By The Quiet Conflict I See in Customer Support
Often when am stuck in a queue, whether it’s a cashier at a supermarket, cashier at a hardware shop, or a support agent on the phone, I find myself torn between two perspectives.
On one hand, I find myself wondering: How can an organization place someone with limited competence in such a critical customer-facing role? These roles shape how customers perceive the brand, influence whether they return, and define the overall service experience.
Especially when you’re in a hurry or desperately need a resolution, it’s easy to think, surely the company can do better. There must be more capable people who could handle this role, while this individual could be reassigned to something more suited to their strengths.
But almost immediately, another part of my mind pushes back. It reminds me that people have different abilities, strengths, and limitations, and that everyone deserves dignity, understanding, and respect. Not all struggles are visible. Would it be unfair to dismiss someone as “incompetent” simply because they serve or respond differently than I expect, especially when they might excel in another environment or role?
This tension between expecting competence and honoring humanity is real, and I believe it’s one of the reasons customer service and support environments are so complex. Balancing performance with empathy is not easy. Yet it’s a conversation we need to keep having if we want to build organizations that are both effective and deeply human.
hashtag#DigitalTransformation hashtag#CustomerExperience hashtag#OperationalExcellence
The Quiet Conflict I See in Customer Support
