Thread: Fast Food :(
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Old Sep 23, 2012, 02:37 PM
tigerlily84's Avatar
tigerlily84 tigerlily84 is offline
Poohbah
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Over there
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Quote:
I realize that I am providing a service for other people; I deliberately "take" their rudeness, it isn't directed at me, they don't know me, and I try to return something calming and pleasant. Practice "Oh! I'm sorry!" and smiling at the person while you work to make whatever problem they may be experiencing, right. Attitudes are contagious; you are stressed because you work in a stressful environment, with rude customers. Work to block all that out and "play" with practicing calm, quiet pleasantness and see how many interactions you can "turn around". Keep score with yourself, make it a fun game
I agree. I work in a call center now and in a way, it helps that I don't have to actually see the person. But it can be more difficult to communicate with the customer because I cannot rely on nonverbal cues. I really have to watch my tone and demeanor. (Not saying that you don't in face to face interactions, I'm just saying that talking to someone face to face really helps you to get your point across. It's not impossible though, far from it.)

But I do the same thing that Perna suggested. I try to turn it into a game in which I can try to "turn around" the situation and end up with a happy customer. You won't always win. But the more practice you get, the better you will become with your social interactions. That's an invaluable skill that you can utilize in future positions. Good luck!