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eLearning Series: Self Confidence
How Do I Improve My Self Confidence?
( 50 articles in this series )
Self
Confidence in the Customer Service Industry
Dealing
with the public every day can be difficult,
and nobody knows it better than those who work in the customer
service industry. With angry customers, demanding bosses and
little respect, it can really drag down your self-confidence.
Sometimes the job itself can cause a lack of
confidence if the worker feels like he or she should have
a better job. Don't
feel bad about yourself because you're working in customer
service. In tight economic times, many people turn to jobs
in the food service and retail industries. If you start
to believe that you're "better than" the job, you're
only setting yourself up to feel down about yourself. Look
at your work experience as an adventure, a chance to observe
humanity, or even just a way to pay your car loan.
The saying may be that "the customer is always right," but
don't believe in this at the expense of your own pride and
self-worth. Customers aren't in the right when they are belligerent
and belittling towards customer service representatives. Don't
allow them to let you think less of yourself.
While many customer service jobs involve working face to face
with customers, others involve taking phone calls. If you're
working at a call center, the potential for abuse from
customers can be even greater since they're most likely calling you because
they have a problem. Don't let a caller's attitude towards
you affect your own feelings of confidence in yourself in and
your abilities.
If a customer gets angry, you should also avoid responding
in kind. If a customer is upset, you'll only make things worse
by becoming mean yourself and you'll only feel bad about the
situation later.
On a similar note, don't
take anything too personally. If
you're the cashier at the front of a grocery store, you're
likely to hear complaints about the slow workers at the deli
counter, the high price of cabbage and the number of sale items
that weren't on the shelves. You should certainly be sympathetic
of their plight and refer them to management if necessary,
but realize that they're complaining about things that are
completely unrelated to your individual job. You can only control
how positive the customer's experience is when they're right
in front of you. You shouldn't feel bad just because their
discontent is being directed at you.
Now, if a customer does lodge a complaint against you, then
you should listen carefully to the issue. Make the necessary
corrections, using the problem to your advantage to improve
your work, but don't dwell on it. Everyone makes mistakes and
one complaint doesn't mean you're a horrible person.
Treat
everyone with respect, and you will get respect in return. If you're in a management position, assert your authority in
a way that doesn't demean your workers. If you're the underling,
listen to those in management positions, and if you have a
problem with them, take it up through appropriate channels.
Picking a fight with those in authority only leads to bad feelings
and an unpleasant work environment.
Come
to work with a positive attitude. Your fellow workers
may be negative, but you don't have to let them color your
view of the situation. If you have a good attitude about the
entire work experience, you're less likely to let small things
get you down and will feel better about yourself overall.
Do
the best job you can, even if you're doing the most menial
task possible. Cleaning the bathroom certainly isn't glamorous,
but it's vital to creating a positive experience for customers.
If you take pride in your work, you'll have pride in yourself.
When you do quality work, you're also more likely to get praise,
raises and promotions, which are always confidence boosters.
Overall, the best advice for workers is to have a positive
attitude and maintain a sense of perspective. Will the customer
that just yelled at you really matter tomorrow? Then don't
let it drag you down today. If you keep this in mind, you'll
be able to emerge from the world of customer service with your
confidence intact.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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