The frontline of feelings
By Bradley Orange /
They are the ones who answer when we call: not just the phone, but the need. The need for clarity, for comfort, for resolution.
In client services, every day is unpredictable. One moment they’re celebrating a customer’s joy, the next they’re helping someone through heartbreak. They are the quiet heroes who hold space for people’s happiest, saddest, and most frustrated moments.
It takes more than product knowledge to do this job well. It takes empathy. Real, deep empathy. The kind that doesn’t flinch when someone is angry, doesn’t rush when someone is grieving, and doesn’t fade when someone is just tired.
Because they know that behind every question is a person. And behind every person is a story. They show up. Even when they’re running on empty. Even when the day before was hard and the day ahead looks harder. They show up with patience, with grace, and with a willingness to help.
They don’t just represent the brand, they carry its heart. They are the ones who hear the panic in a voice when a debit order fails. Who listen to the tears when a loved one passes away.
Who celebrate with a customer when a policy pays out and a dream becomes real. They are the emotional first responders of our business.
And they do it all while managing their own lives, their own worries, their own tiredness.
It’s easy to forget that. Easy to see the uniform, the headset, the email signature and forget the human being behind it.
But this week, we remember.
We remember the emotional labour, the resilience, and the kindness it takes to do this work. We remember that being “professional” doesn’t mean being unfeeling. It means being able to feel deeply and still respond with care.
So, let’s be gentler in our tone. More generous in our gratitude. More mindful of the people behind the service. Let’s not wait for Customer Service Week to say thank you. Let’s make it a habit. Because they carry us.
And it’s time we carried them, too.
– Bradley Orange is a Senior Team Leader at Old Mutual Namibia.
