I’ve never had an actual job before in my life. I’ve had an unpaid internship at a company’s marketing department, due to it being a high school graduation requirement. I had an unpaid internship for a media company that didn’t end so well due to miscommunication. But I’ve never had a paying job, where I had to earn my buck and work 8 hours a day. That is until I got my job as a Customer Care Representative.

Been at my job for three months now and I remember that I had gone with my boyfriend to a job fair and had found a booth for a company that immediately wanted me to stop by the next day for an interview. On the day of the interview I was nervous as hell, anxious but trying to not get my hopes up. Then a miracle: I got the job!

Before this job I never really given much thought to customer service. Now I’ve learned that it is one of the toughest jobs (right next to working at fast foods); even more so being an introvert. You have to sit down at a desk 5 days a week 8 hrs a day and talk to a dozen different people who have different personalities and reactions to things. I’ve had people wishing me a nice day, sending me blessings to people calling me incompetent among worse things. The job requires a tough skin, a lot of patience, and good coping skills.

So here are some things I’d like for people to know about my job:

1. I am a real person

I know, shocking right? That someone on the other end of the line is not a robot but a person that has feelings and worries of their own. When a customer comes around with their problems and blaming every failure and disgrace on me, it can hurt sometimes. It’s terrible how you try to do your best to do your job and a stranger makes you seem like you’re a scum of the Earth and you have to just sit there and take it. I’ve actually had an incident where a customer was very upset over a situation with his account and he started to get verbally abusive. After that call I actually went to the bathroom to cry it out and even missed a day of work due to anxiety.

So I understand you have your problems and you have your right to be upset, but verbally attacking a person for things that can be beyond their control doesn’t make things any better for you nor for the person on the other line.

2. I am not a therapist

I get a lot of calls from people with all kinds of problems from the most simple to the most complex. Where things start getting interesting is when in less than 5 minutes I already know someone like I’ve known them for years. I don’t really mind when people talk to me about their problems, I actually like listening, but the real problem is when they can’t seem to separate the situation from my limitations. What I mean by this is that they tell me their story but don’t quite focus on what I can actually do for them but rather keep going on about their problem but don’t focus on the task at hand. It’s understandable to want someone to listen to you, even if it’s a stranger, but sometimes you have to put those things aside because I can only work on problems related to the company or the product but not your personal life. But honestly if someone is having a hard time in their day, I always hope that they somehow solve whatever thing is making them feel like that.

3. Down to Earth customers are the best

These customers are like a breath of fresh air in a polluted environment. These customers are the ones that take things easily and patiently, they’re understanding, don’t rush you to do your job and they even make small talk or jokes with you. In a sea of catastrophically angry customers, these come to save the day and help make things run smoother. Keep it up, we really appreciate it!

4. It can have its satisfying times

Sometimes a customer calls upset due to a difficult situation, they tell me their story and look to someone like me for help. Times like that I do whatever is in my power to help and try to provide as many options to the customer as possible. After I have managed to leave the customer at ease after solving the issue, it is truly satisfying how thankful they are and then send you a lot of good things your way. It makes me happy when I succeed at making someone else feel at peace.

5. I don’t know everything

Here’s the thing, like all normal human beings: I am not born knowing everything. It’s true, sometimes things happen to someone that leave me staring into the void wondering what is happening or what I can do. Sometimes I need an extra hand or sometimes I’m simply not equipped with the tools to fix the issue, but I will always do my best to provide as many options as possible to assist you.

6. I’m aware the company is flawed

I just love the people that call to simply say “Your company is terrible!” “You don’t care about your customers!” . And honestly that’s nothing new, I am well aware that the company has its faults and flaws. However those things are beyond my mere mortal control and I do wish things were better structured. I’m but a humble employee not Wonder Woman. I can only work with the tools I’m given and nothing more, sorry.

7. Terrible customers make good coffee break stories

Some customers are a basic nightmare. In the moment they just want to make you pull your hair, flip your desk over and move to Bangkok. But after the moment passes and you’ve had time to calm down, that bad moment becomes a good story to tell your coworkers. Sometimes we just sit in the break room exchanging our craziest calls of the day and it can help ease off the tension as well as make you realize you’re not alone in the struggle.

8. My coworkers mistakes aren’t mine

It truly grinds my gears when a customer calls because of something went wrong with a previous service and then they blame me for whatever the problem was. The mere act of generalizing the problem to everyone in the company is very frustrating. I understand that if someone before me made a mistake you become mad about it, however I don’t enjoy being blamed for something I didn’t do. I can do my best to rectify the situation at hand but don’t put everyone under the same label because of one person.

These are some of things that I have so far. They are just mere points of view from my experiences so it doesn’t necessarily apply to every Customer Care Representative. Hope you enjoyed this piece, see you next time!