How to calm an angry person down

Ever find yourself in a situation where you need to calm someone down? Sometimes it's a matter of them being upset at you or maybe it's them being upset at a situation they find themselves in and you need to calm them down to get them taken care of. Follow these steps in any circumstance and you will more than likely be able to get things accomplished much more smoothly.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Good communication skills
• A smile

1. Empathize with angry person.
   --Repeat back to the person what is upsetting them so you can make sure you understand what's going on. This also helps them to understand you are listening and care about what they're going through.

2. If available, write down their concerns.
   --People like to know you care enough about their concerns to write them down. It shows you can either follow up with them later or be able to pass on the information accurately to someone who can take care of them more efficiently.

3. Smile and assure them that either you will be able to take care of them or you know someone who can.
   --No one person is an expert in everything. Don't try to pretend you have a solution for everything. If you don't know the answer or how to solve the situation, don't embarass yourself or make matters worse by acting like you know what's going on. Find someone who can help the person as efficiently as possible. (Then, after the situation is calmed down, ask how you could have handled it if that person wasn't available at a later date.)

Tips & Warnings

• The most important thing to do is to make sure the person you are addressing knows you care and are going to do the best you can to take care of them.
• These steps are handy in any customer-oriented business or trade.
• When all else escapes your mind, remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• Not every situation can be solved right away. Some take some time to convince the person things will be alright. Others will never be fully resolved. Don't stress if you can't figure out the solution. Most people really appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to help them and their issue(s).
• Not everyone will be satisfied with your assistance, no matter how far you go to help them. Don't take this personally.