How to Deal With Rude People As a Phone Operator

Being a telephone operator means you have to know how to handle rude callers.

As a phone operator, you will come into contact with all kinds of people. Unfortunately, no matter what type of phone operation you focus on -- selling a product, following up on customer-service issues or taking complaint calls -- you will have to deal with rude people. Using the right strategies, however, will allow you to diffuse their anger, get to the core of their concerns and hang up with ultimately happy clients.

Instructions

1. Take the time to consider why the person might be rude in the first place. If you made a comment that offended them, if they are calling you because they have a complaint to make or if you are calling them during dinner hours, it is normal that a person might have a negative tone. When you understand why the person might be rude, it is easier to adjust to the situation.

2. Apologize if you made a comment that offended the person and ask them how you might be able to help resolve their request. Do not apologize if the person is angry because he or she disagrees with one of your company's official policies or product offerings. Do so only if you made a personal comment that can be interpreted as an insult.

3. Ask the person if there is a better time to call them if they seem to be rude and mention being disturbed by your call. Reschedule according to the person's availability. You should remove them from your calling list, however, if they ask you never to call again.

4. Be understanding of the caller's situation, especially in cases where he or she is calling in to make a complaint about your company's services or products. Sometimes the caller simply needs someone on the other end of the line to listen and show some compassion. When possible, tell the customer how you might be able to offer compensation for their difficulties. In addition, make sure to always thank the caller for bringing up an issue that you might not have been aware of. Note that without their feedback, your company would not be able to improve its products and services or fix recurring issues.

5. Be patient and remain calm. Some people simply want to shock others by engaging in rude behavior. If you show these types of people that their behavior does not affect you, they will be less likely to keep up the negative behavior.

6. Use the "telephone silence" technique by letting the caller talk without interjecting. Speak up only when the caller realizes that you are not saying anything and stops speaking. This technique helps diffuse hostile behavior.

7. Inform the person about their behavior and let them know that you will not serve them if they keep being rude to you. Simply ask the person to refrain from making offensive comments, screaming on the phone or calling you names so that you can address the specific reason for the call. If the person does not calm down and keeps making offensive comments, pass the call on to your supervisor. You can also simply hang up and flag the person as a rude client so that your colleagues will know what to expect in future encounters.

Tips & Warnings

• These strategies do not work on everyone at all times. There will be phone calls where the person is overly rude and you might be better off simply hanging up or passing on the call to a more experienced colleague or a supervisor who can deal with the situation at hand.

References

• Life Script; Excuse Me! How To Deal With Rude People; Wendy Travis; January 14, 2008
• The Customer Service Zone: Customer Service Knowledgebase