Month: March 2018

Welcome to another Grateful Heart Monday everyone, where I look for one new thing each Monday to write about that I’m truly grateful for, and for today it’s for all those who work in any customer service-based position.

So, for all those who are waiters and waitresses, flight attendants, help desk support engineers, baristas, retail associates, cashiers, concierges, maids, food service specialists, receptionists, home technicians, customer care operators, dispatchers, front desk agents, bank tellers, and all others who are working in customer service, I’m truly grateful for each and every one of you, as I know the amount of energy it takes just to remain in this branch of employment.

Having formerly been a help desk support engineer myself for several different companies, as well as owning my own bed and breakfast for many years, I came to understand just how difficult it can be on more days than not, in serving the public. For every customer who shows some level of appreciation for you, there are always ten others who seem to constantly take out their frustration on you, especially when you don’t get every single thing perfect for them.

A great example of this was when I used to do help desk support for a check-cashing software company. More than once I had stores call me up and say their computers weren’t working. I always began my support by asking them if their computers were turned on, which tended to consistently get my head bit off and me asked if I thought they were stupid. Yet, do you know how many times that was actually the reason why things weren’t working for them? 95%. But, being on the receiving side of people whose ego and anger has all figured out in their head before they even call is never easy to deal with. Yet, in this type of position, things are generally the employee’s fault no matter what and never the customers, even when many-a-times it should have been the other way around.

Another good example of this was when I ran my bed and breakfast. There I had to smile all the time, under every circumstance, like even after my mother had died tragically. Because everything had to be perfect all the time for my guests, as when their brain told them it wasn’t, they would let me know by usually telling me something needed to be better for them or they would refute the credit card charges. Yet, none ever really took the time to see the amount of work I put to make their stay a great one, nor knew that my work day began at 6am and ended at 10pm, or ever considered the possibility that I had a personal life as well.

But, as much as my bed and breakfast and help desk work experiences were as challenging as they were, it’s because of those positions that I’m truly grateful now for anyone still in this sector of the work force. I have a lot of respect these days for those who serve the public because I know what it takes to be in their shoes. I know they get blamed for far too many things that tend to never be their fault. I know they get their butts handed to them on far-too-many days too. But I also know they have hearts and souls no different than I, with their own trials and tribulations going on in life as well, all the while performing their jobs to serve people just like me.

Customer-service oriented jobs aren’t easy to do, on any level, which is the very reason why I’ve dedicated today’s Grateful Heart Monday to all those who currently still are employed in one of these types of positions. It’s much because of all of you that this world keeps on functioning and I thank you for that and for all the servitude you offer to each of us, day in and day out, sometimes even in the worst of circumstances. For that I’m truly grateful!

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson