Gen Y Speaks: Overwhelmed by self-doubt, I pivoted to a customer service job. 8 years on, I’m still going strong

When I landed my first official job as a content producer, I was over the moon. After all, it gave me the chance to be part of the exciting media scene. Or so I thought.
Having worked as a waitress and a cashier after ‘O’ Levels – jobs in which I had enjoyed daily interactions with many people — I quickly realised that life as a producer can be quite solitary. I also came to feel that my main concern was not the story I was working on, but rather how quickly I could churn out the work, and the number of viewers the story could garner.
After close to five months of battling an overwhelming sense of isolation and self-doubt, I pivoted to a customer service job at OCBC at the age of 21.
My friends who I had gone to school with were mystified. We had all worked hard to earn our media diplomas. They knew the pains that can come with long hours in service work, which also requires one to tolerate and manage angry and impatient customers at times.
Customer service, to them, wasn’t just a pivot — it was a step down.
But I knew the impact that good customer service could create. I still recall times when my parents were elated after bank staff helped them resolve their passbook issues. Even in a matter as small as this, helpful customer service officers were able to turn their day around.
And so, even as my friends expressed scepticism, my parents wholly supported the move. They understood that I am a ‘people person’ at heart — being able to connect with others is my strength, and having opportunities to do this would be the best way for me to feel fulfilled in any job.
This is why I have stayed in customer service for eight years, with no intention of leaving.
You’re probably wondering: Isn’t it tiring to have to face unreasonable customers day after day?
Based on my experience, the fact is: Yes, you will face at least one such customer every day.
It’s true, these encounters are no fun — but what I have realised over the years is that even the unhappiest of customers is not unhappy with you. Rather, they are not pleased with what they have experienced.
Often, what an angry customer wants most is just to be heard, and to have someone understand their plight.
As a customer service officer, you have a chance to turn things around for them. They respond to you if you are patient and compassionate.
No lie — sometimes customers can fly into a fit of rage and even shout at you. But that makes me even more determined to try to find a solution. You never know what someone is facing and how you make a difference.
Recently, an elderly lady walked in. My colleagues and I could tell right away she was troubled.
After speaking with her, I learnt that her husband had died several months ago of a heart attack, leaving behind debt of which she had been unaware. Late fees piled up surrounding an instalment plan for an insurance policy. Because the bill had gone unpaid, the amount owed had ballooned to around S$10,000.
As she talked about her late husband, tears began to fall from her eyes, and my heart went out to her. I could not help but think of my grandmother, who experienced similar feelings of loss and grief when my grandfather passed on a decade ago. I was determined to help this customer.
Working with various colleagues in different business units, we managed to get approval to expedite a waiver for her, significantly whittling down the amount she owed. We also worked to review the insurance policy with her, a process that revealed to her where a payout was rightfully owed to her.
But most importantly, she found someone who was willing to listen — someone with whom she could share her precious memories of her late husband.
I look back on her case with fondness and pride. Even now, it’s a reminder to my colleagues and myself that we can go above and beyond what we think we are capable of.
While many of my peers tend to move from job to job, never staying more than a few years in a role, cases like these keep me passionate about the service line because they enable me to see how my actions have a tangible impact.
Yes, I have to work retail hours, on weekends and on-site — requirements that are not especially popular with those in my generation. For this reason, among others, many industries find it difficult to hire and retain customer service staff.
However, the good experiences definitely tide me through tough times.
Little things warm my heart, like customers dropping into the branch just to say “Hello Gina”. Although we are not ‘friends’, we have a bond nonetheless. I get the sense that my customers know they can rely upon a personal connection in transactions that can otherwise feel impersonal, especially in an increasingly digital world.
Although it is not the most glamorous job, for me, there is much personal achievement and fulfilment to be found in a role focused on helping people.
My friends and family frequently remark on how I am thriving in this line. My loved ones have learned not to be quick to judge my career choices, but rather to prioritise my happiness.
Contrary to popular belief, there is also career progression in this line. At the bank where I work, I have seen many colleagues transition to different service roles, keeping things fresh and exciting for them.
To my fellow young adults who are looking to kickstart or reinvigorate their careers, do not dismiss customer service as an option — or, indeed, any other lines of work that we may often overlook as ‘less than’.
The key is to find a role that allows you to play to your strengths, and let that be your pathway to true fulfilment.
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