Customer service is a pesky job that puts every other job in perspective. Nothing, I mean nothing, can give a person more perspective on domestic life than working in customer service. Except maybe working behind the elephants in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade -- that job stinks (ba-dum-tsk!). But you can always tell if someone has worked in customer service by the way they treat people and approach life. Let me tell you: if someone hasn’t worked in customer service, they are likely very, very, VERY entitled. I’ve come across several examples in life dealing with people who obviously never helped a single soul in their life, and who probably never worked a day in their life, or were employed by family or friends and worked with little to no repercussions.
My favorite example is an acquaintance of mine who was complaining about some service in a Denny’s. As they texted me, I happened to look at the clock and realize it was around midnight, which meant it was around 2 a.m. their time (they were in school around mid-state). I pressed for more information, as in exactly what was wrong with the service. They said that their drinks were taking too long, and that the waitress was rude. I finally asked how many people were working, and they answered “two." But the real kicker was when I asked how many of their friends were present in the restaurant. The grand total: 12. Twelve people, in a restaurant, at 2 o’clock in the morning. No wonder the waitress was a little but upset. That is incredibly late for a party of that magnitude to sit down in a restaurant and expect good service. The waitresses are tired, as are the cooks. and the last thing they want to deal with is 12 people (boisterous freshmen in college) walking into their store. The more and more they complained, the more and more aggravated I became at the size of their ignorance as to the poor waitresses.
Another great example that I have is a man who happened to come to my register at Starbucks (I am a past employee; I do not work there anymore). This was in the middle of the Starbucks "scandal" in which they removed the decorations from their cups, and one loud-mouthed YouTuber declared that Starbucks hated Christmas. I can list a hundred reasons why it was pure BS. Anyway, a tall but plump man approached my register in the morning. He was old, white-haired and mustached, and looked like he needed to lay off the mochas. I remember specifically he ordered a large (venti, for those who only speak Starbuckian) nonfat mocha. When I was finished ringing him up, I politely asked for his name. (Quick sidetrack, the YouTuber called for people to tell Starbucks employees that their name was “Merry Christmas” in order to force us to say it.). Well, this large, old man leaned in closer to me (he was about eight inches from my face) raised his voice to near shouting, and said “Merry Christmas!” My initial reaction was to upper cut the fool, but I decided not to in order to preserve my job.
Anyone and everyone should work customer service, as it gives a great perspective into the lives of the people behind the counter. It doesn’t hurt to also help them out a little too. If your order is complicated, go slowly and don’t expect them to remember everything. Something delivered to your table wrong? Probably not the server’s fault, there are several stages in the process, and if the restaurant is busy, they are probably very overwhelmed. Just be even a tiny bit sympathetic to those who work in the customer service business.
One last thing. If your order isn’t brought to your table, you shouldn’t expect the employees to pick up after you. I’m talking to you, people who leave trash on tables in cafes. There are trashcans LITERALLY on your way out the door. Come on.
