How to Improve Self Confidence in Customer Service

Folks who work in the customer service sector will know very well how difficult it can be dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis. Not so happy customers combined with demanding bosses and little overall respect can really take its toll on your self-confidence. Even the job itself can cause a loss of self-esteem, especially if you feel that you should be in a better job. However, just because you are working in customer service, there is no need to feel bad about yourself.

In tight economic times, many folks turn to jobs in the food service and retail industries. If you start to believe that you are better than the job, you are only setting yourself up to feel down about yourself. Look at your work experience as an adventure, a chance to observe humanity, or even just a way to pay your car loan.  

The saying may be that the customer is always right, but do not believe in this at the expense of your own pride and self-worth. Customers are not in the right when they are belligerent and belittling towards customer service representatives.  Do not allow them to let you think less of yourself.   

While many customer service jobs involve working face to face with customers, others involve taking phone calls. If you are working at a call center, the potential for abuse from customers can be even greater since they are most likely calling you because they have a problem. Do not let a caller’s attitude towards you affect your own feelings of confidence in yourself in and your abilities.

If a customer gets angry, you should also avoid responding in kind. If a customer is upset, you will only make things worse by becoming mean yourself and you will only feel bad about the situation later.  

On a similar note, do not take anything too personally. If you are the cashier at the front of a grocery store, you are likely to hear complaints about the slow workers at the deli counter, the high price of cabbage and the number of sale items that were not on the shelves. You should certainly be sympathetic of their plight and refer them to management if necessary, but realize that they are complaining about things that are completely unrelated to your individual job. You can only control how positive the customer’s experience is when they are right in front of you. You should not feel bad just because their discontent is being directed at you. 

Now, if a customer does lodge a complaint against you, then you should listen carefully to the issue. Make the necessary corrections, using the problem to your advantage to improve your work, but do not dwell on it. Everybody makes mistakes and one complaint does not mean you are a nasty person.   

Treat everybody with respect, and you will get respect in return. If you are in a management position, assert your authority in a way that does not demean your workers. If you are the underling, listen to those in management positions, and if you have a problem with them, take it up through appropriate channels. Picking a fight with those in authority only leads to bad feelings and an unpleasant work environment. 

Come to work with a positive attitude. Your fellow workers may be negative, but you do not have to let them color your view of the situation. If you have a good attitude about the entire work experience, you are less likely to let small things get you down and will feel better about yourself overall.  

Do the best job you can, even if you are doing the most menial task possible. Cleaning the bathroom certainly is not glamorous, but it is vital to creating a positive experience for customers. If you take pride in your work, you will have pride in yourself. When you do quality work, you are also more likely to get praise, raises and promotions, which are always confidence boosters.

Overall, the best advice for workers is to have a positive attitude and maintain a sense of perspective. Will the customer that just yelled at you really matter tomorrow? Then do not let it drag you down today. If you keep this in mind, you will be able to come out from the world of customer service with your confidence in one piece.