By Brett Cafferty
About every other month, my wife makes a major re-supply run (which I am grateful for) to purchase exciting and necessary household items like garbage bags, light bulbs, batteries, etc. Rather than go to several stores, we go to a national big box. On our most recent trip, I was tasked with making a return while she shopped, so I approached the customer service desk.
A young person at the desk was quite unexcited to be there. She looked at me but waited for me to initiate the conversation. We took care of the return, and as I walked off, I was quite surprised at the lack of interaction from someone working in a “customer service” role. This could have been an isolated incident – a bad day, working too many shifts due to staff shortages, perhaps placed in the wrong role. It might have been one of those chicken and egg questions – lack of training, shortage of help (including management), and businesses having to just put anyone in spots that need to be filled just to make it through the day. I don’t envy the management or employees these days with all of the challenges they face.
I wasn’t angry, just a bit bewildered. I knew that getting upset was like “shooting the messenger” if they have not been trained with appropriate expectations. Some kids are fortunate to receive this equipping while growing up, others are not.
Having worked in the service industry when I was younger, then moving to outside sales and management, I was able to learn the basics of business etiquette through training, repetition, and working with customers – and usually by example of seeing it done by others. This led to meeting expectations and being accountable to those in charge.
The adult world began! Looking back, I learned a whole lot about people, customer service, and business basics by working in a small business. Some days were hard, some were fun, many were long, and there was always trash to take out and bathrooms to be cleaned. But the experience was invaluable.
We keep hearing and seeing the reality of current labor shortages as many employers must hire and be willing to keep anyone who shows up. The passing of time compounds this issue as short-term problems become months, then years. It’s a very difficult position for employers and employees alike and doesn’t allow much time or energy for developing and training staff. Or to catch a breath.
A closing thought… there is a very real, and a very painful, shortage of help in almost every business in our community. The end of the school year is not far off, and if you have or know a teen or college student who could be working, a great place to get started is with a locally owned small business. They need our help, and the employee education and experience gained will be invaluable for years to come.