Tips For Aspies In Retail/Customer Service Jobs

Page 2 of 2 [ 21 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

elysian1969
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 9 Aug 2012
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 138
Location: Somewhere east of Eden

10 Aug 2012, 6:36 pm

I have a rather bizarre career path for an Aspie, but I grew up around the automotive service industry. I started off working in dealerships, first as a driver (lots of alone time but you still have to interact with customers) and then ended up working parts counter. I didn't care for dealing with retail customers too much, but I did enjoy working with technicians. I love the technical end of automotive. so it's easy for me to relate to the techies. I learned very valuable survival skills for dealing with people and standing up for myself in those jobs.

Eventually I ended up as a parts manager, and then as a service director, but the stress of all the interaction and delicate negotiations one is constantly involved in as well as the long hours took a toll on my health. 12 years ago I was offered a job with a company that supplies automotive dealers- selling parts wholesale (to automotive dealers, communicating electronically or by phone) which is a lot less stressful - no face to face dealings, which is easier for me as I am not good with reading non-verbals. I enjoy what I do, even the dealing with people part of it because I'm not in the spotlight and I don't have to settle disputes or any of that noise.

I don't think most Aspies will last long in a high profile, highly visible customer service position, but one on one, behind the scenes in a technical capacity- that might just be your niche. Don't let fear hold you back from giving something a try.



Polarhound
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Posts: 66

10 Aug 2012, 9:16 pm

The biggest thing to remember: customer service is nothing more than a predetermined, contrived song and dance. 99.999% of the people you deal with will not only not care about any quirks you may have, most wouldn't even be able to pick you out of a lineup fifteen seconds after they walk out the door.

After a while, you learn to turn the fake customer service persona needed to cope on and off like a switch. Most everybody will never notice a difference because they are too envelope in the own little world which they think actually means something in the grand scheme of things.

Just don't worry about things, put on a big old' fake smile and go about your day.



elysian1969
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 9 Aug 2012
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 138
Location: Somewhere east of Eden

11 Aug 2012, 9:01 am

Polarhound wrote:
After a while, you learn to turn the fake customer service persona needed to cope on and off like a switch.
Just don't worry about things, put on a big old' fake smile and go about your day.


Exactly! It's sort of like playing a game. The more you practice the better you get!



Polarhound
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Posts: 66

11 Aug 2012, 9:44 am

elysian1969 wrote:
I have a rather bizarre career path for an Aspie, but I grew up around the automotive service industry. I started off working in dealerships, first as a driver (lots of alone time but you still have to interact with customers) and then ended up working parts counter. I didn't care for dealing with retail customers too much, but I did enjoy working with technicians. I love the technical end of automotive. so it's easy for me to relate to the techies. I learned very valuable survival skills for dealing with people and standing up for myself in those jobs.


I've actually spent the past seven years in a similar line of work, except most of mine was in parts departments of Class 8 dealerships (Mack, Freightliner, etc.) If anything, being a bit quirky seems to be more accepted in this line of work than many others. There are a lot of "personalities" in the industry, so to speak.



elysian1969
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 9 Aug 2012
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 138
Location: Somewhere east of Eden

11 Aug 2012, 10:47 pm

Yes, automotive people are a bit quirky and strange- we're sort of like medical people with our own habits and terminology, etc., so I can see where fixed ops (parts and service, NOT generally sales) can be a rather comfy place for Aspies with techie bents. I got to be the resident expert on old GM carb charts and rear end charts (even the GM guys hate them) and the techies pestered me to decipher them even when I was the parts manager in the Toyota building and not doing GM anymore.

I've been away from dealerships for 12 years now, but I can still decipher Toyota (and a good number of GM VINs) on sight. Today the cataloging does that for you- no digging through charts or microfiche (I am that old!) so you are mostly just digging through the illustrations and listings in the catalog specific to the VIN you're searching.

I love where I work now. I have a lot of autonomy, not much interference, or politics, and thank the Lord our dress code is, "as long as the important bits are covered." Since I don't deal with customers face to face where I work, our atmosphere is very laid back and I can dress casual and don't have to wear those god awful blazers, oxford shirts and dress pants anymore.

Glad to see I'm not the only motorhead around. :lol: