At Yataimura Maru, I stay extremely busy as the bridge between front-of-house and back-of-house that keeps things running smoothly at a very popular restaurant -- including hosting, managing and organizing long waitlists, bussing tables, running communication between kitchens, and preparing drinks and desserts for customers. I'm also able to utilize and practice my Japanese with our many Japanese customers as well as our Japanese staff.

What began as a part time job at an ice cream shop (Batch SLO) to supplement my current income at the time later expanded into working full time across that location as well as the full service restaurant/coffee shop/bar and music venue (Kreuzberg CA) owned by the same small company. I was a jack-of-all-trades across both locations -- training new hires, running the register, bussing and serving tables, helping prepare for and host music and comedy events, and providing excellent customer service at two very popular downtown businesses.

As the receptionist and a travel agent for a busy and successful independent agency, I handled new problems, puzzles, and even crises on a daily basis. Every day involved juggling all of the calls and appointments at the agency, making new bookings, managing old bookings, up selling tickets, transfers, tours and other aspects of trips, and sometimes dropping everything to handle a disaster (like when an entire airline goes bankrupt and dozens of clients have to be re-routed). Each day involved multi-tasking, attention to detail, and quality customer service from the start of every transaction to the finish.

As the only Client Success specialist at Land F/X, I was solely responsible for regularly communicating with over 2,000 clients and ensuring that they were utilizing the software to its full potential. In my first 6 weeks at the company, I organized the call list by creating a more effective system to ensure those who needed the most assistance would be spoken to first, thereby reducing a backlog of over 1,000 clients down to a manageable 50. I analyzed each customer's needs and skill level to provide personalized training materials and other resources to ensure their success and continued subscription to the program.

Due to my experience, I was selected to be a lead member of the second location opening of one of Portland's most iconic brands. I utilized my customer service, crisis management, and multitasking skills to handle the extremely fast paced environment, serving hundreds of customers every shift. Due to the intense demand, I trained the majority of those hired after me, delegated tasks, and assisted in setting operating procedures for the new store.

At Petco, I went above and beyond with each customer and their pet to find the best solution for them by utilizing communication skills and personalized service. Doing my own research to become an expert on the hundreds of products carried by Petco led to me developing a loyal clientele of customers who trusted me to always give them sound advice. I adhered to Petco's "the whole package" philosophy to maximize sales and meet quotas.

In this position, I was selected as part of the team to open a new store for this deeply loved local brand in a busy downtown location. I handled front and back of house duties simultaneously while providing excellent customer service and adeptly dealing with the many situations that arise in a fast-paced customer service job.