The Other Side of the Counter

‘That’ customer in me

I feel the need to start by saying: we have all been the rude customer at some point — myself included. The last time I felt like a bad customer was when my wife and I moved into our current apartment. The leasing office had claimed that if we did not come in to pick up our keys on the official move-in date, it would affect the lease. A lease we had already signed. Not only that, we had already paid the first month’s rent. 

I explained to them that it didn’t matter to me if we picked up the keys a few days later, even though we already paid. They weren’t having it. In the end, this was not due to some overzealous property manager but a computer system designed by some far-off entity operating from the unreachable shadows. I never once considered that. I should have known better, given my years in customer service. This article is not meant to bully rude customers. It is simply my method of handling the rude, the kind, and the incompetent.

Feelings behind the counter

My career as a personal trainer, spanning nearly ten years, has been almost entirely focused on customer service. I’ve seen the other side. 

Most of the time, the person on the other side of the counter would be more than willing to give you everything you want. We can’t, though. 

We have bosses who have bosses breathing down our necks. There are systems in place that make it impossible for employees working in the trenches to be helpful in a real way. We are seen and treated by employers as a shield to criticism rather than empowered to solve problems.

The fact of the matter is, we are not paid enough to care whether or not you get a better deal. Our wages are never affected, for better or worse, on approving or denying customer requests. We only aim to keep our jobs long enough before we bounce to the next slightly better-paying position. This leads to negative experiences for the consumer.

Oftentimes, negative encounters result in the representative being told, “This isn’t very good customer service.” This is something I hear quite a bit in my current work. Which I assume is meant to make the “desk jockey” feel guilty. 

The idea that customer service is giving everything the customer wants is ludicrous. At the gym where I train clients, people often want free guest passes for their friends and family. Let me tell you something, I would love to have a pocket full of free guest passes to hand out. More people coming through the gym with a great experience eventually could lead to me having more clients. 

However, the company feels differently. No free guest passes for you! Employees in general are shackled by a strict set of regulations out of their control, and we follow them because rent is due on the first.

Myth or the truth

This is where my philosophy on true customer service comes into play. 

Customer service is not about giving everyone what they want. It was never meant to be that. And never will. Customer service is the employee treating you the same as everyone else, while giving you all the available information in a clear and concise manner. 

It doesn’t matter if we have a friendly rapport or if I perceive you to be the most miserable person I have ever met. I greet you by name if I know it. I answer the same question repeatedly without a hint of annoyance. I apologize when I am unable to fulfill a request. Such as moving gym equipment so you can do one single exercise in a specific spot that can be accomplished in several other places. 

Yes, this actually happened, and not out of feeling exposed to the male gaze by a certain exercise.

There was an instance regarding the prone hamstring curl machine, which positions your butt in the air for all to gawk at. We did have a woman bring this concern to our attention, and we gladly shifted its position to be more modest.

Some requests are reasonable and will be executed. If yours was not, maybe consider that the employee is not the problem. 

Human side —no — gentle reminder

If a customer I have helped feels my service was less than adequate, I still greet them the same way the next time I see them. Customer service is the representative who never gives you a different side of themselves. 

But believe me, we will be talking about you behind your back. It’s just the way it is. 

So, next time you feel you’re being treated unfairly, please keep a couple of things in mind: the employee has no real power, and usually the manager doesn’t either. If we did, we’d give you what you want just to make you go away. 

Lastly, be kind to those who run the desk. We’re having a worse day than you. 

(The above excludes car dealerships, of course.)