My Capstone Project

           As a teenager working a minimum wage job, it has been made clear to me that most people my age do not know anything about customer service. What high schooler does? Many people don’t see it as a very important thing to know about in life. However, based on both excellent and terrible experiences I’ve had with businesses, I believe customer service is much more important than people may think. I would like to know the answer to the question: “How can I, a young adult in the work place, administer principal efforts to create the best experience for my clients or customers?” Through research, I will compile the perfect system of customer service, so I can use it to my benefit in my current and future careers.

           Before starting my research, I only knew the bare minimum when it came to customer service, due to my beginner job. I have been taught by my work superiors that the way employees treat customers can be a large factor in the success of the business. I always assumed that it was much more complex than that, but I never had the chance to learn until this opportunity to complete this project.

           I used different methods to research this subject. I completed a few annotated bibliographies, which helped tremendously. The articles I analyzed about customer service are from CRM Magazine and The Huffington Post. These articles helped me understand what to do and what to avoid when dealing with customers. For example, John Rampton from Huffington Post compiled the “don’ts” of customer service into five sections: bad service, broken promises, disloyalty, pushy employees, and unexpected inconveniences. To keep loyal customers, it is important to avoid those categories at all costs. The article from CRM Magazine describes things you should do to ensure substantial customer satisfaction. Employees should develop a personal relationship with their customers— show them that they genuinely care about them. If a customer feels as if they are truly important to the employees, they are much more likely to stay loyal to the business, even if the prices are higher.

           A very effective way of gathering information is to get it from personal experience. While mentoring at a pharmacy, I had the opportunity to observe how customers react to different service techniques by watching my coworkers interact with them. However, that was only observing, which didn’t provide me with enough information. This is why I decided to interview my mother, Bridget, who has worked as a customer service trainer and manager for over twenty years. She detailed the most important aspects of customer service, the most important one being patience. In any career, you will deal with customers who are angry, upset, or aggravating. In many of these situations, the customer is wrong. At these times you must be patient and calm. Focus on finding a peaceful resolution and taking motion out of the situation, since that is what’s best for both the customer and the business. I believe that by putting together the “do’s and don’ts” and customer handling skills of customer service, my essential question has been answered.

           When I began this project, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of my research. After thoroughly analyzing articles, observing interactions between customers and my coworkers, and interviewing my mother, I feel completely confident that I have mastered customer service techniques. I am thrilled that I now have the chance to carry this information along with me not only to use in my career, but also to share with my peers.