10 Life Lessons I Learned From Working in Customer Service
Almost all of my jobs were from working in customer service. A handful of them had something to do with hospitality too.
Even though customer service wasn’t a glamorous opportunity, it still taught me some valuable lessons in life.
Dare I say, some of those lessons are as valuable as gold.
So today, I wanted to share some of those lessons with you. Some lessons are more common than others but I hope you’ll learn a thing or two from this story.
1. Be kind
It literally costs nothing to be a kind person. Especially if you’re in a position where you’re providing service to someone, it’s important to be a decent person.
For example: Do you want your waiter to roll their eyes at you while they take your order and then toss your food on the table? Probably not.
So, be mindful and kind about how you treat your customers when you’re providing service to them.
2. Professional boundaries with co-workers
Even the nicest co-worker at work can be the most devious person on the team.
Long story short, I got played by my co-worker. When I saw their true colors, I realized how messed up some people can be in this world.
That situation also taught me that looks are deceiving. Just because someone looks nice, it doesn’t mean they are nice.
My best advice is to keep a professional boundary between you and your co-workers. This isn’t the case for everybody but some co-workers are better off at a distance.
3. The customer isn’t always right…
But you can always find the right way to help them.
If the customer makes a mistake or says something wrong about a product or service, just kindly correct them.
They’re humans at the end of the day. No one is perfect. No one is always right.
4. Some managers play favorites
This isn’t always a problem, but some managers have a favorite person on the team. Some managers will make it obvious that they like one person over the other.
Unfortunately, you can’t change your manager’s perception of someone or tell them to stop playing favorites.
You can only do your job and hope that you don’t stir any drama with your manager.
My advice is to be on your manager’s good side. That doesn’t mean you have to say yes to every single one of their command. You just have to be reasonable and professional around them.
5. Mind your own business
If it has nothing to do with you, don’t make it your issue.
In my opinion, there’s a fine line between standing up for someone and inserting yourself into a situation that has nothing to do with you.
I had a group leader who didn’t know their boundaries. They were nosy, blunt, and rude. They thrived off of gossiping and humiliating people.
Trust me, you don’t want to be associated with someone who likes to gossip and start drama. So, be mindful of who you associate yourself with at work. Some people are just there for the drama.
6. Gossiping? Thank you, next…
In the real world, no one who has a decent life will make time to gossip about nonsense things. So focus on your grind, your work, and spread positivity around you.
Trust me, the world needs a little bit more love these days.
7. Breathe before you talk
Whenever a customer does something to upset me, I learned to take a step back and just breathe.
For some reason, I feel better after I take a moment to gather my thoughts together. I think rationally and I don’t say anything that will amplify the situation more.
8. Yes, some customers are rude…
But you don’t have to be rude back to them.
As long as you’re a decent person who knows how to use common courtesy, the customer can’t put anything against you.
I mean, you can’t report someone who uses please, thank you, and have a nice day, right?
From my experience, there will be some customers who are going to be rude to you for no reason.
My advice is to always handle the situation professionally. If all goes left, report to your manager ASAP! You don’t have to fight and argue with the customers.
9. Everybody at work is your teacher
Some co-workers and managers will help you become a better person. Others will teach you not to make the same mistakes as them.
Either way, your co-workers and manager(s) are your teachers.
Be thankful for the obstacles and lessons you’ve learned at work. I promise you’ll most likely take that knowledge with you and apply it to different situations in your life.
10. If you don’t know them personally, don’t take what they say personally
If you want to survive customer service, you have to grow a little bit of thick skin.
You have to remember that some customers will say comments that won’t be pleasant to your ears.
Therefore, you can do one of the two things:
- Absorb the customer’s comment and feel upset about it.
- You can toss their judgment to the side and move on with your life.