Can autistic people do customer facing roles?

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Can autistic people do customer facing roles? To me it seems like teaching a dog to fly an airplane.

It seems to be a necessity in many industries. Yet (I assume) when people see that I'm female, and not smiley, warm and friendly, then I'm not good for business.

If I was collecting money for charity, people would give 10x more money to a younger, more attractive girl with a cute smile.

Do you think you can change my opinion?

I think some autistic people can.

It depends on the job (how much and what type of communication is required, what the communication is about, whether there are scripts, etc.), and the autistic person (their skills and interests, how they come across to others).

I love working in the service sector, specifically as a hostess in conferences: receiving and welcoming people. Social interaction is quite minimum and not personal at all - if someone wants something they will ask for it, if they need something they will be concrete, and they tend to not want to spend TOO much time with you, as they need to get somewhere else AND you have very specific instructions. Socialising with colleagues is another story, who obviously want to chit chat with you (job attracts this kind of chatty personality).

I have worked as a fundraiser recruiter for a large NGO for 1.5 years. It was a game for me - testing what works and what doesn't work. The job itself was straight forward, and you use many selling techniques, plus I had to learn using social cues that will eventually lead to them wanting to become a monthly sponsor for this NGO. As it was an environmental NGO, I could go on and on about ecology, which is what my degree is on, and get them to understand the importance of the cause. This job eventually led to a horrible burnout, and kind of ruined my life. I think it was mostly because I was the team leader, and the interpersonal relationships was exhausting, complex and confusing. I couldn't make my team happy, my boss didn't give me any guidelines to help me, and I was basically lost, confused and under constant stress. Had I known that I was potentially in the autistic spectrum, maybe I would have not taken this particular position, and just have fun playing around with all the social cues and selling techniques that I was learning.

I agree with this. I've worked in some customer facing roles that I've loved, but it's been about scripting. When the customers are predictable and you only have a limited number of things to say, it's actually very easy and enjoyable.

I couldn't work in a role where each task would be very different - every customer needed something new - but working as a cashier or taking orders is actually quite comfortable.

I don't think I could do charity fundraising, though. No chance, in fact. Too much scope for questions that have never been asked before!

I certainly think so, though it depends on the person and the exact nature of a job. I could happily work in a bookshop, but I would struggle in a supermarket. Assuming by customer-facing you mean customer service anyway. Outside of customer service and sales there are a lot more people-centric jobs I think autistic people can succeed in.

I've worked customer-facing work placements, and most of the time smiling is mandatory, and is a big no-no if you are like me as in keeping a straight face or look depressed most of the time, is also probably a reason why I didn't get the jobs as paid positions. I think usually you have to put on a smile for a year straight before you can calm down to a straighter face, this is in retail btw, others like offices or tech companies they allow you some breathing space as you more likely want to be focused on the task at hand on the computer or something.

I can't really control the way I look at people anyway, so it's no surprise I don't function well in customer roles. I don't think its a problem relating to autism though, as if you have HFA you can just mask it as you always have been, if that has been your intention. I might have suspected to see some in a local supermarket although I think the manager might have made adjustments for them as I never see them on tills, and always see them stock shelves. It's a wonder how they get through the screening process though, with very rigorous group roleplaying and interviewing panels.

I totally agree! I loved doing my job in IT because the conversations for several years were very concrete. And I had the ability to ask the solid questions to get them to tell me what we had to know to fix the problem. I understood the products and how to fix those products. As long as I was certain about the rules I needed to follow I was GREAT at my job and actually loved doing it every day.

When that all started to change I ended up with two massive breakdowns and short term disability. Now I just feel old and used up.... and honestly on many days I just look forward to the day all becomes total silence for me. I hate it that the job I loved turned into a monster I can't defeat.

I've had two jobs doing custodial stuff in retail. My reviews said I did well with assisting the customers. I was polite & I helped them find the product they were looking for or I got someone who worked in that department to assist. I could never do a sales job thou.

I, too, think it depends on the job.

If I have to create some kind of "atmosphere" that is going to influence a customer, then I can't do that. If my job involves relating information to a customer, I'm great. I may even do a better job because I usually am able to provide information useful to a customer that someone else would leave out.

I am working in a callcenter position and love that customers don't see my stimming or me cuddling my plushies.

Possible? Yes. Ideal? Probably not.

I can handle customers because it's superficial and rote exchanges. I like helping people. In the end, it just became too exhausting.

Absolutely!

I've always found customer service positions easier than admin or office type jobs. I think it's because you only talk to the customer for a minute or two and not much chit-chat is necessary. I also think it's possible to do sales work, like working from a phone with a script, because you have a solid, repeatable pattern you stick to, and the customer is the only variable.

I would consider working for a power company or government agency where you get people to fill out their details over the phone or in person. Cashier jobs, movie ticket selling, stuff like that where you don't have to talk to people for long. And preferably where you have one or less other people in the workplace with you (I quite enjoyed working in a gas station in the evenings, as you're alone the whole time except for change-over time).

I agree. It's definitely possible, but definitely exhausting and I don't know that I could do it for long. I don't know if it's sustainable, and moving up in the ranks caused me to have a bit of breakdown. I hated being a manager.

I have worked retail twice, and I found it terribly draining. By the end of working at GameStop I was throwing tantrums before every shift. I couldn't help it. I lost 15 lbs because I worked there full time and I can't eat when I feel anxious, which I always did as a shift manager (which you had to be if you wanted more than 10 hours a week).

Smiling is a double-edged sword when you're a woman in retail, because people expect it and think you're mean if you don't... but creepy, predatory people sometimes take advantage of the fact that you are more obligated to be nice to them. That was something I didn't expect and was always somewhat frightening if I was running the store alone. Once a man asked me what time I got off work (I countered by telling him when the store closes) and he lingered around the store for some time after that, sort of watching me. Thankfully a customer came in and started chatting with me and he left.

Now I am a package handler, and I love it compared to retail (and the fine art foundry I worked for, where I loved the work very much but found the atmosphere unbearable). I have always enjoyed sports and running and being physical, so I don't mind the work itself. It's simple and to the point, I can choose to work more hours if I want to because the night shift is always short on people... and though it doesn't help my social status to be a stone-faced loner, it doesn't really hurt either! I load my cans fast and I help everybody else do theirs, so I'm still pretty well-regarded. I also get to wear comfy uniform pants with lots of big pockets.