Growing up, I was always fascinated by technology. I never realized how rewarding it could be. I’m not referring to receiving trophies or certificates “rewarding,” but rewarding to my soul. I grew up wanting the latest and greatest when it comes to cell phones, computers, tablets, etc (still have that issue actually). So what better way to express my interest and passion for all things technology based, than to get into the wonderful world of wireless phone sales?
In 2007 I took a job with a large wireless service provider working with one of their retail stores. What started as just a job that would feed my “addiction,” turned into so much more. Granted, my main goal there was to “SELL, SELL, SELL!” But I found myself more focused on the customer service side of things. The things other salesman would hide in the back to avoid. The challenging customers and their problems… BOOOO! I’ve always enjoyed a good challenge. I must say, I had my share of them working at a wireless phone store. From the not so happy situations, like when security had to force a gentleman out because he got way too close to my “zip code,” as I like to call it (for those that don’t understand, he was in my personal space). To the more exciting customer situation where you make a customer smile, hug you, or even cry tears of joy.
I actually had all three happen with one customer. A woman entered my store one evening wanting something not just anyone could give her… a lasting memory. She wanted to retrieve a message from what she thought was the SIM card from her son’s phone, but turned out to be his memory card. When I told her what she actually had, I saw something that I didn’t expect that night, tears of a grieving mother. That’s when she told me the whole story. Her son was killed when his motorcycle was hit by a car just 30 days after his return from serving in Afghanistan. What she wanted was to use his voice to tell her callers to leave a message. At that point I was stunned. I just knew I had to take care of her and find a way to accomplish this. I was able to put his message on her phone AND also save his last pictures from the memory card and voicemail message to a CD for her. The next morning I was sent the most touching and unforgettable email ever. She called me her angel! She said she had tried getting
help before, and no one was able to do what I had done for her.
That experience made me realize how much helping people and resolving their issues gave my job so much more meaning. Most salesmen only care about the monetary earnings of their work. We all know that selling product is much more important to the company as a whole. But that feeling you get when you’ve helped someone is so much more fulfilling. A problem that you may see as minor or simple can mean the world to the customer looking to you for a solution.