Customer service. We all have dealt with it whether we were the customers or the servers. For most of us though, customer service is a part of our first jobs and the jobs that keep us going until we find our true careers. In my opinion customer service is a job field that everyone should be have to experience at one point or another. Many of my life lessons that I carry on with me are from my years is customer service.

Biting your tongue.
This is by far the most important thing I have learned working in customer service. There will be people who think they can walk all over you because you’re “below them” on the job totem pole. And then there will be customers who are so blatantly wrong with what they’re saying, you just have to let them ramble on. Either way, you pick your battles and keep your mouth shut because it’s not worth it in the end. This is a lesson I have not only learned in the job force, but also life itself. Sometimes you just have to nod your head and keep your mouth shut for everyone’s sake.

Patience.
This is something we all need more of. Patience will only ever help you in life and if we can learn how to perfect the art of being patient, the world will be a smoother place. In customer service you deal with people who take 20 minutes to order or sit at the counter staring blankly at you until they’re ready to speak. Either way you can’t rush people because, in the end, it only pisses people off so just chill out and enjoy your time being a slave for other people.

Appreciation.
Being on the other side of restaurant business has really helped be more appreciative of servers when I go out to eat. Customer service can be extremely taxing and most of the time you’re giving it all you’ve got and people just won’t appreciate that. Once someone has worked on the other side of customer service there comes a strong senses of acknowledgement to fellow workers because you know how hard they’re working and what type of rude people they’re dealing with. It makes you want to always be the one good customer they get.

Whether you’re a fast food server or a receptionist, you’re in the wonderful working areas of customer service. Now it may seem there will be more rude customers than awesome ones who brighten you’re day, but that’s all part of the learning experience. It will take time, but once you’re in the career field you have been working so hard to achieve, you will look back and be thankful for the rude couple who refused to eat their meal one night, or the snobby kid who sneezed all over you. Because customer service will be there lingering behind you always remind you of the lessons you learned with your time in the little hell on earth we call clientele services.