The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 7 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on April 2, 2021.
Gisella Di Prizio ’24
Staff Writer
Social anxiety and depression are becoming more common among teens and adults. Some people simply do not have an outgoing personality, while others might be exceptionally talkative, but might not have experience in handling situations that require receptiveness and dedication.
Working in customer service challenges people to step out of their comfort zone, to learn responsibility, and to often adapt to the needs of individuals of differing backgrounds and mindsets. Collaborating and being part of a team is very relevant when working in customer service, and communication is key to working independently to meet collective goals that eventually benefit the company and, most importantly, favor the development of a reliable personality.
Alexis Cornejo ’21, a senior at Lake Forest College, has four years of experience in working in customer service. His first job was as an associate at the Abercrombie & Fitch department store, where he started as a sales associate and later moved up to a manager. Cornejo is currently working as a barista at a Starbucks in Lake Forest.
“No matter your personality, customer service forces you to talk to people that you usually do [not] interact with,” Cornejo said when asked what types of skills he has earned from working in customer service and how they can be applied to real-life scenarios. “Some real-life experiences require you to be expressive of your ideas even if you are shy and reserved.”
While working as a manager at Abercrombie and Fitch, Cornejo was exposed to situations where he had to resolve problems and directly interact with customers. When he was required to explain a situation to a customer, he reflected that “being calm and showing confidence [was] mostly what leads to the solution of a problem.”
Those who deal with social anxiety can also benefit from working in customer service because of the communication skills that they gradually develop and successively are required to use when interacting with customers and coworkers. Indeed, as Licensed Clinical Psychologist Mary Grigar, the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Health and Wellness Center at Lake Forest College, notes, exposure therapy is helpful when patients have a certain psychological fear. Grigar stated, “when working with someone that has a certain phobia or anxiety about a specific item or experience, by exposing them to what they fear, we try to show them that it is not as scary as they believe,” she said. “Individuals with social anxiety are often held back from getting involved in experiences because of their fear, but when exposed periodically to a certain environment, the brain gets used to situations that require the individual to speak up and maintain some sort of communication with others,” Grigar explained.
Emma Aguirre ’23, is currently an employee at a retail store called Style Shack Boutique. She creates content to post on social media and sponsorships for the shop’s products and jewelry.
An important characteristic of Aguirre’s job is knowing how to target the audience, most of whom are young adults and using suitable language to address customers.
“The more I was exposed to situations where I had to individually intervene in presented situations, the more I became comfortable in my own voice,” Aguirre says when asked how customer service has helped her become more engaging. “What teaches you how to be patient and understanding is listening to what customers have to say and make them feel that they are your priority,” she added.
