The CSR’s struggle often flies in
the teeth of the age old source of invalidation of identity and status: Class
Distinction. You are the servant. No escaping it. Ouch!
You are also, perhaps, a proud
person, the head of a household, a scholar, or an athlete. And here you are,
day after day, in a position of being commanded by others, scolded if you err,
sometimes condescended to, and again, it seems like you pretty much have to
take it. Apologize if you have offended or fallen short of some expectation. SUBMIT.
Yuck!
How does one rise above this and
still keep his job?
I have tried to out-condescend
them. That is not a recommended approach to this problem. You will feel at once
that you have handled it poorly. Brushing them off doesn’t work either because
they perceive your inattentiveness.
Either way, you end up having to
justify your poor conduct by being critical of customers. That will lead to the
affirmation of the “bad customer,” and pretty soon they will be everywhere, and
you’ll have a worse and worse attitude.
This could be a downward spiral
that could cost you your job, or at the very least, severely limit your
opportunities. In addition, if you work for tips, you won’t make any to take
back to your household!
How can you elevate yourself and
retain your dignity and integrity in such a situation?
Let me ask you this: Have you
ever had a really great customer service experience, even when perhaps you were
not so nice as a customer? Perhaps you had a legitimate complaint and were none
too pleased about it and started out by venting on this poor CSR.
Then this person calmly and
graciously did everything they could to put you at ease and to solve your
problem for you. They were polite, considerate, kind, patient and tolerant.
That doesn’t sound like a servant
to me – that sounds like a saint!
I tell you, when this happened to
me on one occasion, I was not only impressed with that person but I thought at
that moment that he was a bigger person than I was. I had tremendous
admiration for him. In my eyes, he was not only much more than a servant but he
was a better person than I had come across in quite awhile. Sure, he was just
doing his job, but he significantly changed the course of my day in those very
few moments.
That experience stuck with me as
a moment of revelation on my own actions and on the greatness of others. That guy
was great!
Therefore, my suggestion, the
next time you feel put down by an apparent distinction of class between
yourself and the people you serve, just act with graciousness, kindness,
tolerance, understanding and patience.
I bet you will see a new light of
appreciation in your customer’s eyes. I know you will feel better about
yourself regardless of any turnabout in the customer’s attitude. You have acted
in the highest level of conduct and professionalism at your duty.
Also, don’t discount the influence
of your actions on others. Carl G. Jung once said, “The meeting of two
personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any
reaction, both are transformed.”
This has a more general
application as well. I have seen the saga of crude or sarcastic conduct pass
for normal with the belief that one “has a good heart,” or “if they knew how I felt
inside…” or “everybody talks that way,” or “they know I’m just kidding.” The
trouble is how are others supposed to know your heart when your words and deeds
show something else?
It’s the same as if company comes
over to your house time after time and the place is a mess— scum ring in the
bathtub, dishes piled up, etc. How are they supposed to believe that you really
are a neat person at heart?
Your virtuous conduct not only
has the potential to make your work more pleasurable and to touch the lives of
those you serve, but can also be a model for your co-workers.
They may be fighting their own
battles and you might just be a beacon of hope for a more endurable existence.
Base conduct on your part will
lower your status in the eyes of the customer and in your heart.
Virtuous conduct on your part
will raise you in the eyes of your customers and in fact.
For, who are you but what you do?
