At least once in everybody's life, they should experience a job at the customer service industry. I'd like to think that a couple of days or months experience with the best and worst customers is just about to teach someone the value of patience, humility, gratitude, iron will, and more importantly, the importance of holding back your tongue when all you want to do at the moment is to yell at a very insensitive and demanding customer.
I've had my share of experiences in customer service. I worked as a help in a tapsihan and a tindera at the tiangge when I was in high school. I worked as a service crew when I was in college, I even had my OJT at the front desk at an insurance company. My last stint as a customer service representative was at the BPO before I got promoted into back office jobs.
Last September, we had our little person enroll at the McDonalds Kiddie Crew. It was supposed to be a 1 week summer camp for kids but since it was already the start of the school year when we enrolled, McDonald's decided to compress the 5-week worth of activities into 2 days. I actually insisted that since she's homeschooled, we don't really mind going back on a daily basis. But I guess it's a matter of staffing that's why they chose to do it on weekends. I understand that their staff are also students so staffing coverage for the extra week of Kiddie Crew won't cut it.
My little one is just too happy to experience being behind the counter. She was given a tour to the whole store. She saw what the kitchen looks like, she even stepped inside the walk in cooler and freezer. Since she's a very observant child, she saw all the frozen food, and all the other stuff in the fridge. She was introduced to the crew that were working on that shift. After the tour, the service crew taught her a dance sequence for the Kiddie Crew workshop. She's not used to pop music, at that time, (she was doing her ballet,) but she was able to copy the steps and dance to the music. I guess dance is dance whether it's ballet or pop.
On her second day in the Kiddie Crew workshop, they let her experience talking to customers. They walked up to dining customers, handing out balloons to the kids. I think they might have also sold some happy meal toy. Tatay and I were just upstairs (me doing my crochet, Tatay just minding his crypto trading) and we just get to see her during her short breaks. She even helped set up the party place because there was a party in the afternoon. It's a good thing we have already added some kitchen chores in her daily tasks. She's already used to this kind of thing.
She also found out how to make cheeseburgers. She even experienced making one. She did not like those before, now, it's an option for her already. I especially like it that she doesn't like a lot of junk food but an occasional cheeseburger wouldn't really be that bad. I do hope though that she doesn't get to liking it too much.
I can say she was overjoyed when they let her draw the ice cream in the take out booth. She felt how it felt like, firsthand, how it is to be a service crew, even for just a moment. Even it was almost fully assisted. Of course, the customers are being nice to her, she's a kid. But at least she get to see how it felt like to be behind those counters.
We ran into an acquaintance while the little person was doing her stuff in the Kiddie crew. They met her when she went upstairs for her break. She jokingly said that she could be a service crew when she grows up. The lady then followed it up with "Oh, your mom is going to kill you if you do." I fought the urge to tell her off. I just clarified it to Aya that whatever she chooses when she grows up, as long as it makes her happy, I'm all for it. I figured it could be a teaching moment for that acquaintance to not look down on service people, but I chose to just focus the teaching to my kid.
I know this is way too far to what a customer service crew or representative experiences. But I know it somehow opens her up into yet another world. I talked before about exposing her to all the possible careers she could ever have in the future. And what do you know, she received a certificate when she finished the workshop and we were informed that should she want to work as at McDonald's in the future, she could present her certificate and she gets considered for the job right away.
Like I said, I know how it feels like to be on the other end of the phone when the phone service goes down or when the burger they got is the wrong order. I know how it is when you are tired from school, worried about your acads, or that you have overdue bills to pay, but still worry about whatever problem your customer is having at the moment. If that situation doesn't teach patience, humility, gratitude, an iron will, and so much more, I don't know what will.
I think this was certainly a valuable experience! I know that it’s very important to work in these types of jobs because we have to know what it’s like to walk in their shoes. It gives us humility to know what they are going through and hopefully helps us treat everyone with some additional respect!
This sounds like a really cool opportunity and I want to see if they do this type of thing around here. We don’t eat McDonald’s but it’s the underlying lesson and customer service stuff that’s good to know!
These moments can really be a great experience to look back upon when your daughter grows up and have to make life choices already. Even if she doesn't want to become a service crew in a food business, this can serve as a foundation for entrepreneurship, how a production line works in a food business set up, or maybe even becoming a chef. In my case, I learned a lot of foundational knowledge used in the food service industry in my stint as a kitchen crew at mcdo and as a service crew at DD when I was a student. Congrats. 😊 !PIZZA 🍕
I think kids love it when they visit or go with their parents to work
We usually enjoy for the whole day, lol
I’m sure your girl will be able to learn one of two things from there
What a good experience for your girl, undoubtedly loaded with many significant learnings.
Greetings and blessings.
What a beautiful learning experience, learning by doing. Thank you for sharing.
$PIZZA slices delivered:
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