Never take a complaint personally …
I get angry phone calls. I’m sure you do too. Sometimes those phone calls get my heart pumping pretty good. In my mind, I know that someone may be mad at someone else or the policy in place, but I’m the one hearing about. That’s when I have to remind myself to never take the complaint personally. That statement is much easier to say than it is to do.
Remember that the angry person is really a nice individual who has temporarily become a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Think of them as normally reasonable and in a good mood. They’ve probably called you before with a routine question and it’s been OK. Now you’re experiencing a blip in their behavioral radar.
When talking to them, remember there’s a nice person in there someplace, and if you keep your cool and work with them, you’ll discover that nice customer again. Don’t let hurt feelings take control of you. You may run the risk of damaging relationships with unfounded personal grudges.
