Cup of Inspiration

Today, January 17^th, is Customer Service Day. Today is the day to appreciate those who serve as the bridge between customers and a business providing a product or service.

Anyone who has ever worked in customer service can appreciate the stress it can cause. The customer service representative is the person who listens while customers voice their displeasure at not receiving what they had expected. The CSR must gather the information from the customer and be familiar with the company procedures when dealing with such matters. The CSR must provide the best service possible for customers who are having a negative experience.

Of course, not all customer interactions are negative. The CSR may be simply taking information from a customer to provide them with a service or a product. They may simply be providing vital information to help a customer get what they expect or to help determine what to purchase. Perhaps the interaction begins with a negative experience, but the CSR can successfully turn the situation into a positive one that the customer will remember with repeat business.

A customer service representative may have conversations involving jokes, stories about the previous weekend, or updates about a child’s school play. Other conversations may be stressful because of an angry customer, or simply stressful because of a particular situation, even if all parties are patiently going through the process. It can be a rewarding experience, or one that leaves a person mentally drained at the end of the day. There are those representatives who unfortunately do not care about providing excellent service, but it is also important to remember those workers do not reflect the typical attitude of people in this line of work.

Today, as you interact with those in the customer service industry, remember they are people who work hard to support their families. They are the face or voice of a company, but the CSR only has so much control over situations. Be patient and thank them for what they do. If a representative goes above and beyond in their jobs, make sure their boss knows so that work can be rewarded. A simple thank you can go a long way to help a customer service representative who has had a long day feel it was worthwhile.