How Customer Service Transformed My Career

Three years ago today, I walked into the Seattle Municipal Tower to embark on a new chapter in my career with Seattle City Light as their Sr. Public Relations Specialist. With each step towards the elevator bank that I now know all too well, I was consumed with the panic and anxiety that only the imposter syndrome monster can create.

I thought taking on this role was a massive leap of faith. Even more than moving across the country to leave a job I loved at Florida State University to work at Edmonds College outside of Seattle just two years prior. Like that transcontinental leap, I was leaving a job full of coworkers that I loved in an industry that I was passionate about to take a chance on myself and my professional talent. It was a leap that I agonized over. Months before, my wife and I went to England and Scotland for a conference she where was presenting. I remember walking through the Tate Modern in London with a slight ulcer, worrying whether I would be able to keep up with a job that focused on writing so much. After quite a few heart-to-heart conversations with my personal life coach/wife, usually in a pub, I felt ready to take this new adventure. Only to have the same feelings I had at the Tate creep back in as I walked into my City Light new employee orientation.

The orientation was similar to most with a massive deck of slides and a wire-ring book with the essential (and sometimes non-essential) information a new employee should know. With each slide and page, my anxieties about this new role began to melt away, and I honestly wasn't sure why. But today, I know that is was the positive customer experience I received during that orientation that made all the difference.

My new employee orientation presenter was Chris Armstrong, who was funny, attentive, empathetic, and most importantly, welcoming. I could tell that he genuinely enjoyed his work and, coupled with this passion for City Light, made me proud to join this incredible utility. About a year and a half later, Chris joined our communications team, and over time we have become good friends/workplace acquaintances (inside joke).

If the medium is the message, then that first customer touchpoint, i.e., Chris, conveys to the customer the personality of the organization and even its core values. In this case, they are the first authentic connections created within the organization, which can determine the new employee's experience within those critical first weeks. In this instance, Chris's role was to provide elite customer service to the new employees to buy into City Light's culture with the hopes of retaining them as employees for years to come. Whether you're a CEO meeting with important stakeholders, a community organizer who addresses customer complaints, or a buyer who works with vendors, we should all carry that posture of customer service that aims to improve the experience for both your internal and external audiences.

Three years later, as I write this post while on paternity leave, trying to cajole my infant twins to nap, I can't fathom the idea that of not working at City Light. I am beyond thankful and honored that I get to tell the story of City Light and promote its important mission to deliver affordable and carbon-neutral electricity throughout Seattle and beyond. I owe a lot to that first employee orientation and the positive customer experience I received, which confirmed my decision to take this leap of faith.