Where’s the Love for Customer Service Reps?

Customer Service is one of those jobs where you get it on both ends. From the employer’s side, most reps are considered easily replaceable and on the customer’s side, it’s often thankless and tense at best.

I think for most customers they’re already angry when they finally get to connect with you. Whether it’s the automated messages, the lack of personal touch on chat or email or a bad past experience. I get it!

Even though I work more in technical documentation and customer service development now, I am still hands on when it comes to answering tickets and having direct contact with customers. I’m also a customer! Remind’s me of the Hair Club for Men’s commercial! Ha!! I know what it feels like to call in and get someone on the phone who clearly would rather be somewhere else, or someone who’s reading from a script that gets you no further than you were before you phoned in.

If you’re an agent and aren’t happy talking with people, I could consider another position. You’re not doing anyone any good being in a job that you don’t like. Having said that, I know sometimes we do what we have to do to get by and these kinds of positions are easily found and quickly filled.

Either way there’s a magic to this field. Every customer simply wants to be heard. They want to know that the person in the other end not only hears what they’re saying but is there to help them too. You’re not there to give them what they want but to adhere to the companies policies and help the customer at the same time. My golden rule of not promising something I know I can’t keep never lets me down and usually if they feel heard, them not getting that refund or return isn’t always a deal breaker and most times, you’ll end up with a repeat customer!

We have to remember that we humans on both ends, one who needs help and one who’s there to give it.