Many a times, we let our emotions go when we meet strangers who are trying to promote products to us. We often forget these strangers are humans, too, and have the same emotions like us. While their jobs may seem annoying to many, try to understand that they are just doing their jobs just to earn their living.
Challenges facing sales people
Being a telemarketer or public relations officer or sales promoter is no joke. Just ask Ryan, Ashley or Sonia Sim.
When Ryan first became a telemarketer, he knew that much patience was required.
“So I was somewhat prepared to get an earful from some angry customers without getting too emotional.
“For instance, a customer once called to complain that his delivery was late but it was not. Deliveries should be made within five to seven working days and upon checking, only six working days had passed,” said the 23-year-old.
Despite his explanations, Ryan said the customer insisted on receiving his item on the very same day.
“When I told him that his request was impossible to fulfil and that I did not have control over it, he resorted to using profanity and screaming unreasonably. He also demanded to talk to the manager. In the end, he dropped the call.”
That was not the only time Ryan had received a call filled with profanities.
He said another customer, who wanted a refund, also used swear words the moment he picked up the phone.
“I apologised to him on behalf of the company because the refund was taking longer than usual. Unfortunately for me, he did not respond well. He continued to abuse me verbally and even threatened to find me at my workplace.”
Ryan said he found it ironic that when customers called in for solutions, they were unwilling to listen to the solutions.
He conceded that customers’ responses affected him and his colleagues regularly.
“In cases when customers threaten us, we do feel traumatised. To me, there is no reason for customers to be rude and abusive to us.”
Ryan said customers should use the right channels to complain.
“For instance, lodge a report to the authorities if they find that the companies are treating them unfairly. After all, we are all humans and it is not okay to treat us this way just because we are customer service agents.
“The perception that we deserve this bad treatment is wrong and should be stopped.”
Ryan added that customers should not channel their anger towards customer service agents.
“I hope that they understand that we have to follow the procedures and there are restrictions on our end that might not be able to fulfil their requests.”
Sharing her experiences as a former public relations officer, Ashley said, “Sometimes when we approached people for a favour or to pitch certain elements for our client to the media, we often got bad or rude responses.”
“It could be that they were having a bad day or there were many other similar people approaching them as well.
“Once, I called a person and he asked me to stop calling him, saying that he had other things to do than to attend to my calls. But I was calling him for the first time!,” added the 25-year-old.
Due to the pressure in the fast-paced industry, Ashley disclosed how being a public relations officer eventually caused her to consult a therapist.
“It got to the point where my mental health was affected. I was diagnosed with anxiety and that was when I knew I had to leave the job.”
Nevertheless, the job taught her how to approach people and media strategically.
“I also learnt what the public wanted to hear versus what the clients wanted. This allowed me to counsel my clients properly and decide what should be the proper actions to take to show desired results.”
Ashley hoped that the public would be kind towards the frontline agents.
“I believe we all have our challenges and bad days. However, it will not hurt to take a few minutes to be nice even if it means they must reject our proposals or pitches.
“At the end of the day, kindness is free and we are all just doing our best to make work enjoyable while also ensuring we have food on our tables,” she added.
It is easy to give up
Next to share the hardships she faced while working in the frontline was part-time sales promoter, Sonia Sim.
“I am always prepared to be rejected. Whenever we talk about sales, people usually scramble away before I can finish.”
Sim started working for a sales company part-time to earn a passive income while studying.
“It wasn’t easy. Some people wish to earn quick money, so if there isn’t any income in three months, they will give up.
“It took me a long time to build my customer base. So for the first two years, my monthly income wasn’t stable. But since the products are good, my regulars keep coming back.”
The experience did not stop Sim from working as a sales promoter.
If anything, it made her learn to explore more.
“I am no longer afraid to meet new people in a new environment. And every time I do so, I get business and make new friends!”
Sim hoped that more people would give her a chance to explain her products and services.
“After all, we are in the e-commerce era. After explaining, the customers can choose to say yes or no,” she said.
