The majority of college attendees are there to get a degree so they can get a job doing something they love. A job that will support whatever lifestyle they desire, one that makes them eager to get out of bed in the morning. However, there is an (average) of a four year gap between the time you graduate high school and the time you get hired to do whatever it is you desire to do. That four year gap is what we call college–the process, the journey, the path taken to get to the finish line and get that job. During this four year gap, they have to find a job for the meantime, one that will help them along the journey financially as well as give them work experience. Most of these temporary jobs reside either in the food or retail business.
I have worked in both.
I started my experience in retail as a sales associate, which I did love, but I moved onto serving once I reached college, and man, do I love it. But, like any other customer service job, it's not always easy. Before I had my experience being a sales associate and then being a waitress, I had never realized how intense and harsh some people can be. I have had numerous people blow up at me over something that they themselves misunderstood, and had to stand there and take it because "the customer is always right." I have had numerous people blame me for things that I had no control over and weren't my fault. Have people forgotten that you're not supposed to shoot the messenger? And then to have to apologize to them for them being upset, man, that truly takes something out of you. On the bright side, however, it really teaches you important lessons that you will reflect on for the rest of your life.
Being on the other side has taught me that I will never again take any irritation, anger or dissatisfaction out on the server or customer service provider (unless he/she is truly doing a poor job and isn't even trying, because there are definitely people like that). Being on the other side has taught me that never again will I leave a crappy tip, because I now know that servers make $3.35 an hour and rely 99% on tips, and never again will I use the excuse of "I can't afford to tip well," because tipping is part of the meal and if I can't afford to tip as well, I can't afford the meal. I now realize that customer service positions are not as easy and as much of a cake walk as they are made out to be.
I genuinely do believe that everyone should be required to work in customer service for at least a year, because only then will everyone have an understanding of how hard the majority of us work to make the customers' experience wonderful. The world would simply be a better place if less people were ignorant and had more compassion and understanding.
