For 18 and a half years, I was confident in my job and my skills. I could answer questions all day long about policies, procedures and the products that we carried (in a retail field). Then I reached my breaking point and decided to change careers. Everything is new, except the customer service aspect. I’m here to help people at the end of the day. The problem is, I’m not yet confident in my knowledge and my skills. I’m slower than I’d like to be and I tend to overcommit to my customers. Such was the case on Friday.
The anxiety I felt all weekend while I was off work was palpable. It would roll over me in waves. My stomach was churning off and on. I had trouble sleeping. I could not stop my brain from mulling over all of the mistakes I made in my efforts to help. All of this lead to the disheartening feeling that I had made a terrible mistake in taking this position. That I would never be able to accomplish the simple task of being confident once again. I’m almost 50, it’s not like I have all the time in the world to be bouncing from career to career. It is scary business; change.
My friends encouraged me to stick it out. That it will get better with time. The confidence will come. The ease will come. My trainer encourages me to take it one step at a time and to learn from my mistakes.
I called my unhappy customer today. I was almost sick to my stomach; I was terrified and it was awful, but I did it. I made it through. And the rest of the day, while not quite “easy”, was better.
I am definitely out of my comfort zone. We are not in Kansas anymore, Toto. But it was time to go and time to change. I cannot be upset by the fact that for now, it’s uncomfortable.
E. E. Wildwood 