When looking for a job, most people are trying to trade up. Whether it’s for the purpose of higher wages, a better position, a new career field, leverage for raise or promotion discussions with a current employer or just as a way to get out of unemployment, no one wants to go down a few notches. But stepping down to a more “basic” level, one that far too many people have passed, can be a great advantage. After all, this is where critical and crucial lessons and competencies that are all too frequently overlooked are learned and put into practice.
So if you’re scrounging for work, consider a job in customer service. And by customer service, I mean retail, food services, call centers, and so on. The pay might not be as much as you’d like, but there are 7 crucial lessons that you’ll learn:
- See what people are really like. Customer service workers get shat on by the general population more than most would care to admit. Dealing with yelling, screaming, tantrums, illogical demands (not requests) and threats of physical violence from customers is a bit more common than you may have been led to believe. You’ll learn firsthand the power of kindness, tact, politeness, and a smile. And you may even see how to correct some of these behaviors in yourself.
- Learn to speak more plainly and with greater tact. Tying in with #1, you will have to attempt to defuse the situation and resolve any problem, because “the customer is always right.” Also, you’ll have to develop more universal speaking skills, meaning that you will find yourself forced to communicate with others more clearly to avoid misunderstandings. So say goodbye to slang and/or grandiloquence, and hello to simple word structure and concise speech patterns!
- See what it’s like on that side of the counter. Many people don’t realize what it’s like to be working in customer service, because they haven’t. By being on the working side of the equation, you will learn what makes a good customer, which will help to improve your own interactions with other customer service workers.
- Learn humility. Much like Thor, your experiences in customer service will require you to learn how to be more humble and polite. As explained in #1 and #2, you will be acquiescing to some interesting requests, and your job’s responsibilities may not be anyone’s idea of a good time. But not only will the experience make you more appreciative of a desk and janitors, it will also teach you how to keep your emotions and opinions in check to become a more effective employee.
- Discover how to fight for your job. With high turnover rates, low wages and at-will employment, many customer service workers must deal with the Sword of Damocles known as Being Fired For Any Infraction. As such, you may grow more conscious of your actions and become a more diligent worker.
- See the Peter Principle in action. The Peter Principle, which you can see every Thursday at 9 PM/8 Central, states that people get promoted as far as they can go until they are no longer competent. Unfortunately, many of your superiors in customer service are perfect examples of this. Whether it’s due to being unable to adapt or general floundering at a level of greater professional responsibility, you will see many examples of managers who should not have been promoted. On the plus side, you will learn what makes a good manager (or a bad one), and might find some useful tips and tricks for when you find yourself in a leadership role.
- Employee discount. That’s why you really took the job in the first place, isn’t it?
