It is safe to say that I’m not the best at customer service. Unfortunately, that is part of my current job description. But before you get the wrong idea, I do like to help people. I like to assist them in accomplishing what they set out to do or, in this case, buy.

What I don’t like are those people who think it’s my life’s goal to accommodate them while they degrade me. In this scenario, my “the customer is always right” attitude goes out the window. It is very hard for me to be nice to someone who makes me feel like I’m beneath them. When this happens my happy-to-help-you demeanor goes away and in comes my happy-to-put-you-in-your-place attitude.

I know this is not the right attitude to have; especially in my line of work. But when I hear people say things to me like, “Is there someone older I can talk to?” or “Can I talk to the black lady?” or my personal favorite “If you knew anything about fashion then maybe you would know that I’m right.”

When things like this are said, it’s safe to say that all you’re going to get out of me are sarcasms and the “stink eye.” I want to say that I’m not as “young” as I look. I want to ask if it’s not racism to ask to speak with the “black” lady. And I want to get the message across that I do know about fashion having spent four and a half years studying it.

I have spent most of my life being kind and appreciative to all those working in the service industry only to have rude people act like I don’t matter; and there’s nothing I can do about it.

In the meantime, I just hold out for the courteous customers who are polite and respectful; the ones who honestly want and need my help and who are appreciative of it. These people do exists. I seem them everyday. They make it easy to assist them with a genuine smile on my face.