At Your Service, Yes!

When I started working in such stores and supermarkets, I really had a hard time enjoying it that way, you know, from the point of assisting the customers, and be like a servant to them at all time and though I understand it was my job, but it’s kind so hard for me. Especially from the point that you are busy of doing something,like refilling of stocks from the shelves and etc, the moment when a customer tried to look at you and think he/she would gonna have something to ask, I always practice like I don’t patronize them at all. You know what are my reasons? - Many.

Well, some of my reasons to avoid being closed to the customers are, when they  will be asking for something I do not know, especially those products not available but they will insist for it. Secondly, I am not really that particular about having a good communication with the customers, all that is on my mind is the idea of “Customers are always right” that even if how hard will you try to do your best assistance to them, to provide what they want, that's when you have failed to provide that, they’ll be angry and try to insult you as easy as simple ‘hurting’ words. Many times I’ve been experiencing these heck, but apparently, I still do my job, of course I need it for good, and to be just professional, I am not showing my rebellion from my bosses. J

But this time around, as a current employee from a prestigious Supermarket (under an agency), I would be sharing something that has made me realized the real thing about “Customer Service”.

First of all, it’s just a counter. It was my first idea about it, personnels will talk or assist you about any customer’s concern. But indeed not just like that.

I know it was my enjoyable experience working in a supermarket, but since the company deployed me in such a prestigious one, it was overwhelming at an honor to me. Here, I learned more, a lot of things, and of course, I did experience more insults and customer’s complaint, a one of a kind experience that is very embarrassing, and to tell you friends, I feels like you will be quitting after. But after a short months of working here, my lessons have been growing and this company taught me to have a new service and social responsibility. And to be honest, I got the wrong impression in the first place by the people around, it’s absolutely amazing when someone like me learned something about customer service.

One customer I have encountered, a “Lola”, I saw her having her hard try to reach the Nescafe Dolce, (since it was displayed in the upper layer of the regular shelves) I told myself that I’m not going to be near close to her, because as I can see in her looks, she’s “mataray”, and she may try to insult me if I did not hit her standard of assistance. She still can’t reach it moments have passed, so I the started to just approach her for good, I get the item to give her, and I just asked her a question, “lagi ka bang bumibili nito Ma’am?” then she said, “Oo naman, pero alam mo, sa tinagal-tagal na panahon, ngayon lang may nag assist sa akin, napakahirap kasi abutin it. Salamat sa iyo ha!” It was just like so ironic for me hearing a customer saying ‘thank you’ to me for the very first time, I can’t explain the feeling of being appreciated for what you have done.

So eventually, I started to practice communicating the customers. And for so long, I was a bit pretentious doing that way because it’s my job. But that made me a better person, when I don’t know who will be the customers to give thanks and not to, and yet, all of a sudden, I realized that customers must experience a one of a kind service and assistance, I thought of this: “What if I am the customer, and those selling personnels just look at you trying hard to get something”…  it’s the reason why some of the customers get sick and try insulting the employees.

And now the thing is, for me, it’s good to be of service because personally I wanted to be of good service too, and just at least to hear their “thanks” to you, it’s flattering, that even in just a simple way of helping, assisting and giving  good service to customers, they still appreciate you, and that made realized also that doing my job here is not a mandatory now, but it’s what we called “Real Customer Service from the Heart”.

“At Your Service, Yes!” Now I do understand why this prestigious company still growing, because they really valued every customer.  I’m right here, doing it.

-Eleazar D. Calixtro

Merchandiser [Nestle Phils.]