The Great American Customer Challenge!
May 7th, 2008. Categories: Projects.
My newest website work is called The Great American Customer Challenge. Having worked in the service industry since the age of fifteen, I have been witness to the sometimes appalling behavior of my consumer peers, and thus I wanted to create a choose-your-own-adventure game that would help the average person learn how to be a better customer.
The game currently consists of three Challenges to play through: the restaurant, the grocery store, and the coffee shop. Using polite manners and good sense allows the player to reach a winning ending, while bad manners or decorum will result in an often abrupt losing ending.
It’s a sad fact that some people never give a second thought to the person behind the counter at their gas station or burger joint, never even considering that the mass standing before them in an apron is a person with thoughts, feelings, or a life of their own.
My experiences in retail and food service have taught me a great deal about how to interact with people doing the same jobs, which is sadly not present in a great deal of people who have never worked in the industry. Indeed, as I presented this piece for critique, my peers remarked that everyone ought to be required to work in retail for a year before being qualified for any other form of employment.
I dearly hope that this situation changes someday. Though I myself may one day leave the service industry forever, I am confident in the fact that being on the working side of the counter has given me a certain compassion that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
October 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
People should read this.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
This is great. I have worked in Customer Service/Warranty for a national homebuilder for almost 5 years and have heard it all. I think you need the “Warranty Request Challenge.” Thanks.