How to Manage Rude People

Body language can be as rude as verbiage.

Confucius's Golden Rule states, "Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself." This advice helps ensure that everyone is treated with politeness and respect if it is followed, but unfortunately it frequently isn't. Rude people permeate every facet of daily life, from work to the highway to the home. Responding to rudeness with rudeness is unlikely to solve any problems and often makes things worse. Managing rude people effectively will help you to keep your own emotions in check while completing the tasks you need to finish.

Instructions

1. Listen to what the rude person is saying. Interrupting is more likely to result in additional rude behavior, and the situation will escalate.

2. Affirm what the person is saying in more polite terms. People often become less rude and more reasonable once it becomes clear they are being listened to. For example, if a customer is complaining about a perceived lack of customer service, respond with, "I understand you're upset with our service." You can then work toward a solution to the issue.

3. Apologize to the rude person if the situation requires it. You don't want to be a pushover to the rude person if an apology is not warranted, but if you are dealing with a customer or a coworker, an apology can be the beginning of a resolution.

4. Explain that the person is acting in a rude fashion if the behavior persists. Some people are used to acting rudely because everyone around them simply accepts it. Mentioning the behavior and stating that it is not appreciated in a polite manner will sometimes make the person more conscious of his tone or behavior, and he can begin to curtail it.

5. Offer solutions to whatever the issue is that brought the two of you together. The other person could be acting rude for reasons that have nothing to do with you, so completing the task at hand or finishing the transaction can remove the person from your space and get her away from you for the time being.

6. Remove yourself from the situation if a resolution cannot be found and the rude behavior persists.

References

• Google Books; Problem People and How to Manage Them; Peter Honey
• Positive Articles; Handle Rude People Easily with These 5 Skills; Joshua Uebergang
• Celestine Chua: How To Deal With Rude People -- Co-Workers, Associates, Customers, Managers, Etc
• Arthur A. Levine Books; Confucius- The Golden Rule; Russell Freedman