Career Options Using Your Customer Service Retail Skills
Almost everyone has worked in retail or customer service at some point in their lives. It is an excellent industry to start out in, and for many, it is their first job out of school. The retail industry currently employs between four and five million people in the United States, and approximately 31% of retail workers are under the age of 24. It is also a great opportunity to learn soft transferable skills that can be applied to countless other careers.
A once booming industry, retail is beginning to suffer for the first time ever. Storefronts all over the country are closing their doors, partly in response to a rapidly growing online marketplace. This doesn’t mean that there are no retail jobs left (as will likely never be the case) but the rate at which the industry is growing is much slower than ever before. Perhaps now is a good time to take all of the valuable knowledge you have learned in your retail or customer service position and start down a new career path – such as being a Member Service Representative at Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union! Even if you don’t have any direct experience, there are ways to emphasize how your retail experience will make you a great fit for a similar position.
What is good customer service?
For anyone who has been on the receiving end of customer service, there are some clear differences between delivering good and bad service that certainly set people apart. At the core, good customer service is about building good relationships with your customers and providing them with an experience that they would be happy to go through again. This includes listening to their questions and responding to their needs in an efficient manner. Bad customer service is obviously the opposite of all of these things, but even more so, it is giving your customer the impression that you don’t care about them.
Ready to take your customer service skills to the next level? We have compiled a list of the best transferable retail skills that you probably already practice on a daily basis, but qualify you as a great candidate for other jobs!
Interpersonal Skills
One of the most valuable skills you can learn from working in customer service is how to talk to and work with others. Being able to read people, especially when they aren’t sure of what they need, is what customer service is all about. Having a high level of emotional intelligence is also a mark of great customer service – namely empathy.
If you’re applying for a job that you don’t have much (or any) direct previous experience in, your interpersonal skills from working in retail are a great trait to highlight. It is unlikely that you will ever find yourself in a position that doesn’t require communication with others. As such, being an effective communicator is an extremely valuable asset to nearly any company.
Time Management & Multi-Tasking
Many people think that working in retail is an easy job that is somewhat limited to greeting customers and processing transactions. On the contrary: being a retail worker means you have to wear many different hats at once, and possess the ability to balance a number of different responsibilities. Forbes describes multi-tasking ‘as one of the most desirable skills of the new era’, but one that not everyone can master – we couldn’t agree more.
Being able to juggle your irregular retail hours with all of your other responsibilities is an art, and one that you’re probably great at by now. In addition, the ability to remain organized and manage your time effectively are skills that almost every employee in all industries need. Regardless of the setting, knowing how much time to allot to each task and not losing sight of your priorities is critical.
Remaining Calm in Tough Situations
There is rarely a day in which you don’t encounter a surprise in a customer service setting. Dealing with difficult customers or problem solving on the fly is what working in retail is all about. Patience is a virtue, but it’s also something that retail workers embody on a daily basis. They have also mastered the art of listening to customer complaints while maintaining their composure and preserving the company’s reputation.
The ability to deliver top-notch customer service without faltering is a useful skill that you can take with you when you move on from your retail job. Those who are able to remain calm in high-intensity situations will be well-equipped for a number of jobs, such as roles which require dealing with customer finances or public speaking.
Working As a Team
Much of a good retail worker’s success comes from their ability to work as a team. Being seen as beneficial to a company’s overall success can incentivize employees to work harder and more effectively. Even if you don’t love the people you work with – which we hope you do! – you know how to put aside your differences to work collectively in a professional setting.
Unless you are a single-man operation, you will always need to work with others to contribute to the overall success of the job. Being able to distribute work fairly, as well as give and receive help when it is needed, are valuable professional skills to have. Being a good team player also naturally transitions into being well equipped for a leadership role, which may be a goal of yours further down the line.
Goal Orientation
Rather than aimlessly working without purpose in sight, being goal-oriented is a good daily practice, both personally and professionally. Chances are, if you have worked in retail or sales, you have worked towards some sort of sales goal or target, perhaps with the incentive of commission for meeting those targets. You’ve probably had practice adjusting your work approach when things didn’t work out, in order to achieve those set goals.
According to Brian Tracy, all highly successful people are goal oriented. He says, “You need to be a habitual goal setter, and dedicate yourself to working from clear, written goals every day of your life, forming daily habits.” Being able to work towards goals, both individually and as a team, is a great skill to develop. And, if you have worked in retail, it is likely that you are already accustomed to thinking this way.
So, Where Can I Apply These Skills?
Whether your transition out of retail is in response to a slowly weakening industry, or a personal desire to expand your career, there are many options for someone with customer service experience. Retail and sales experience translates into ‘good with people’, ‘problem solver’, and ‘multi-tasker’. These are valuable skills that can be applied to any number of other fields, but have you ever thought about using your skill set in a financial setting?
Dunhill Staffing Services has recently teamed up with Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union as their official recruiting partner! The bank is looking for customer service-oriented individuals to join the company as member service representatives. Heritage Trust is looking to fill positions in the following regions: West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, Moncks Corner and James Island. They are looking for people with a retail or sales background that have their sights set on big opportunities!
If you are interested in making a career change and are think a role with Heritage Trust is right for you, apply today at jobs@dunhillstaff.com.
