Abby’s Reflection
I have held numerous jobs since I started working; however, none of them have ever been in the service industry. I have often had interactions with people in the service industry but those interactions have been as a customer. This book really made me think about my past experiences and even how I interact with the people I have interacted with this summer (I have an internship at my county’s prosecutors office) When I think back to my summer interactions, their have been numerous times that our office did not handle situations in the way that this book describes. I know that we are not in the service industry and many of the people we deal with are in trouble to begin with, however, I do believe there are some areas in which I could improve on. Since reading this book, I have tried to practice these techniques. I strive to only transfer calls as little as possible. I also try to keep my word with people that I speak with; I also strive to answer their questions to the best of my ability and give them the help that they need. This has been great practice for me before I start work at Information Commons.
Reading this book has made me acknowledge some of the best service experiences I had ever had. Last week I had to call the Microsoft service center and since I had just finished reading this book, I was looking for the tips and tricks that “Know your Socks Off” speaks of. The person that helped me used many of them I noticed and it really worked on me. It was by far the best service interaction I have ever had.
I know often people feel a sense of dread when they realize they have to talk to a customer service representative in pretty much any company. I realized that if all service representatives treated customers as our book suggests (like I was with Microsoft) that the stigma would disappear. Reading this book has given me the tools to be the best employee that I can be. I learned a lot from reading this book and I feel as though I am better prepared for the tasks that are to come.
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Hi Abby! My name is Erica and I’m going to be working with you this semester as your team leader. Hopefully, I’ll meet you at the retreat tomorrow, and we will have a team meeting to discuss more about how our team will function.
Thanks for posting your reflection! I like that you made your comments personal to your experiences. I think that any time you personalize what you read, it become more ingrained in you. I agree that most people’s experience with customer service have been negative, and I’m glad that you recognize that as well. Working in customer service can also be very challenging, since you deal with a variety of requests and personalities. Also, what works one time may not work another time, so you are constantly adjusting. I think “Knock Your Socks Off” is a great book to keep around and just flip through every now and again. Chances are, you won’t remember or utilize all the tips at the start. But refreshing your memory, and using your own customer service experiences as times for learning, they will eventually become natural.
Let me know if you have any questions about IC or anything else! I know the first few weeks can be a little daunting, but don’t be afraid to share your work experiences (good or bad) with either me or Eric and we will help you any way we can.