How do I handle this caller?

Question

There is a businessman who calls my office at least once a day. His company works closely with mine on a couple of different long-term projects. He is an unpleasant man -- unfriendly, aggressive, irritable. As far as I can tell, no one who works with him cares for his bad attitude. He's been short-tempered with me a few times for things that I have no control over.

I know that I will be dealing with this man daily for a very long time. I want to get along with him. How on earth can I get him to lighten up within sacrificing professionalism?

(My personal contact with him is limited to the phone).

Answer 1

Know what he is going to ask in advance. Give him all the info he needs at one time instead of telling him part of it and then him asking about more information and then you giving him the additional information. Keep it as short and sweet as possible and don't expect him to be your close friend that wants to chit-chat about how is day is going.

Answer 2

Some people take themselves way too seriously, sound like this guy. Find something(you will really have to look for it) about this man you admire...maybe his ability to cut to the chase and see through the clouds, maybe his work habits are admirable, maybe he just need someone to be nice to him with no expectations. Find something you can compliment him for, and do it More than once, eventually you will lose your irritation with this man.....or not. could be he's a schmuck and there is nothing you can do but make the best of it(when you're talking to him on the phone, imagine him sitting in a pen full of smelly pigs getting mud and other stuff all over him, or imagine him as one of the Muppet's on sesame street and figure out which behavior he has that you could take to the extreme....last, and I am serious about this because it has worked for me... if you believe in prayer, ask God to bless this man,and mean it, you will soon lose your antagonism for him....good luck

Answer 3

Ask for someone else to take over the calls. Complain to your boss and see what can be done on the other side.
I once had a boss like that. When he came down on me one day, I waited until he ran down, then asked, 'are you done now'?
He nodded his head but with surprise.
Then I politely but very firmly read him the riot act, and made clear that I did not appreciate being talked to that way, and then answered all his question in the original tirade.
He NEVER raised his voice to me again, and was always very polite when discussing anything with me. At the time I was 24 and he was about 38
But then of course I am nobody's door mat. ;-)

Answer 4

I would definitely be as nice as pie to him professionally speaking. Remember you just have to speak to him maybe once a day and if you are thinking about it at night it must bother you soo much, but just treat him as you would any other person as much as you would like to say something to him. Me, myself I would be really, really nice, because if someone is really nice to you and you act like an ***, even though you may not say anything, I know it makes me feel like an ***. Remember you get more bees with honey..thats what I think in work. Hope that helps a little and don't let this man bother you so much, hes just another person, you don't know what goes on in peoples personal live, dont take it personally and definitely leave him at the office!!

Answer 5

What kind of power does this person have? Is he your customer? A partner? Depending on the answer is how tough you can be with him.

But in general, one of these phone conversations, you should tell him plain and simple that you are paid to work with him, not paid to take his kind of crap (nicely of course). Let him know that you will no longer take any abuse. If in any future conversation, he starts up, you refer back to this conversation, and if it doesn't help, you hang up. You probably want to clear this with your boss first.

I've done this with one very rude customer. I was not caving to his demands and he started verbally abusing me. I warned him I would hang up if he didn't stop, and then I did. He called back and started the abuseand I hung up again. I told my boss, and when he called the boss to complain about how rude I was, the boss hung up on him too for calling her employee bad names (she was a good boss).

After that the customer started being nice, because he realized we wouldn't even deal with him otherwise, and he needed our services. Strangely enough, after that I was the only one he would deal with. Whenever someone answered the phone, he would always ask for me to help him. And he was always polite.

Bottom line, stand your ground and assert yourself. Just ask the boss first.

Answer 6

As tempting as it would be to tell Him off it would not change
the situation, probably the best thing to do is give Him all
the information He needs as fast as you can and stay on a
professional level at all times, don,t let His bad attitude ruin
your day.

Answer 7

Don't waste time trying to lighten him up.

Always be pleasant, even though he might sound like he has terminal PMS, Take care of his problem and get him off the phone ASAP.

Then mutter under your breath, you f(*^_^( son of a *__^_. regroup, then get back to work. And don't take it personal or let it upset you.

Answer 8

IF he gets smart with you just say "Yes thank you, I have been having a wonderful day!" or "When you hang up the phone say "Bye, have a good rest of the day!"

just try to win his heart over, and become friends.