How can I improve my customer service?

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pineapplerain
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05 Mar 2014, 9:45 pm

Hi all,
I have been working at a very busy Starbucks location for a little over a month now. Yesterday my boss sat me down and berated me for a while on my inability to remember our regular customers' names and usual drink orders (I do good to process "hey I've seen you before!" much less remember all that!). He told me he would consider firing me if I couldn't remember at least three new names a day. When I told him I had cognitive issues with putting names to faces and I couldn't promise that, but I would try, he said "that doesn't matter."

I haven't flat out told him I have diagnosed aspergers and I'm not sure if I should.

He also told me that it was far better for me to waste time staring at a wall of boxes trying to find items I need to restock instead of "bothering another person to ask."

And he also told me I don't make enough expressions when I interact with customers...

So all in all I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how I can improve on any of this stuff? To me it seems like my boss is being unreasonable but I do understand that customer service is important... I want to succeed at this job, and I need the money. :(

Thanks for reading all that!



LittlePigLocksmith
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05 Mar 2014, 10:00 pm

I also have serious problems putting names to faces. I was talking to a county official I know rather well (who also is one of the co-owners of a book store not far from my house) and he advised me to read a book called "Moonwalking With Einstein" by Joshua Foer. I was having troubles finding a website where I could read it for free so he loaned me a physical copy. I haven't actually read it yet so I can't tell you for sure if the techniques in the book work or not, but there are a lot of books on memorization out there.

There are a few free books on the subject in the TOR library, but again, I can't vouch for them. It's worth looking into though.



PerfectlyDarkTails
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05 Mar 2014, 10:34 pm

Jeez... That situation sounds horrendously unfair to me... With so many faces coming in or out, I'm not going to remember regular people or their frequent orders. To me that shouldn't be any bases of firing.

Possibly you could seek a new position away from frunt facing customers, say like I may be more suited elsewhere in the Starbucks business. Or maybe it is time to declare the disability and adapt reasonable adjustments to working space, using all your rights as applicable.


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ASPartOfMe
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06 Mar 2014, 12:22 am

pineapplerain wrote:
Hi all,
He also told me that it was far better for me to waste time staring at a wall of boxes trying to find items I need to restock instead of "bothering another person to ask."


That comment was rude and condescending but I do not think his other comments were "unreasonable" because customer service jobs require those skills. Unfortunately because of poor executive functioning we lack those skills. We can learn them, there are courses, books, youtube videos, articles on how to improve these skills but it is going to take a lot of time and effort.

Customer service is important because many neurotypical customers like to have their ego stroked. If they feel a business cares about them and is making an effort to make them feel good they are more likely to purchase items from that business, use that business in the future and recommend that business to their friends. If customers feel a business is making little or no effort to please them they are more likely to make future purchases from a competing business.


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sly279
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06 Mar 2014, 3:44 am

hmm. I do good in customer service so far, though we see 100s of customers per day, we aren't expected to know their names, actually its better if we don't being as we are dealing with personal stuff, like account numbers and names. I have to check their name on id match's the account and the picture matches them. I just spent 3 seconds looking at their name and I don't remember it. I get repeat costumers every term, they remember me and like getting me, I have yet to remember their names, but I do recognize them. Took me weeks to Remember the employees names. I need to see someone a few times to remember them.

I don't think I'd do the drink remember thing. Though they remember my sisters. I went into Starbucks once and they saw me and knew which drink to make for my sister. But they also are semi friends and don't get too many costumers.

so you're not alone. I don't imagine there's a way to fix memory problems?

hope it works out for you.



pineapplerain
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06 Mar 2014, 8:50 am

Thanks for the well wishes and the advice, everyone. I talked to a trusted coworker about my issues today and she recommended I ask to get put on the "store support" position. It's a routine check for items that need to be stocked, areas that need to be cleaned, and brewing plain coffees (no complicated recipes). Very little customer interaction. So I'm going to talk with my boss next chance I get about being put in this position. Hopefully it works out. :)

Thanks again everyone. So nice to know there are people who understand.



zer0netgain
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06 Mar 2014, 10:39 am

pineapplerain wrote:
...inability to remember our regular customers' names and usual drink orders
...far better for me to waste time staring at a wall of boxes trying to find items I need to restock instead of "bothering another person to ask."
...And he also told me I don't make enough expressions when I interact with customers...


In a perfect world, none of these are unreasonable. However, this isn't a perfect world.

It takes a special kind of memory to remember people and what their preferences are. Lots of NTs don't do it. If that's a critical thing for him, he must go through a lot of people.

As far as staring at boxes, he wants you to recognize, at a glance, what is needed. It's not hard, but how fast any person gains this skill varies.

In a service industry, connection with the customer is key. This is where AS works against you.

***

When I worked as a paralegal, the boss wanted me to figure stuff out myself. That wasn't unreasonable, but I got saddled with extra responsibilities, so "learning the job" wasn't something I had time for. Most every day was about getting stuff out before a deadline. Ideally, I would have had time to study stuff and learn how to do stuff on my own. When things changed, it was much more efficient to have him tell me stuff so we could get it out rather than me waste time trying to figure it out with a looming deadline and a pile of work.

I'm working now in a place that requires safety glasses. I'm nearsighted, so I can't see much beyond arm's reach. It's always been that way. It'd be easier for someone to tell me something that's outside my range of vision than expect me to walk close enough to see it myself.

I've always had issues with customers. Not always "bad," but having things misinterpreted because of how I come across.



Homer_Bob
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06 Mar 2014, 1:30 pm

Not to sound harsh or anything but it sounds like the job is not the right fit for you and you should start searching for another job immediately. I understand you need to make the best of it now so perhaps you should seek some outside help in job counseling because that's all I can think of in the meantime.



RainbowDemon
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21 Mar 2014, 2:18 pm

I think you should tell him you have Asperger's, as it's affecting your work. I have been in a similar position to you when I was in my last job, but the problem then was that I didn't know I had Asperger's at the time. If I had known it back then, then I would have told them, but as I didn't I had to resign instead.

You don't deserve to be treated that way and you should deal with this problem before it gets worse. If your boss is anything less that understanding then I would report him for discrimination.