I am a firm believer that everyone should work in customer service at least once in their life. There are many times an adult has said to me something along the lines of, “You will learn more working in customer service than you would in any other job.”
Though I am young and still have lots of learning to experience, I now understand how much meaning comes from having a role in customer service.
A bit over a year ago, I began a job as a cashier at a grocery store near my university’s campus.Â
Starting a new job is certainly tough, but I can say without a doubt that it has been one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever been given. I have always loved the feeling of working, and this job simply solidified that. I love having structure and the way that a job keeps me in a momentum where I have purpose. These are three of my takeaways.
- Customer service jobs bring you out of your shell. I am an introvert, and I am still learning how to put that to good use in leadership, as a peer and, now, as an employee. Some might argue that those with more naturally introverted traits are unfit to work in customer service, or even that they would dislike it, but I disagree. Introverts have strengths that are just as important in the workplace as extroverted personalities, including listening skills and empathy. I may often find myself out of my comfort zone in certain conversations, but that does not mean I am bad at navigating them, nor does it mean that I will always feel that way. Introversion and customer service are not mutually exclusive! I never would have thought that it would be my voice over the intercom announcing the closing reminder to customers, but this job has certainly given me the confidence.
- Customer service workers are responsible for making people feel like they matter and are seen. Places we may deem as mundane, like the grocery store or pharmacy or bank, are so often overlooked in how much they impact the course of a person’s day. Though it is cliché, the idea that “You never know what someone is going through” is surely applicable in these spaces. Pleasantries are, of course, important, but I challenge that interactions in these spaces could hold a lot more meaning than we realize. Yes, respecting others’ dignity matters in the workplace and in their social lives, but it matters in places like the grocery store, too. Some of my favorite parts of my job have taught me that, like being able to anticipate what someone needs before they spot me to ask for help, or the friendships I have with my coworkers throughout the store. Work besties are definitely real. Jobs like mine create the opportunity to work hard toward providing each person with a good experience, even if it is simply five minutes out of their day. Sometimes, the last thing we want to do in the midst of pain or stress is stop by the grocery store so we can make ourselves a meal. So, whether a customer comes in for five minutes or two hours, what I mostly hope to do is connect with them. It brings me joy I cannot explain when I ask a customer, “How are you?” and they answer with a little nugget about their day. Or when they talk to me about the weather or ask me my name. Or when they look lost and then spot me and know they can ask for my help. Or when I help them find something and get to say, “I know, it really is tricky to find, right?” It is those little things people say that are sometimes what we need to be reminded that we are doing alright.
- Effort and adaptability are everything. Though my role comes with certain expectations according to its formal job description, the flexibility I have had to develop has become a tool I will use for life. I must be perceptive about what a customer may need to make myself more approachable as a team member. Conflicts and situations often arise — a common example at my job being the varying types of register malfunctions or a really backed-up checkout line — and though I may have a swift fix for them, new challenges come up just as often, too. I have learned that the most important thing is to try my hardest to find a solution, while making it clear that no one is ever an inconvenience. I try to remember that at some point in time, I started this job with no idea what to do, and while that is a scary feeling at first, it is not one that has to last forever. It is something I try to remember when I meet a new employee and, now, whenever I try something new.Â
There are countless other things I have learned from my job that have accumulated into a list of reasons why I consider it to be so special. I feel like I was given a bunch of big siblings, and I laugh more at work sometimes than I have all week. My day can instantly get much better when I am finally on the schedule with someone I do not get to work with often or when I start to bond with a regular customer.
Having had the opportunity to work in this job, I understand what people mean when they say that having customer service experience is important. Making a difference does not always have to be done loudly or profoundly; it can be the smaller things, like how someone treats you at the grocery store, that go a long way. That, I believe, makes the world go round.