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In response to
"Poll: If a customer/client told you to "shut up" during a phone call with them what would your response be?"
by
Walt_Disney
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"Okay."
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If this is their first time being offensive.
I have a lot (a lot) of experience with this as an attorney and in my former job. In situations like this, I simply stop talking. I'll acknowledge their "shut up" with a simple "okay" or "I see," and then let them ramble on and exhaust themselves -- as long as they're not attacking or insulting me or folks I work with. If they're just generally angry and frustrated with the topic of discussion, I'll let 'em run at the mouth until they are done.
Then I'll soften my voice, speak slightly lower and much more calmly, and say something like "Look, I know you're angry and frustrated. You have every right to be. But I can't help you if you're going to lash out at me."
That usually gets them to snap around.
And at some point later in the conversation, I'll say something like: "Oh, and just so we're clear, I don't mind if you're angry. I don't mind if you scream, yell, use cuss words, or rail against the injustices of the world on a telephone call. But don't make it personal to me. Don't tell me to shut up. Don't insult me. Don't attack me. If you do again -- another time -- I will hang up on you to break the conversation 'cause I won't put up with that."
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Responses:
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