TimWoolery.net Documenting the Journey and the Learning Curve

#66 – Working Life: They Call it “The Grind” For a Reason

The Customer is Always a Chump ? Let?s get this one out of the way, since it was something that took me the better part of 9 years to understand and even then, I still have my moments. At some point, in every job you will ever do, you must interact with that which makes your business run. Most of the time, it?s customers. Those little interactions which are the bread and butter of service-based businesses. The majority of people understand the overall concept, are not malicious and will generally be polite when/if given a chance.

You won?t notice them. In fact, they do nothing to mitigate the smaller yet more noticeable fraction of folk known as chumps/jerks or any variation of vulgar adjectives and nouns known to man. People who are miserable in life and take pleasure in making you miserable as well. It?s important to learn a few survival mechanisms to prevent them from sucking you down to their level. Here they are:

1. Don?t take the bait ? It usually isn?t about you?so be careful that whatever angry psycho-drama they live in does not suddenly become focused on you. They may be snippy, snotty, rude or mean. Don?t let the issue escalate. Don?t try to beat them at their own game because I assure you: anyone who lives like that has much more practice than you do. Never argue with a fool, the saying goes, because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

2. Stare at the paint ? When they begin the tirade or bait you, stare at the paint on the wall and do nothing else. They?ll be puzzled as to why their usual pick-a-fight tactic isn?t working and eventually give up. It may take five, ten minutes or twenty years. Just remember item 1 and you?ll always win?after a while. Takes practice, so don?t be surprised if it doesn?t work right away for you.

3. If you must take revenge, don?t get caught ? Being in customer service, you will have opportunities to take revenge. Just remember that if it?s something you can get fired over?the chumps will have the last laugh. When in doubt, hold back and know that the karma police will get to the chump sooner or later. If you can get revenge, it?ll probably be something so subtle they?ll never notice, or only notice after it?s too late to do anything about it. Don?t be overt or obnoxious ? be smart. You want to keep your job.

In the end, you are there to provide a service and part of your job is to be a representative of the company you work for. It?s lousy, it?d be great if we weren?t all reduced to being wage slaves but until we live in a perfect world, learn the rules of the game we?re playing.

You gotta do what you gotta do - Sorry, I had to steal a line from ?Futurama? sooner or later. Truth of the matter is, that dream job you imagined at 16 where you?re taking off for lunch at 11:30 and getting back at 3 and getting out every day at 5 and the boss lets you leave early on Friday just doesn?t exist outside of politics. If you do find a job like this?let me give you my resume. Work will never be better than not working, why else would they be paying people to do it? Accept the overall truth: you will probably not like your job. The best you can hope for is a job that you don?t hate with an abject passion.

That being the case, pick something that you know you can stick with. I always thought there was something wrong with me because I hated being a busboy and it filled me with that fear that work was something I was always going to hate, was going to end up being a bum, et cetera, et cetera, etc. Then I started doing tech support. Such a change ? like night and day. Wasn?t depressed every morning I woke up because I was going to work. Lesson to be learned is: you?re going to be doing this for a while. Going to have to go into work when you don?t want to ? when you?re tired, sick, depressed, angry?whatever. It should be something you know you can do no matter what. Training will no doubt be required, don?t be afraid to crack some books. Learning doesn?t end after high school or college; it?s a constant process.

Office Politics ? The evil step-brother of politics ? It?d be nice to think that since we?ve left high school and all the immature garbage therein, that people have improved. Personalities aged like wine, thoughts and actions that make perfect sense. I?ve been in this game for going on 10 years, to me it?s about the same as the junior high school cafeteria. Cool kids at one table, smart kids at another, loners and losers over here and so on. People develop loyalties at their job that have nothing to do with their chosen profession. They fight inter-office wars, get people fired, make your life miserable and can be a leading cause of work stress. Judo teaches you to bend with the force. Learn to make office politics work for you, it?s a slow and subtle process that pays off immensely and you will never regret using it when it?s working for you.

First day/week/month of the job? Make friends. Everyone?s your friend?and yet, none of them are. Watch the loyalties ? watch for funny requests that seem to be outside of your job description. People are trying to assimilate you into the herd and will reject you if you present a threat to them. It?s better to appear to be following along but playing by your own rules on the side. Does it feel dishonest? Yeah, it does. It?s a survival tool for getting along around here, I?ll tell you that. I know that sounds cynical but another lesson to be learned and we?ll cover later is: Learn who you can be real with and who you can?t.

Work is where you will spend 1/3 of your adult life. Learn to live with it, love it and make it work for you.

Next installment: Being a Successful Person - Walking the Path

- Tim Woolery, 6/7/04