I have worked various customer service and retail jobs over the years, and anyone else who’s been in these jobs knows it’s a grueling world out there. The phrase “overworked and underpaid” doesn’t apply to too many areas of work as well as it applies to these.
When it comes down to it, no matter how much the rest of the world tells you to “get a real job” or insists your job isn’t that hard, you know that you deserve way more than what you get paid for putting up with some of these people. Beyond that, there are some things you learn working retail or customer service that the rest of the world just won’t prepare you for.
1. You may know you’re at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to running the show, but every customer seems to think you make every decision for the company, from the pricing to the products your company carries.
2. All customers have heard the phrase “The Customer Is Always Right.” And whether they actually believe they’re right or not, they WILL use that phrase against you.
3. They will make the most outrageous demands. Whether it’s insisting your company now make and sell a product you’ve never carried just because they want it, demanding they get an item for literally 1/3 or less of the retail cost, or some other kind of special treatment, they seem to think you can bend company policy to their will at a whim.
4. The customers love to ask for your help—and then insist they know your job better than you do. “I don’t think that’s what’s wrong with my [insert product here.]” “Are you SURE that’s the right price? I read on the internet…” etc. It leaves you wondering, why ask for my help if you’re going to insist I’m wrong anyway, and which of us does this for a living again…?
5. In fact, many of them will argue with you about just about any company policy they can think of if they think it will get them a discount.
6. People love to get free stuff, and they can and will lie to get it.
7. There is a strange satisfaction to telling an argumentative customer that they can’t have their way. They’ll dig their heels, turn red, and start yelling, and you just smile and politely tell them no and watch them implode, knowing other customers are silently on your side while watching their tantrum.
8. At least 90% of “I want to speak to a manager” incidents could be resolved by any employee, if only the customer was willing to shut up and listen for five seconds.
9. At a certain point, you perfect the blank smile. Your face and voice say “I understand your concerns, and I am so sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll do anything I can to help,” but your mind says “Someone get me out of here so I can go home and watch Game of Thrones already.”
10. You do not get paid enough to put up with this crap.
To those working retail or customer service, putting up with complaints, manipulations, and full-grown adults having temper tantrums day in and day out, I solute you…and good luck.