Today marks a milestone for me; I have now been employed at the store for ten years. Who would've thought? Not me, that is for sure. Nor my friends for that matter. They said that I wouldn't last, that I was not cut out for this type of employment. I guess, we were all wrong; either that, or the store was desperate for help. Whatever, it has now been ten years.
I remember my first impression - damn, these people work too hard. And my second impression? I could not believe how people acted when they became customers. But once in the door, I began to evolve and have been evolving ever since.
It has been the coaching and the tremendous patience that my co-workers have provided me, over the years, that helped me to sustain during this decade. Through them I learned how to handle myself, use my imagination, be creative and learned how to be a team player. They took this highly opinionated person and brought me down a peg or two by teaching me skills and showing me what I was really capable of doing.
Customer Service is a difficult job and not one that everyone can do. It can be exhausting, hurtful, difficult, humiliating and at times, exasperating. There is no significant gain and the personal satisfaction depends on you. As I have stated before, 'Customer Service is not a learned behaviour, it is something that comes from within'.
I know that I have not really made a difference in this store, with my service, for all I have really accomplished is to fill a space. It is, however, the employees that I have worked with over the years that have made a difference in me.
And as far as lessons go, well, there have been many. But the most important lesson that I have learned is that no matter what you do for a living it takes skill, knowledge and the will to want to do it - this is what makes all employees, professionals.
So, here's to the last ten years - I survived.
And with that thought I seem to recall a conversation, which I overheard ten years ago, between two former employees and it went something like this:
"What about that new girl?"
"Ah, don't worry, she won't be here long!"
LOL!
Talk at ya later!
I remember my first impression - damn, these people work too hard. And my second impression? I could not believe how people acted when they became customers. But once in the door, I began to evolve and have been evolving ever since.
It has been the coaching and the tremendous patience that my co-workers have provided me, over the years, that helped me to sustain during this decade. Through them I learned how to handle myself, use my imagination, be creative and learned how to be a team player. They took this highly opinionated person and brought me down a peg or two by teaching me skills and showing me what I was really capable of doing.
Customer Service is a difficult job and not one that everyone can do. It can be exhausting, hurtful, difficult, humiliating and at times, exasperating. There is no significant gain and the personal satisfaction depends on you. As I have stated before, 'Customer Service is not a learned behaviour, it is something that comes from within'.
I know that I have not really made a difference in this store, with my service, for all I have really accomplished is to fill a space. It is, however, the employees that I have worked with over the years that have made a difference in me.
And as far as lessons go, well, there have been many. But the most important lesson that I have learned is that no matter what you do for a living it takes skill, knowledge and the will to want to do it - this is what makes all employees, professionals.
So, here's to the last ten years - I survived.
And with that thought I seem to recall a conversation, which I overheard ten years ago, between two former employees and it went something like this:
"What about that new girl?"
"Ah, don't worry, she won't be here long!"
LOL!
Talk at ya later!
Happy anniversary Cincigal!!!
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