Customer Service Jobs Can be Keys to Success

I wasn't surprised when a majority of the responses in our Job Outlook Survey came from service provider businesses.

Sales and customer service jobs, it turns out, are going strong in our community.

We all provide one service or another, and even large industries have customer service departments. At the chamber, we consider ourselves a customer service office, and we like to think we make friends one customer at a time. Helping someone find a location on a map, helping them find a phone number, or referring them to a member business are some of the services we provide.

A few years ago, a woman came in looking for 12 copies of a Door County guidebook. Since we exchange promotional material with Door County, we had some to give her. We could have sent her to the Marinette Welcome Center, something we do when we don't have the tourism material that a visitor wants. But we had 12 copies so why not save her a trip? I knew she had recently experienced some health issues and I wanted to make obtaining these books convenient for her. That, to my way of thinking, is customer service.

Customer service related jobs can be stressful, to be sure, but they can also be extremely satisfying. There is nothing quite like helping someone obtain information, solve a problem, or get results. And that's what customer service is all about.

A good customer service provider is a gem. I've heard local employers say when they find a good one, they'll try hard to keep that person on staff. After all, good customer service is often what helps a business get ahead of the competition. I don't care if I have to pay a little more for an item if I know I will have good customer service after the sale.

In our survey, our members are telling us customer service jobs will be fairly plentiful this year. They may go by different names, so look carefully: Service rep, front counter, account manager, or community relations representative. All those jobs and others require customer service skills.

There will be jobs throughout our community in 2011 - and not just in the shipbuilding industry. That's good news for people who've been recently downsized, or are new in town because their spouses fund work here.

The key is remaining flexible. The skills you acquire and fine tune in a customer service job will help you in whatever job you end up in down the line. With a customer service job, you learn to build relationships, listen, solve problems, think creatively and build a reputation for your employer. Every single one of those skills is applicable to just about every job in the world.

Many years ago, I found myself downsized from a publishing job with an Atlanta company. I explored job openings in marketing, editing, technical writing, graphic design and other areas I was familiar with, but ended up in a customer service job. I helped patients find doctors, and then I helped them resolve issues they ran into while receiving care. The skills I gained and polished have stayed with me for more than two decades. It wasn't the easiest job, it certainly wasn't without its stressful moments. But I left the office every night feeling good. And I learned a lot.

In grade school I read a story about a teen-aged girl who learned from a famous violinist to do everything well, no matter how important or unimportant it seemed. The idea was to do it well. Some people may think customer service jobs lack prestige.

I disagree. I don't think there's any job as important as the one that relates to helping people.

How to Survive a Job Search

I'm reading Help Wanted ads these days, hoping to find job matches for a growing number of friends and acquaintances who have recently found themselves downsized.

A few years back, our large industries took a hit, laying off workers by the dozens. At one point, by my calculations, we had hundreds of people out of work. It's gratifying to report that many of those people have been called back to work, thanks to contracts and expansions.

But now, a fair share of people in marketing, customer service, sales and management are out of work.

Earlier this year, the chamber added a Help Wanted page to its Web site (www.mandmchamber.com). We post ads for our members at no cost - it's a benefit of membership. We've also added corporate Web sites for several area companies that offer job listings and we will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, what if you've been laid off? Now what?

The experts to tell you not to give in to the desire to mourn your job by wallowing in self pity, hiding out at home, and eating comfort food. They tell you to hit the ground running in your search for another job. We agree. But we also think a few creature comforts might be in order. Certainly a bit of comfort food helps!

Here are a few tips, gleaned from a variety of sources:

Keep busy. Once you've got your resume updated and are actively looking, find some small projects that are doable and will give you a sense of satisfaction upon completion. Clean a room or a drawer, clean out a closet - whatever. Make sure you get something done every day.

File for unemployment immediately. Having money flowing in will alleviate the stress of not having an office to go to every morning. If you have debts, call your creditors and make payment arrangements. Make sure you have health insurance lined up, if that's an issue.

Get out of the house. Fight the impulse to hibernate. You are not alone. Maintain friendships and professional relationships. Make sure you get some exercise, too.

Network like crazy. Put the word out that you are looking. Ask everyone in your professional circle to keep an eye out for a job that fits your experience.

Learn something new. If you can afford to, take a non-credit course. Read up on branding, or search engine optimization. Keep your skills current, and obtain new knowledge of technology or the Internet. Take up a new hobby, one that keeps your hands busy and eases stress.

Consider a temporary gig. Take on project work, sign on with a temp agency, or start a modest consulting business. One laid-off professional lined up a consulting project even before leaving her job.

Volunteer. Make new friends by reaching out to the community. Help somebody. You may gain new skills and new confidence in yourself.

Keep your chin up. Tom Jackson, a job search guru popular in the 80s, used to say that a successful jobs search is a series of NOs that ends in a YES. Every rejection letter brings you closer to that letter of hire.

You will find a job eventually. It may be different from your last job. I took a job I thought would be temporary - and ended up staying 10 years.

The Perfect Pairing

Occasionally I am asked why the chamber does a wine tasting every year.

The answer is simple!

Our wine tasting is a fund-raising event for chamber operations. Chamber are only partially funded by dues investments. An important part of our operations budget comes from special events and management contracts. Some chamber experts say organizations like ours ought to be 60-80 percent funded by a non-dues revenue stream as a hedge against hard times when some businesses might founder or even go under.

The popular wine tasting and our equally popular golf outing help us raise money to support the chamber's daily operations. Thanks to these events, we've been able to put a new roof on our 43-year-old building and insulate our attic. We've also been able to initiate new programs that help our local business climate thrive.

Moreover, tasting wine has an indirect benefit to many business people. Who hasn't had to take clients out to dinner, or mix and mingle with company bigwigs at social events? Knowing a little about wine so you can order with confidence is an advantage.

About five years ago, I found myself seated next to a CEO at dinner. This world traveler was well-versed in exotic foods and loved to tour wineries. Had I not known a bit about wines, we might have struggled for a suitable conversation topic. As every successful business person knows, keeping abreast with many topics is a must when networking!

Besides, it's just plain fun. The event is always held on a Thursday, a night when the bulk of the work week is behind us and we can all kick back a little bit.

This year's wine list is exciting. The wines are rich and robust. I'm especially excited about an Argentinian Malbec that will pair perfectly with steak. There's also a Riesling I'm looking forward to tasting.

Come join us on Feb. 10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Lauerman House Inn. Tickets, $35 per person, are available at the chamber. Chef Joel Peterson promises tasty finger foods that pair nicely with the wines.

Have fun and support the chamber, too!