Customer service is never an easy job. You can complete as many training programs as you want, but without certain innate abilities, you may never deliver the high service standards customers expect. Since you don’t know what to expect with the next call or the next person who walks through the door, it is very important that, as a customer service employee, you have the right personality and character traits to be able to handle whatever is thrown at you. Here are five signs you should quit your customer service job.
1. You don’t like people
If you are a natural introvert and really don’t enjoy socializing, customer service may not be for you. This is a job that requires you to be friendly, outgoing, and have a natural tendency to want to meet and be nice to other people. You will have to smile a lot and tolerate interactions with complete strangers even when you’d much rather be by yourself. If you can’t handle this, it might be time to dust off your resume.
2. You think people who complain are jerks
“So what if the food is a little cold? Just eat it and don’t make a fuss!” If this is your thinking – that people who demand what they paid for, or ask for a higher standard are just being dramatic, then it’s time to look elsewhere. High standards and customer service go hand in hand, and customers have every right to demand value for money.
3. Integrity and trust mean nothing to you
Customers become loyal when they believe that they are doing business with a company that demonstrates integrity in the way they operate. However, it is usually up to front line employees to show off the company’s integrity in the very best way possible. If you place little value on ethical practices and do not see integrity in business as a high priority, you are in the wrong job.
4. You can’t control your emotions
Everyone has bad days and good days, but the customer should never be exposed to your roller coaster of emotions. Customer service involves delivering a consistently high standard even when you are going through one of the worst times in your life. If you are not able to compartmentalize and keep your personal issues private, then you should start looking at other options.
5. You think it’s okay to be equally rude to rude customers
It is a fact that some customers really are jerks. But is it ever okay to match the rude behavior of a customer? More times than not, doing so will actually escalate the situation and can lead to a bigger dispute that could draw the attention of other customers. If you’re in customer service, you should have the ability to empathize with irate customers, and ideally have the skills to diffuse an awkward situation. People who are genuinely interested in delivering high customer service standards will make an effort to learn conflict resolution skills and seize every opportunity to employ these skills efficiently to keep the customer satisfied.