Going Above And Beyond The Phrase 'The Customer Is Always Right' | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Going Above And Beyond The Phrase 'The Customer Is Always Right'

The behind the scenes of a entry level job.

43
Going Above And Beyond The Phrase 'The Customer Is Always Right'
Matt Chesnutt

Hello all, this is your friendly article writer Matt(hew) Chesnutt. This summer I wanted to get a job to keep myself busy, active, and to get some more money towards college. I applied to several places for entry level jobs and I decided to work at Safeway in the deli. I learned fairly quickly how to do my job from my co-workers help and from simply just doing. I learned everything from slicing meat and cheese, serving food, cooking chickens, and deep frying all sorts of foods. What I was not prepared for was customer interactions.

Now, I like to think I have pretty good people skills, but when I first started, I was a little slow at what I did. I was a hard worker (still am) and I try my best to serve the customers quickly and correctly. Some customers got upset with me and screamed at me. I did not know how to respond. Since then I have learned how to interact with upset customers no matter how harsh they may be. Just smile and serve them humbly. But this experience has brought to light something that I think we don't really think about nowadays.

I realized how impatient I can be while waiting at grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and other places that have minimum wage workers. This is because we live in a world that is fast-paced and we think we have to go as fast as we can to do everything we need to get done. Rarely do we take even a few minutes to take a step back and take a breath. Yes, sometimes we have days that are jam-packed with work and fun but we do not consider the condition of others when we are in this type of GO mode. I would like to think it's not that we are ignorant but maybe just more naive about our actions.

I have so many stories when customers were upset, yelling at me/my coworkers, or in a rush. One time a customer got mad at me because he was waiting five minutes while I was helping a customer who had come before him. I had a co-worker be put down and sworn at by a customer when he did nothing wrong. Now working in a grocery store, you live by Customer Service and the phrase "The customer is always right" even if they are completely out of line. It doesn't mean you have to accept every single thing they tell you or the way they treat you, it just means that you have to be positive and smile (kill them with kindness) back no matter what happens. You would be surprised how many situations are diffused that way.

But really, as a Christian, I realize in life that there are going to be people that mistreat me and I have a choice to retaliate or to respond in a loving matter. So what does responding in love look like? The Bible says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1st Corinthians 13:4-7). I don't just show my customers love because of the policy. I do it because I want to show them the love of God.

It is not an easy job, I have had many customers come and say they could do what we do. I just smile and try to help them as best as I can. The reality is it is not as easy as it looks. As a Deli Clerk/Fry Cook, you are constantly being asked to make more food, clean things, help customers, restock items, fix things... the list goes on. You learn how to do things as you work longer but it is not an easy job. I would encourage you to keep this in mind next time you visit a deli, gas station, etc.

So next time you are in your local grocery store or fast food place, create some dialogue with the workers, show them your appreciation and if you don't want to talk, be patient and know the job is more difficult and stressful than it looks. I know the Safeway Deli people love to talk!

Finally, I wanted to thank Safeway and the opportunity I have been given. I have learned many skills and ideas. My Deli manager, Justin, was a great influence and not only made me a better worker but a better man of God. He is one of the hardest working people I know, and a great manager/chef!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
student sleep
Huffington Post

I think the hardest thing about going away to college is figuring out how to become an adult. Leaving a household where your parents took care of literally everything (thanks, Mom!) and suddenly becoming your own boss is overwhelming. I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job of being a grown-up, but once in awhile I do something that really makes me feel like I'm #adulting. Twenty-somethings know what I'm talking about.

Keep Reading...Show less
school
blogspot

I went to a small high school, like 120-people-in-my-graduating-class small. It definitely had some good and some bad, and if you also went to a small high school, I’m sure you’ll relate to the things that I went through.

1. If something happens, everyone knows about it

Who hooked up with whom at the party? Yeah, heard about that an hour after it happened. You failed a test? Sorry, saw on Twitter last period. Facebook fight or, God forbid, real fight? It was on half the class’ Snapchat story half an hour ago. No matter what you do, someone will know about it.

Keep Reading...Show less
Chandler Bing

I'm assuming that we've all heard of the hit 90's TV series, Friends, right? Who hasn't? Admittedly, I had pretty low expectations when I first started binge watching the show on Netflix, but I quickly became addicted.

Without a doubt, Chandler Bing is the most relatable character, and there isn't an episode where I don't find myself thinking, Yup, Iam definitely the Chandler of my friend group.

Keep Reading...Show less
eye roll

Working with the public can be a job, in and of itself. Some people are just plain rude for no reason. But regardless of how your day is going, always having to be in the best of moods, or at least act like it... right?

1. When a customer wants to return a product, hands you the receipt, where is printed "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" in all caps.

2. Just because you might be having a bad day, and you're in a crappy mood, doesn't make it okay for you to yell at me or be rude to me. I'm a person with feelings, just like you.

3. People refusing to be put on hold when a customer is standing right in front of you. Oh, how I wish I could just hang up on you!

Keep Reading...Show less
blair waldorf
Hercampus.com

RBF, or resting b*tch face, is a serious condition that many people suffer from worldwide. Suffers are often bombarded with daily questions such as "Are you OK?" and "Why are you so mad?" If you have RBF, you've probably had numerous people tell you to "just smile!"

While this question trend can get annoying, there are a couple of pros to having RBF.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments