what is a good way i can deal with rude sarcastic people on the phone in my office?

Question

i have recently started my first job and i had to answer the phone. im a trainee and i was nervous and this person was very rude. i know i cant be rude back because i cant afford to lose this job. but i dont like being spoken to like that how can i be reasonable with them?

Answer 1

Be overly nice. It's being sarcastic but you aren't doing anything to be rude.

Answer 2

Things always look worst when you're a trainee and in work for the first time. Things will improve with time...more so when you get to know other people in your office.

You need to develop a much thicker skin. It would be easier to simply carry out your tasks and ignore the rude and sarcastic comments received on the phone.......for now. When you have been there for a while you'll pick up certain things such as how others deal with these types of people - this will teach you about office life and hopefully prevent you from saying something which you may later regret and find yourself out of work. :o)

Answer 3

i agree with Bella!!!

Thank them for being so patient and understanding as you are a trainee.

Failing that explain that you are a trainee and you will transfer them to a member of staff who will be able to help them ......
either leave them on hold (totally unprofessional I know - but so is telephone rage) or transfer them to the most assertive member of staff in the office. Every office has one the one who can slay a nasty customer at 20 paces without even trying lol

Good luck

p.s. on a more serious note see if your company has a telephone policy. Discuss it with your supervisor ask her for any tips. I have in the past informed a customer that if they continued being abusive I would terminate the call, if they carried on being abusive I said thank you, good bye nicely though not sarcastically, and ended the call. It is a course of action only to be taken if it is realy bad and always inform your supervisor immediately of the circumstances. If you have good management in place they should back you up.

Answer 4

Hey, don't get nervous. Some people behave like this to their subordinates. But what you have to do is just keep your head cool, try to talk as little as possible but give the proper answer to the question he/she asks.
Try to find out if he/she is rude to all or only on you. If it is his nature then it's ok for you. Try to make friends in your office and talk to them about this so that you can stay easy after the conversation with the rude people. Just think positive and take it as a part of work.
I hope it will help.

Answer 5

It's tricky, I have a friend in the same boat. What you need is a couple of mental tricks..

Remember, the person isn't shouting or being rude to you, he's being rude to the company.i.e. don't take it personally.

Don't apologise too much, it just gives them a chance to catch their breath!... let them rant , say "I'm sorry to hear that, how can I resolve this for you?"

If he's actually swearing at you , your company should protect you from that... check out the company's policy on obscene language. Racial or sexual abuse is covered by legislation, as well as the Telecommunications Acts.

Finally, pass it to your supervisor if they continue.

It sounds to me like you a a nice person, genuinely trying to help and your getting all the flak. Make sure you take your breaks and don't let the stress build up.. and try not to take it out on family and friends, Poo rolls downhill lol.

I'm sure you will be fine, good luck.

Answer 6

It's hard to handle these people I know. The only way to handle them and keep your sanity is to decide you will bring them around to your side no matter what. You can do this by being extremely professional, helpful, and undertsanding. Let them know you understand how they feel and would probably feel the same way. Say you will do whatever you can to help them. Ask calmly for specifics to their situation assuring them that you will make it right. Give them your name and phone number, get theirs, and advise you will contact them with updates until their problem is fixed. "The customer is always right" ......remember this. Try this and I assure you the rudest people will come around. Most of the time, these people feel as if you will not care so they put on the loak of rudeness to show just how upset they are. Good luck!

Answer 7

stay polite, if the person figures out they can't wind you up then they'll calm down and stop being rude. It's happened to me too and if they notice they can get to you, they'll go further into it. If necessary, tell them you're a trainee and don't know everything just yet - if they can't understand that, they're stupid people.

You'll get the hang of it soon enough. I was in your situation not long ago, I just kept polite and "agreed" with what the person was saying ("Yes, I understand you are upset, sir, but could you please calm down?") and he backed down eventually. If they still won't calm down, connect them to your supervisor and let him/her deal with the person.Ask your supervisor to give you a few phrases to "block off" a person if they're ranting or being rude.

I know it's hard, but you'll be OK. Good luck with the new job!

Answer 8

Heyyy, welcome to the amazing world of workplace! You'll find all sorts of total morons and idiots in there. Nothing you can do about it but praising the Lord you're not one of them. On the other hand, you'll also come into contact with truly wonderful people you wish you could get to know better.
As for those over the phone, remain professional and if you feel it gets out of hand, mention it to your supervisor. There's no use taking abuse simply because you can't respond as this could affect your performance. Not to be an excuse, but please remember that some people could be having a bad day or whatever. It happens, be forgiving. You'll gain in patience and professionalism. Remember that you are being watched and those around you will note how well you conduct yourself in stressful situations.
Good luck girl, you're tough. All the best.

Answer 9

Starting a new job can be very scary on its own - without having someone abuse you on the phone when you answer it.

Maybe saying something like - "Excuse me I'm just new here, could you please hold while I get my supervisor to help with your query?" The supervisor could be busy so you need to "Record" the problem for the supervisor to "review" and get back to them with a solution to the problem. It's amazing how quickly a tone will change when the thought of being recorded is there.

Another way is to "have slow hearing " - ask them to please slow down, saying because you are new, you need to take notes to help you understand what the problem is, and could they go through it all again from the beginning, so you can find a solution for them.

Staying calm does work the best, and when they begin to speed up and get nasty, gently interrupt them with "Could you repeat that please, I missed some of what you were saying just then". It is probably best to take a few notes anyway just in case you need to repeat something back to them.

This does usually work because the angry person usually has (in his/her opion) a reasonable right to be angy or rude, and by giving them the opportunity to "let off steam" also gives them the chance to calm down.

No one deserves to be abused on the phone when they are just doing a job.

It reminds of one friend in a similar situation who received several abusive and rude phone calls, she simply said' "Thank you for your kind words, Jesus loves you too": and quietly hung up.

Answer 10

you'll have to toughen up and give as good as you get! Try not to take it personally as the people that are giving you grief are angry with the product/service that your company offers and not you personally. They don't even know you! It seems like you've been thrown in at the deep end as this is your first job but it could stand you in good stead for the future. If you can deal with this then anything after this will be a doddle!

Answer 11

Let them vent. Listen to what they are saying, and no matter WHAT they say to you, be pleasant. It's tough, but you are the one in control of you. If you allow that person to get you riled up, not only have you lost control, but you could lose your job as well.

The customer is always right, but the operator (or rep taking the call) is the one who has all the power. Besides, your finger could always "slip" and hit the release button accidentally - but only during your own sentence.

And, most importantly - NEVER TRUST THE MUTE BUTTON. That has backfired on at least one other operator in the last couple of years. OOPS!!!