In whatever we do, we’ll come across and engage with not-so-pleasant messages and people. I’m sure you’ve got someone or an experience that comes to mind off the bat. I’ve had my fair share of these experiences when I was in Customer Support and while we’ll never know the real reasons behind the unpleasantness, what we can manage is how we respond.
Two important things:
Unpleasant and rude messages are rarely about you or your business. It’s about that person sending that message in.
Try your best to never engage in the same way they do. You are feeding their needs. They’re out for blood 😤 and want to argue.
Most of the time, not feeding their need to argue and responding back with utmost care and understanding would diffuse the high tension and negative air. There are some rare cases though where diplomacy would not work. 😩 It is during these rare cases that you need to bring out your alter ego.
I’m not saying go on and curse and bash. NO.
Don’t 👏 ever 👏 do 👏 that. 👏
Stay with the facts but be more relentless and direct with the message you want to send across. Once you do that, they’d either stop or press you on. If it’s the latter, you should stop. From here on out, it will be pointless.
You’ve said what you needed to say. Leave it at that.
