Aspies working in Customer Service or Sales
12 Jun 2014, 5:54 pm
BirdInFlight wrote:
To the OP -- from your follow up post about the promotional position you've been offered -- from everything you say, it sounds like you've been handling your current duties well and you might just be perfectly fine with the new responsibilities too. You seem to be having a more positive experience of this line of work than I did or some of us who have told of bad experiences. You seem to have a handle on it.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
I'm not gonna lie it is hard on me and I do suffer from burnout/over-stimulation everyday but I've got a pretty good handle on the position. And I'm still able to do my own thing after work and enjoy myself. I'm not sure if I want to do this for the rest of my life, but I've been considering this promotion a lot and I think I'm going to take it for now. I really do understand where a lot of you are coming from in regards to your troubles in this field and your desires to stay away... I would prefer something else if it paid as much... I really would. But I'm good at this I guess and have a managing personality.
I use to always take it personally when customers dumped their emotions on me but now I'm almost like a robot in sales mode and just let it go in one ear and out the other. I'm good at setting customers straight when they try to bully me as well. A lifetime of being picked on and made fun of has hardened me. Plus the best part of this job is I CAN swear at customers if it is absolutely necessary. The CEO of the company is the worst at this... I've told customers to "f*ck off" before when they wouldn't back down IN FRONT of my boss.
I'm also excited to do everything my way in running a store, I like the logistics of ordering/maintaining product and providing a great service to people. I just am worried about the amount of social involved especially with "shooting the sh*t" with sales reps and dealing with advertising agents. I think that's my biggest stress... Everything else I have a mindless script for that works great and people have always thought I was the manager anyway because of my professional manners and big words I use haha. Aspies are known for this. I think it stems from my lack of social skills, being very polite and professional makes up for it.
My biggest challenge in life is "hanging out" with people and conversing as friends... The professional thing I have down. I'm thinking to myself I can also quit later if it really doesn't work out. At the very least I can save money for awhile doing this.
_________________
"If the lessons of history teach us anything it is that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us."
12 Jun 2014, 6:45 pm
Dr_Cheeba wrote:
BirdInFlight wrote:
To the OP -- from your follow up post about the promotional position you've been offered -- from everything you say, it sounds like you've been handling your current duties well and you might just be perfectly fine with the new responsibilities too. You seem to be having a more positive experience of this line of work than I did or some of us who have told of bad experiences. You seem to have a handle on it.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
I'm not gonna lie it is hard on me and I do suffer from burnout/over-stimulation everyday but I've got a pretty good handle on the position. And I'm still able to do my own thing after work and enjoy myself. I'm not sure if I want to do this for the rest of my life, but I've been considering this promotion a lot and I think I'm going to take it for now. I really do understand where a lot of you are coming from in regards to your troubles in this field and your desires to stay away... I would prefer something else if it paid as much... I really would. But I'm good at this I guess and have a managing personality.
I use to always take it personally when customers dumped their emotions on me but now I'm almost like a robot in sales mode and just let it go in one ear and out the other. I'm good at setting customers straight when they try to bully me as well. A lifetime of being picked on and made fun of has hardened me. Plus the best part of this job is I CAN swear at customers if it is absolutely necessary. The CEO of the company is the worst at this... I've told customers to "f*ck off" before when they wouldn't back down IN FRONT of my boss.
I'm also excited to do everything my way in running a store, I like the logistics of ordering/maintaining product and providing a great service to people. I just am worried about the amount of social involved especially with "shooting the sh*t" with sales reps and dealing with advertising agents. I think that's my biggest stress... Everything else I have a mindless script for that works great and people have always thought I was the manager anyway because of my professional manners and big words I use haha. Aspies are known for this. I think it stems from my lack of social skills, being very polite and professional makes up for it.
My biggest challenge in life is "hanging out" with people and conversing as friends... The professional thing I have down. I'm thinking to myself I can also quit later if it really doesn't work out. At the very least I can save money for awhile doing this.
Lol, a lot of that sounds familiar.
I am frequently mistaken for a boss anywhere due to my demeanor and the way I resolve conflicts... Unfortunately, I'm also mistaken for an employee everywhere I go, when I don't really work there. ~blink blink~
12 Jun 2014, 11:57 pm
BirdInFlight wrote:
To the OP -- from your follow up post about the promotional position you've been offered -- from everything you say, it sounds like you've been handling your current duties well and you might just be perfectly fine with the new responsibilities too. You seem to be having a more positive experience of this line of work than I did or some of us who have told of bad experiences. You seem to have a handle on it.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
But as someone mentioned, find out exactly what will be expected of you, so that you are clear on those things.
Personally, for me, especially in middle age as I am now, no amount of salary could make me work in that line of work ever again. As someone said, I'd rather be homeless. I applied every coping strategy back in the day -- I was even attending regular talk therapy at the time, so good advice was not lacking -- but those jobs are just not for me, even when I apply behaviors and scripts I've learned. Customers who come in and dump their own bad day on ME, co-workers and even bosses who spiral with me into a bad dynamic between us that makes me start to be alienated -- not for me. But you are having a better time of it so I think you are going to be fine.
.
BirdInFlight, how old are you? I am 30 years old. I think being 30 years old is too old to work in fast food anymore. Like I said before it's fine for young people, aspie or NT.
13 Jun 2014, 7:36 pm
aspie_comic_nerd wrote:
BirdInFlight, how old are you? I am 30 years old. I think being 30 years old is too old to work in fast food anymore. Like I said before it's fine for young people, aspie or NT.
Well I can't speak for BirdInFlight... But I've never actually worked a fast food job... I can only imagine the horror. And fast food positions are a SLIVER of the Customer Service work field.
In this particular post though I was leaning more towards Sales type Customer Service jobs with better pay. And the position that I've accepted is the store manager of a successful kitchen sales and plumbing store... So it's quite a good wage actually, more than my own parents make. That's why I was struggling with whether I should accept it or not.
_________________
"If the lessons of history teach us anything it is that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us."
14 Jun 2014, 11:04 pm
I'm in sales, as a financial advisor, and have had many customer service jobs. I have actually enjoyed some of the customer service because I have done it in technical fields. I think one helpful tactic is to avoid the "general public". Their stupidity will hurt your brain. Try to find a role supporting professionals or wealthier individuals. Contrary to common knowledge I have found the wealthy to be much more sensible and willing to deal with the real world than the poor or unintelligent. If you think about it most of the rich in America made themselves rich. Being a moron or being difficult to deal with negatively correlates with having the necessary skills to enrich yourself.
As for sales though it is INCREDIBLY taxing. My new boss actually told me I need to communicate with my clients on an emotional level.... LOL... he obviously doesn't know I'm an Aspie... or he does and he's trying to run me out of my position. Sales is so much more taxing because in a complex sales such as financial products you are supposed to find the root emotional driver of the client in order to lead them to the "correct" solution. I think the term for it is "consultative sales". For an aspie they might as well be asking me to fly to the moon using nothing but positive thinking. While it's not impossible to be successful on some level in sales it's very taxing. Plus the higher paying sales jobs involve extensive networking, emotional/social navigation and prospecting for clients. All tend to be like pulling your fingernails off for aspies.
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