Christmas is a crazy time of year. Customer numbers soar as we all buy into this annual frenzy of consumerism and of course employers need to take on huge numbers of temporary workers during the festive season to cope with the extra demand.
For those who take on seasonal positions, especially in industries such as retail and any kind of hospitality services, these extremely busy periods can be quite stressful. At the same time, however, they can also present the perfect opportunities for temporary workers to prove themselves and so open up the doors to permanent employment.
The ability to stay calm under pressure is vital in a whole range of jobs, and this is particularly true where positions involving customer service are concerned. Hordes of customers, many of whom are in a rush and suffering their own kinds of Christmas stress, can place huge additional demands on service employees, but being able to meet these demands in a calm, confident and organized manner which meets and shows respect for customer needs can really make workers stand out.
We’ve all faced those harried-looking store assistants who bark directions at customers who can’t find what they are looking for, and the waiters and waitresses who tap their feet impatiently as they wait to take our orders in the midst of a busy restaurant. Although we might feel for their predicament, these people do nothing to add to our festive experience and nor do they do anything to improve the reputation of the establishments for which they work. As anxious employers look on, they quickly pick up on our disgruntled expressions and make a mental note to let the employees in question go as soon as the busy season has passed.
As is the case with any temporary job or internship, seasonal jobs can be an excellent way to get your foot in the door of your target employer, but you really do need to prove yourself while you have the chance. Despite the Christmas madness, stay cool, keep smiling and treat your customers with the respect that they deserve and you could just make yourself indispensable and set yourself up for a job which continues into the New Year. Customers have the luxury of huge amounts of choice in this day and age and if they don’t get the service that they feel entitled to from you, they will simply take their money elsewhere. Prove to your boss that you can stay calm and keep them coming back for more even during the Christmas madness and he might not want to let you go!
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
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March 3rd, 2010 at 5:32 am
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