Having a job, no matter your age or education status, is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of life. All jobs come with pros and cons, however as most would agree there is one type of job that comes with a diverse pool of them. The world of customer service jobs is unlike anything else. Whether you are working in the food industry, retail or any other job where “the customer is always right,” you will find yourself facing many triumphs alongside many tribulations.
There are so many positives that come along with working a customer service job, but along with those positives follow many negatives. Having to always put a smile on your face, always telling the customer they are right when they are definitely wrong and always trying your best to satisfy everyone involved can quickly become stressful and completely exhausting. Striving to achieve all around perfection for the customer you are serving is a large part of the job and of customer service which can become a negative aspect when perfection can, a lot of the time, be unattainable. Mistakes will be made and depending on the type of customer you are dealing with, you will either find hope for humanity or leave your job feeling completely defeated. This realm of work is filled with much excitement, community and the positive feeling of serving others but definitely comes with an immense amount of challenges.
Students who decide to take on the responsibility of maintaining a job alongside dealing with the stress of school are more than brave. There is no denying that being a college student, while rewarding as it is, also takes a toll on an individual. It is hard enough to organize and schedule study times around your classes without adding a work schedule on top of all of that. Being a student with a customer service job is the definition of draining. One has to focus to study and complete assignments in the way in which their professors want them to and when they are done satisfying them, they must work to satisfy the customers at their job.
During the holidays, being an employee in a customer service setting can be a challenging and tiring aspect of life. You will most likely be working double the amount you usually do due to the spike in business that follows holidays, such as Christmas. During these times of the year, customers will also most likely be extra particular about anything that they are spending their hard-earned money on. The holidays are the time of the year where the phrase “the customer is always right” takes on a whole new meaning to the employees of this industry as they work diligently to accommodate twice as many customers as they normally do, while trying to maintain the same level of accommodation and perfection as usual.
As many would agree COVID-19 has made life much more difficult for everyone. However, employees in the customer service industry have been affected in an undeniable way. As if their jobs were not challenging enough, they must now maintain their work ethic and diligence under the microscope that is COVID-19 rules and regulations. Trying to communicate with a customer is difficult enough and adding a mask to the mix creates a communication barrier that quickly turns into a nightmare for the customer as well as the employee. Aspects such as wait times in restaurants have also been greatly affected during this time as customers want timely service within COVID-19 safe environments.
Overall, being an employee working in the customer service industry definitely comes with its highs and its lows. There are many ways we can make their jobs easier by communicating and showing empathy, especially during these current times. Whether you are a student juggling a serving job alongside exams, a barista trying to make as many peppermint mochas as the holiday season allots for or any other customer service employee doing their best to work under COVID-19 guidelines, your job is vital and immensely appreciated.