Embracing your Weirdness

I’ve been feeling a bit down and lonely this week. Then I thought long and hard about what was bugging me, and having got it all off my chest (and my future being in someone elses hands). I just realised how much in my life I have to be thankful for:

I have a loving family, a great guy, a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, a job that keeps the wolf from the door, and my family’s health.

There are plenty of people in the world who don’t have any of that, so what on Earth was I worried about?

It was one of those days today, where some bright spark manger decides that sales will be the focus of the day. I have never been so embarrassed to be doing my job!

Customers were being, in my opinion, bullied into taking products that they didn’t want or need, simply to stop that harrasment by my colleagues. And that is a terrible thing to have to say.

If I had been one of our customers today, and subjected to that kind of attitude, I would never have gone in there again. I’m still maintaining my boycott of Dixons because of appalling customer service. Back then I said that where I work customer service is a key priority, with the idea being ‘sales through service’ (which in principle I agree with) which doesn’t generate the business results.

Today was also the pits with regard to customer service. I would much rather be dealing with back office queries than have to be customer facing if that is the way I am expected to behave. I actually found myself doing it, at the insistance of the manager, and I feel quite guilty that I dropped my game to such a level.

It may generate short term business results, but when customer relaltionships are jeapordised then the long term value of those customers is lost completely.

If I just keep my head down and stay off the radar, maybe they’ll just leave me alone.

Or then again, maybe they won’t.

Where I work, customer service, in its many forms, is held as an absolute priority. Queues should not be allowed to form, and all staff must be customer facing at the peak time. Although I do not always agree with the definition of customer service and how it is applied, I realised today how important some of the things we have to do actually are.

I was in Dixons today during my half hour break. There were about twenty customers in the store. There were about seven members of staff, anda queue for the till about six deep.

There was one person on the Cash desk. One person, serving those who wished to pay. and the other memeber of staff were standing around, laughing and joking, and fiddling with the displays. Absolutely appalling customer service! I wouldn’t be allowed, nor would I want, to act in such a manner at work.

It makes me wonder whether the art of customer service has been well and truly lost.

Do you ever feel that you can work really hard, and yet do not seem to make any progress.

Or is it because at the end of it there is one big task that awaits you, and the longer you leave it, the bigger it becomes.

Guess who’s timewasting again. 😀

We have this new person in the office I work in. Well, actually, there are two new people. And they are complete opposites. Call them Guy and Girl.

Guy is really keen to learn. He played his part, asked questions when he needed to, and when he wasn’t sure. He was keen to try the different procedures and just ‘learn’ in general. He was really a pleasure to supervise and teach.

Girl – almost drove me round the bend. I repeated myself, I showed her things half a dozen times. Girl wanted everything handed to her on a plate. She didn’t care about how things work. She didn’t even try to remember things in most cases. Her attitude, put simply, sucked!

Which one will succeed – Guy. Which one will not last – Girl. Every time you meet new staff, you can (usually) tell whether they will last or not.

It was quite interesting to see such contrast. That said. Concentration is key to being a success, especially when you are new. But if you have a positive mental attitude, you can be a success at anything. And if you struggle, a positive outlook ill make other people more likely to help.

Attitude is so important, it helps build workplace relationships (both internally and externally). It creates a positive working atmosphere and at the end of the day – its all about teamwork. People are key.

Ramble Over

Onwards and upwards.

So, in no particular order, (and not exhaustive) my goals are:

• Graduate.
• Achieve Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
• Achieve Black Belt.
• Write a book.
• Travel the world.
• Own a Peugeot 206.
• See a shuttle launch.
• Visit Disney World in Florida.
• Retire to Exmoor.
• Own an Old English Sheepdog.

I graduate in July. It’s a terrifying thought. I finish Uni in June. Where have the last three years (nearly) gone? How is it nearly April already?

These are life’s eternal questions.

I think uni has changed me. Tomorrow I have to host a visiting speaker. Introduce him to the class, prompt the questioners, and play ‘host’. Two and a half years ago, the though would have terrified me. Last week I volunteered. I am a new person. I even surprised myself with that.

I have hope for the real world after all.

A while back I received the best piece of advice ever:

Its true. A random conversation at the weekend, and I’ve been offered the opportunity for a work placement. I know it will cut short my Easter break, but at the end of the day, if it helps in the future, then its worth it.

All of life is experience. Every little thing builds on another. If you don’t seize opportunities, you can be certain someone else will. There are so any students who graduate with nothing on their CV. No hobbies or skills. It show that all you did at uni was read books, or that you were too lazy (like a lot of students are) to get up and do something with your time. This was my problem in my first year, however in my second year I joined a society, got involved with volunteering and Tae Kwon-Do and haven’t looked back. I realised that my CV needed to say more. And that is the most important thing about going to university – life experience. (Oh, and the degree as well!)

And that, said John, is that.