Working in customer service is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. There is no feeling better than improving someone's experience at your establishment, whether it's a grocery store, golf course, or 5-star resort. Not only is working in customer service rewarding, but you can also learn many life lessons from it.
1. It teaches you to be patient and understanding when the tables are turned
Working in customer service can be extremely stressful, and sometimes things upset customers that are completely out of your control. The best thing to do in these moments is to sincerely apologize and offer your best solution. One of the best lessons you learn from working in customer service is learning how to be patient with other customer service representatives when you're the customer. Not only does it make you a more patient person all around, but it is also extremely relieving for the employee when they have a relaxed customer during stressed times. Just imagine if that was you on the other side of the desk!
2. It gives you a new appreciation when you receive excellent customer service
If you work or have worked in customer service, you know that some people naturally suck at it. There are plenty of people, especially in this generation, that just don't want to help people but have no other career path they can go into (it's a harsh reality, unfortunately). It sucks when you receive really bad customer service, but having experience on the other side also teaches you to appreciate dedicated, hard-working customer service employees. After working in the customer service field, you will never take for granted when employees genuinely care and treat you with high priority.
3. You can tell when a customer service representative is stalling you until someone who is more knowledgeable can actually help
This is one of the most unexpected lessons I've learned from customer service. It is true that customer service representatives don't always know the answer to everything. Sometimes reinforcements have to be called in to solve the problem. In order to please the troubled guest, you want to do this in a timely and effective manner. You want to accept the challenge head on to let the customer know that you are prioritizing their concern, even if you don't know the answer.
4. You know how to make a customer service representative's day.
There are secret tricks to making a customer service worker smile and improve their day, and no it doesn't involve cracking jokes when the item you want to purchase doesn't scan. One of the most important things you can do to make someone's day, and this could be anyone you run into, is to simply ask them how their day is going. It is the most underrated form of flattery among customer service employees to this day. Most customers are too wrapped up in whatever they're doing on their cell phones that even us, the employees who are required to ask how your day is, can't get a word in.
5. There's no such thing as a stupid question
This couldn't be truer. No matter what the question, never be afraid to ask an employee. I couldn't tell you how many times I couldn't find a simple grocery item throughout the entire store, and it ended up being right in front of my face after I asked someone about it. No good-hearted customer service employee is going to judge you for asking questions; it's what we're here for.
