Imagine a world where havoc runs the streets, “Reset Password” emails always contain broken links, and every iPhone is suffering from the “Spinning Wheel of Death.”
Sounds absolutely terrifying, right? But what can we do? It’s not like we have any superheroes. There isn’t a Superman or Spiderman. Heck, we don’t even have Squirrel Girl or Hell Cow (yes, they are both real superheroes… Google it).
So, I guess the question is, what or who are “superheroes”? Is it some tall, fit, good-looking gent in a cape? Or a slender, petite, also good-looking, lady in a skin-tight, leather, one piece bodysuit? Do they have secret lairs, with butlers, badass vehicles, unrealistic weapons and to top it all off, a super cheesy catch phrase?
No. The answer is no, and I’ll tell you why...
It may surprise you when I say that superheroes, in this reality, are individuals just like you and me. No, really! They walk amongst us, blending in seamlessly with the other people on this rock we call Earth. They dedicate their lives to serving and supporting the entire human population. They spend every day, hours at a time, making sure the “other people” are taken care of, that they have everything they need, and that they never need to worry about whether or not they will get to “talk to a real person” when they call a 1-800 number. So, you picking up what I’m throwing down yet?
What I’m trying to say here is this, today’s superheroes are… drum rrrooooolllll please!
The talented individuals who work in the Customer Support and Service Industry!
Shocking? Wondering why I am making this claim? Well, think about it. Everyone is a consumer, on some level, right? Being a consumer makes you a customer of some sort, right? So when things don’t go “right” or “as planned”, we, as customers, would need some kind of support, wouldn’t we?
Yes, the answer is yes. We absolutely would.
We rely on these superheroes daily and count on them to be there for us during our times of need. If we can’t find the answer, fix a problem, or we just don’t want to walk our mother-in-law through the process of clearing out cache and cookies on her computer… again… (insert overly exaggerated eye roll here), we’re not going to call Superman, that’s for damn sure. And, it’s not like Tobey Maguire’s “Spidey Senses” are going to tingle whenever we need to troubleshoot the new “automated” coffee maker we bought on clearance.
Nope, not gonna happen. So, instead, we call “Alex” or “Denise”, who works for “so-and-so’s” company, and ask for their help.
Now, I’m well aware that some customers who look down on those who have jobs in the customer support and service industry. They treat them as if they are “less than” because they serve “the people”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As I mentioned, these people are superheroes. It takes empathy, patience, compassion, determination, adaptability, persistence, passion, (the list can go on and on)for someone to be fit for a customer support or service role. It requires reliability, effort, and excellent people skills; which, trust me, not everyone is equipped with. There are a select who do though, and they have ALL of them.
Which leads me to thank the customers who actually acknowledge these superheroes who have the skills above and work hard to uphold them to the highest quality. These customers acknowledge the importance of support and appreciate acts of service. Who knows, maybe they were or are in a customer support role themselves and can truly grasp the effort it takes to provide the best support. Or maybe they were once a customer, who desperately needed support, and by getting that support, their quality of life improved beyond their imagination. You never know, but if you are this type of customer, thank you! And if your not? Stop it. Just stop it and we’ll be cool. Ya feel?
Here’s how (It’s pretty basic principles…). Treat others the way you want to be treated and the world will immediately become a better place. I guarantee it.
So the next time you encounter one of the superheroes, the ones who take your calls, respond to your emails, keep up with your chat messages, or however you try to contact them, remember this, they answer these with intent to help you, to be there for you, to support you, and nothing less.
See? Not all heroes wear capes, some wear headsets or a name badge.
