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How would you fare in a movie or TV series about a customer service representative? Hollywood has a few characters on which they like to draw when representing anyone in customer service.
Our friends at customer support company supportyourapp.com assure us that most of these tropes are ridiculous. According to the team, modern service consultants are professionals and skilled communicators. Still, we’re all about life as it appears in the movies, so read this fun take and determine who you most relate to and why.
The Eager Beaver
The eager beaver is typically a new employee who always goes out of their way to assist their clients. Admittedly, most support representatives in the real world fall into this category or close to it.
What sets our movie hero apart, in this case, is an almost naive enthusiasm. They think nothing of sacrificing their breaks and working overtime. It’s admirable but produced exciting results for customer service representative Sarah Ross in the 2010 blockbuster, Red.
The Disillusioned Lifer
In the fourth season of Supernatural, Ian plays your typical disillusioned lifer. He won’t wear the company’s uniform, slacks off, and is generally not a team player. While we’d all like to play around like this at work, it led Ian to a sticky end.
Not to dwell on the details of Ian’s demise, this type of worker is uncommon in the real world. But, unfortunately, performance of this nature would soon see them without work.
The Worker with a Side Hustle
Sometimes your side hustle gets in the way of your customer service responsibilities. At least, that’s what George from 2003’s Dead Like Me discovered after accidentally dying and becoming a grim reaper.
Granted, most of us don’t have to worry about our day jobs after dying, but it made for a fun twist on the classic disillusioned colleague. So please don’t sign me up to be a grim reaper.
The Sweet But Nerdy Representative
A firm favorite in movies is to show the nerdy representative who is sweet and somewhat nerdy, like William Ferrell’s character in 2003’s Elf. They are endearing and incredibly annoying simultaneously; no one wants to see any harm come to these characters.
The Sleazy Co-Worker
Most movie office environments feature a guy like Lester Patel in 2007’s Chuck. These are characters we all love to gang up on because they are always up to no good. They’re the misfits who make everyone uncomfortable with sexual innuendo and are only in it for themselves.
The Femme Fatale
What would a production be without the gorgeous femme fatale? This role is usually the smart, sassy, and gorgeous lead actress, as with Sarah Walker in 2007’s Chuck. Now, some of Sarah’s outfits seem a little impractical, but she wears them well, so we’ll let it slide.
The Reality
In reality, however, none of these tropes do the professionals working at call centers or behind counters justice. While some disillusioned customer service workers are certainly out there, most are just trying to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
So, while this is a fun exercise, let’s spare a thought for the real heroes without whom our queries would never get solved. Let’s also thank them for exhibiting professionalism in a job that can no doubt be very trying at times.
Conclusion
Which character do you most identify with and why? Or do you already know because you work in the customer support industry? Let us know in the comments, and share this fun post with your friends. Let’s see how you all measure up.
