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James
Student
Edmond, Oklahoma
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What are positive things about the service industry?
What are positive things about the service industry?
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4 answers
John Morris
Instructional Designer / Musician / eLearning Creator
30
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John’s Answer
I spent many years in the service industry, both on the front line and in management. I worked in retail, hotels, and airlines.
Here is my take on what I liked about it:
It was very people centered. I spent all day working with people and helping them. I met all kinds, nice people, not-so-nice people, famous people, people with little kids , people from countries far away, happy people, and unhappy people. Some are easier than others but there is a challenge to every interaction that is very satisfying. Especially if there is a problem and you solve it.
It was unpredictable. I never knew what was coming next, how I spent my time was dictated entirely by the customers I was going to be interacting with. I never got bored.
I liked my colleagues. Workers who excel in customer service and helping others are fun to be around. They are outgoing and interesting and enjoy being together even outside work. I had fantastic relationships with colleagues 30 years ago and those people are still my friends.
It is transferable. Good solid customer service skills are valuable in many different settings. I started in hotels and retail because I really wanted to work for an airline. I think it may have been that experience that helped me eventually work for an airline where I spent 16 years.
Here is my take on what I liked about it:
It was very people centered. I spent all day working with people and helping them. I met all kinds, nice people, not-so-nice people, famous people, people with little kids , people from countries far away, happy people, and unhappy people. Some are easier than others but there is a challenge to every interaction that is very satisfying. Especially if there is a problem and you solve it.
It was unpredictable. I never knew what was coming next, how I spent my time was dictated entirely by the customers I was going to be interacting with. I never got bored.
I liked my colleagues. Workers who excel in customer service and helping others are fun to be around. They are outgoing and interesting and enjoy being together even outside work. I had fantastic relationships with colleagues 30 years ago and those people are still my friends.
It is transferable. Good solid customer service skills are valuable in many different settings. I started in hotels and retail because I really wanted to work for an airline. I think it may have been that experience that helped me eventually work for an airline where I spent 16 years.
Yarek Rivers
Science Teacher/BioPharma Professional
18
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Yarek’s Answer
Service jobs are often entry-level and frequently some of the first job experience people get. Although people mostly think of white collar "professional" jobs as being higher paying and having a better career path, service jobs do have some advantages:
- Often they have a measure of flexibility. Rather than a 9-5, they tend to focus on the availability of their clients. For example, restaurants may have shift work starting by 6am (for breakfast) through dinner (9pm or later), and bars until the wee hours of the morning.
- They can be portable. Just as service jobs are often a first job, they can be easy/first jobs to get if relocating to another town, state, or even country.
- If you are a "people person" or just enjoy interaction, it can be very satisfying to work directly with customers. For all of the nightmare customer service stories, there is also a lot of opportunity to help and provide service(!) to people.
- You will be busy! Some people can't tolerate the slow, or self-directed pace of other kinds of work. Service jobs often keep you hopping! This leaves little room for boredom or uncertainty - you are busy working!
These are just a few of the positives I enjoyed in service sector jobs, but of course, YMMV!
- Often they have a measure of flexibility. Rather than a 9-5, they tend to focus on the availability of their clients. For example, restaurants may have shift work starting by 6am (for breakfast) through dinner (9pm or later), and bars until the wee hours of the morning.
- They can be portable. Just as service jobs are often a first job, they can be easy/first jobs to get if relocating to another town, state, or even country.
- If you are a "people person" or just enjoy interaction, it can be very satisfying to work directly with customers. For all of the nightmare customer service stories, there is also a lot of opportunity to help and provide service(!) to people.
- You will be busy! Some people can't tolerate the slow, or self-directed pace of other kinds of work. Service jobs often keep you hopping! This leaves little room for boredom or uncertainty - you are busy working!
These are just a few of the positives I enjoyed in service sector jobs, but of course, YMMV!
Robert Rossi
Many things! But mostly chemistry and chemical engineering
37
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Robert’s Answer
The service industry is very, very wide-ranging, and any generalizations made about it probably don't apply to all corners of it. It includes many highly technical fields like healthcare, financial services, and technology services. I work in the last of these, repairing and setting up scientific instruments. Compared with most other science jobs, the work does require talking to people a bit more, but almost always one-on-one...no meetings, scientific presentations, or conferences. It requires different aptitudes than does research chemistry, but having done both I would not say it is easier or harder, just different. (In research, you don't know if it will work...with repair, you know it *should* work. That's a huge difference; the uncertainty of research kills me.) As others have mentioned, the work can be highly varied (though I do end up doing a lot of a handful of common repairs) and is generally very portable. (I never had the "golden handcuffs" of a research position or a professorship.) If you work for someone else you can't control the pace of your work, but if you work for yourself (as I do), you can. In any job, you will have to deal with some unpleasant people. I find I run into less of them doing this than doing other types of chemistry work, but I generally have to be nicer to them than I would in other jobs (and than they usually deserve, but the "customer is always right."). I'm not a people person and still spend the vast majority of my time working alone, head in an instrument, but I do talk with people a good deal, about a topic I enjoy (why stuff works, or doesn't). I actually do a lot of informal teaching, which I enjoy and is one of the high points of my work. If I were willing to work for a big company and go where they told me, usually a different city every day, I could make serious bank...but at the cost of a lot of my freedom. You can usually have either big bucks or freedon in the service sector, but not both. (Sometimes you get neither: avoid those jobs if you can! The key to that is education.)
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
4278
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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Dear James,
The Power of the Service Industry
The service industry stands as a pivotal pillar in the economic structure, boasting numerous benefits that underscore its importance and influence. Here's a look at some of the remarkable advantages of the service industry:
Employment Generation: The service industry shines as a major source of job creation. It opens up a plethora of employment avenues across diverse sectors like hospitality, healthcare, education, finance, and beyond. By generating jobs, it helps curb unemployment, opening doors to income generation and career progression.
Boosting Economic Growth: The service industry acts as a powerhouse for economic growth, fueling consumer spending, investments, and overall productivity. By providing services to individuals and businesses, it sparks economic activity and adds to a country's GDP.
Fostering Innovation and Creativity: The service industry is a hotbed for innovation and creativity. Firms within this sector are continually pushing the envelope to enhance their services, improve customer experiences, and devise new solutions to cater to changing consumer demands. This innovative spirit propels technological progress and better service delivery methods.
Career Diversity: The service industry presents a broad spectrum of career paths for people with different skills and passions. Whether it's customer service, management, marketing, IT support, healthcare services, or more, the service sector offers an array of job roles.
Prioritizing Customer Satisfaction: Businesses in the service industry place customer satisfaction at the heart of their operations. By delivering top-notch services, responding to customer needs swiftly, and offering personalized experiences, these companies can build robust relationships with their clients and cultivate loyalty.
Global Reach: The service industry extends its influence globally, enabling businesses to operate beyond their borders and cater to customers worldwide. This global interconnectivity fosters cultural exchange, international trade, and worldwide collaboration.
Work Flexibility: Many roles in the service industry offer flexible work arrangements, including adjustable working hours, remote work options, part-time roles, and freelance positions. This flexibility is attractive to those seeking a work-life balance or non-traditional employment setups.
Making a Social Impact: Some sectors of the service industry, like healthcare services or social assistance programs, directly enhance societal wellbeing by improving people's quality of life, offering essential care services, promoting education, or backing community development initiatives.
In summation, the service industry offers a wealth of benefits that positively impact both the individuals employed within the sector and the wider society. These benefits span job creation, economic growth, innovation, diverse career opportunities, a customer-centric approach, global influence, flexible work setups, and societal contributions.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used:
World Economic Forum (WEF): The World Economic Forum offers valuable insights into global economic trends and evaluates the impact of various industries on economies around the globe.
Harvard Business Review (HBR): The Harvard Business Review publishes scholarly articles on business management practices, including those specific to the service industry.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers official data on employment trends across different sectors, including the service industry.
May God Bless You,
JC.
The Power of the Service Industry
The service industry stands as a pivotal pillar in the economic structure, boasting numerous benefits that underscore its importance and influence. Here's a look at some of the remarkable advantages of the service industry:
Employment Generation: The service industry shines as a major source of job creation. It opens up a plethora of employment avenues across diverse sectors like hospitality, healthcare, education, finance, and beyond. By generating jobs, it helps curb unemployment, opening doors to income generation and career progression.
Boosting Economic Growth: The service industry acts as a powerhouse for economic growth, fueling consumer spending, investments, and overall productivity. By providing services to individuals and businesses, it sparks economic activity and adds to a country's GDP.
Fostering Innovation and Creativity: The service industry is a hotbed for innovation and creativity. Firms within this sector are continually pushing the envelope to enhance their services, improve customer experiences, and devise new solutions to cater to changing consumer demands. This innovative spirit propels technological progress and better service delivery methods.
Career Diversity: The service industry presents a broad spectrum of career paths for people with different skills and passions. Whether it's customer service, management, marketing, IT support, healthcare services, or more, the service sector offers an array of job roles.
Prioritizing Customer Satisfaction: Businesses in the service industry place customer satisfaction at the heart of their operations. By delivering top-notch services, responding to customer needs swiftly, and offering personalized experiences, these companies can build robust relationships with their clients and cultivate loyalty.
Global Reach: The service industry extends its influence globally, enabling businesses to operate beyond their borders and cater to customers worldwide. This global interconnectivity fosters cultural exchange, international trade, and worldwide collaboration.
Work Flexibility: Many roles in the service industry offer flexible work arrangements, including adjustable working hours, remote work options, part-time roles, and freelance positions. This flexibility is attractive to those seeking a work-life balance or non-traditional employment setups.
Making a Social Impact: Some sectors of the service industry, like healthcare services or social assistance programs, directly enhance societal wellbeing by improving people's quality of life, offering essential care services, promoting education, or backing community development initiatives.
In summation, the service industry offers a wealth of benefits that positively impact both the individuals employed within the sector and the wider society. These benefits span job creation, economic growth, innovation, diverse career opportunities, a customer-centric approach, global influence, flexible work setups, and societal contributions.
Top 3 Credible Sources Used:
World Economic Forum (WEF): The World Economic Forum offers valuable insights into global economic trends and evaluates the impact of various industries on economies around the globe.
Harvard Business Review (HBR): The Harvard Business Review publishes scholarly articles on business management practices, including those specific to the service industry.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers official data on employment trends across different sectors, including the service industry.
May God Bless You,
JC.