How I Worked In Customer Service And Stayed Kind

This is a guest blog by Abigail Cosgrove

Working in customer service has really tested me on kindness.  There have been times where I have been yelled at for events beyond my control, threatened, and even spit at.  Yet, if you ask the people I work with, 89% of the time, I can bounce back from that moment – and still smile at the person within seconds.

Below are a few of the things I kept in mind to keep me kind. 

• Firstly, remember you don’t know people. You don’t know what their day has been like or what they are dealing with in their life. You don’t know if a family member has passed or if the kids have been screaming all day or what kind of crazy high stresses they’re facing. This means you can’t judge the attitude you get from them. They might be wrong to give you that attitude, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going through a hard time. And it doesn’t mean that they don’t need some kindness. Assume that they just need a smile and a few kind words. Give them those nice moments and hope that it makes their day better. In the end, you must treat people how you want to be treated.
• Secondly, you must recognize that if you’re kind to someone, there’s still not any guarantee that you’ll be treated the same way back. At the same time –  you cannot expect any one to treat you well if you don’t treat them well! Sometimes all it takes is a compliment or even a simple friendly conversation.
• Thirdly, smile often. Smiles are contagious. Everyone around you can catch your mood. So if you want to be surrounded by kind, happy people it helps if you’re a viral spreader of kindness and happiness.
• Fourthly, be the kindness you want to see in the world – and you can create a kindness ripple effect. Basically, if you treat someone well (especially when they need it) others notice and they tend to spread it around. For example, one day, I bought a homeless person a meal on campus. The workers at the restaurant ended up comping someone else’s whole bill – just because they noticed my nice action and returned it further. Maybe you won’t see the people affected like I did –  but that doesn’t mean that other people aren’t taking your actions to heart – and passing forward the good deeds.
• Finally, lastly, in the end, you just need to remember that everyone is human. There will be bad moods and stressful situations. No one is always going to be perfect. But every one will always need a kind word and a smile. And you can be the one to provide that.

Written and shared with love by Abigail Cosgriff.

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