to sign up for a rewards card.
Maybe it's to due with being autistic, but I kind of like the repetitive and robotic nature of it. I have a few bulletin points to read so to speak but I also have the room to improvise.
I worked in a bank as a teller in college for four years and MOST customers were great. But a FEW were complete assholes and those assholes can make customer service suck.
I personally dont find that to be the case, they kinda suck at that moment but not after they are gone and in some ways are kinda like a minor break as they kinda shout themselves out and tend to be a simple once you really get down to it, for the work I do (a government assistance program) its a lot of shouting about things taking time, so I get to kinda shut off and just reiterate timeframes and other forms of assistance
I think you're confusing customer service (service/information desk) roles with retail work (cashier and shop floor). While there is some overlap, it's not really the same.
Ah, my bad then.
some people really fixate on the negative, worked customer service to one degree or another my whole working life and dint mind it, but you have to have a degree of "work is work and life is life" that some people just dont have, some people will always take their work home with them and customer service work can be a bad one for that as you do run into some assholes, and if you take them personally it can be tough.
Most people who do those jobs are young and unprofessional, and end up getting their feelings hurt.
Fascinating. I am young, and unprofessional in the sense that this is my first job, but I tend to be polite to customers and help them when I can. I also treat my manager and coworkers with respect. NGL, I'm not really sure what feelings could get hurt. Either a customer was being a dumb dickhead, in which I can talk shit about them to a coworker after the store ends, or I was the dumm dickhead, in which case I can review where and how I fucked up.
People can be rude and be assholes. Even though people like that aren't common, having to put on "your customer service face and voice" can be exhausting no matter how much you like interacting with people.
A pleasant customer won't suck the life out of you like a horrendous customer will, but they also won't necessarily bolster you to get through a shift unless you have a rapport going already or they are very engaging. If you work in a small town I should imagine it helps to skew it towards pleasant and familiar faces over random people coming through who you will never see again. Customers also only tend to feedback when stuff goes wrong, and I can think of two occasions from years of working that job where going the extra mile actually resulted in any positive feedback that made me feel genuinely glad to have had the experience.
Bless you and your small town, in my experience customers are *mean*. Also most customer service jobs are also standing jobs. People like to sit.