The COVID-19 pandemic has been a long and ultimately treacherous journey that is yet to be over. As much as I would like to say that this unfortunate virus has brought us closer together, I believe it has pushed us further apart, bringing the worst out of everyone. The world is at a divide. Whether it be about wearing masks, going out in public, vaccine cards, or just getting the vaccine in general, the pandemic has been a downright burden on everyone. Now I’m not the kind of person to say that one person has it worse than the other, but I don’t think most people realize the strain the pandemic has had on customer service workers.
I can speak from personal experience when I say that the phrase “don’t shoot the messenger” comes to my mind when I have to deal with a customer refusing to wear a mask. It truly doesn’t make sense to me when I’m stuck having to baby some of the 40-year-olds that get upset with me because of something I can’t control. Of course, there are the select few who are medically exempt, but for the ones that aren’t, employees won’t risk their jobs (or health) because wearing a mask for five minutes is “too hard” or “uncomfortable,” especially when most employees have to suffer wearing one for upwards of eight hours. Everyone is having a hard time dealing with all of the new changes around us; being rude to an employee who is enforcing rules that were made by the government only makes it worse.
Being a customer service employee has drastically changed since COVID-19 began. When the virus started spreading, owners of establishments didn’t know what to do or how to make their business a safer place for patrons and staff. It has caused a lot of employees to take a leave of absence, limit their availability, or just outright quit. I personally didn’t feel comfortable working at an establishment that didn’t change their hours or safety regulations, so I took a leave for a few months — which is an important reminder: it is completely okay to protect your mental health and take a leave of absence if needed.
After a few months into the pandemic, my work lost a large handful of employees, making it harder on everyone else as we now face staffing shortages and overworked employees. But this isn’t just happening at my own work; many businesses are navigating the economic downfall of job shortages as they are faced with decreasing service-level employment rates. In July 2021, Canada’s accommodation and food services employment sector dropped 25 per cent from February and information, culture, and recreation industries fell 14 per cent from their pre-pandemic levels. Whether employees are resigning to reap the benefits of government assistance, or pursue a job less demanding, companies are stretched thin as The Great Resignation Wave of the pandemic takes a mental toll on these tireless workers. After many days and hours of serving rude customers, I’ve been stuck between developing an anxiety disorder and no longer caring enough to be affected by these uncivilized patrons. It’s definitely a lot harder being a customer service employee than you’d think, and working through a pandemic has made it that much more difficult.
So, to the customers who come in and make it harder on employees, I’d like to remind you to take a step back and think about the way you treat someone and how it has an effect on them. As for all of the wonderful customers that come in and are so kind about everything, thank you. And to the new employees just starting out at your customer service job, good luck, and don’t let those rude people affect you; you’re just there to do your job, and those people don’t realize it.
Image: Brielle Quon/The Cascade
