Emotional Resiliency and Customer Service

Whether it's registering new students, supporting technology, or checking out workout equipment, customer service is one of the most common, important and challenging roles on campus. It takes perseverance and commitment to meet with staff, faculty, and students all day, every day to keep the wheels turning. The role can be very rewarding, but the daily interactions can also have a shadow side – dwindling positivity, stress, and anxiety.

Software company Kayako found in a recent survey that customer service professionals are on average 6.8% less satisfied with their jobs over time as they were when they started. Penn State and the University at Buffalo analyzed data from a survey called the National Survey of Work Stress and Health and found that employees who interacted with the public drank more after work than those who did not. That represents a significant challenge to employee well-being.

So what can customer service professionals do to make sure their roles are enjoyable and rewarding in the long term? While there's no cure-all for stressful work, there are ways to keep spirits high and find meaning in each customer interaction: mindfulness, engagement and emotional resiliency.

This session is for anyone working in customer service that is looking to bring more serenity and satisfaction to their work. We'll look at:

• How customer service interactions affect your mental health
• Strategies for dealing with difficult interactions
• How to approach situations where "everything is on fire"
• Staying emotionally grounded in your work, and tips for self-care

Facilitator: Jon Spenceley, Analyst III with Computing and Communications Services

Learn more and register on the Learning and Development website.