Day After Day. Face After Face.

In recruiting and staffing, we deal with ample amounts of applicants and clients every day.  But dealing with people every day can be stressful and emotionally draining, especially when that person/client happens to be angry or upset over a situation.  However, we can all be more successful in how we monitor our people skills and work communications through these 5 steps.

Stay calm but don’t say “calm down.”

If you’ve ever been in an emotional situation where you are upset, and someone tells you those two little words of “calm down,” it tends to upset you even more.  Creating an even larger situation than it was to begin with.  It comes across as belittling someone and their right to have the emotion they are feeling.  When you feel these words creeping up on your lips, remind yourself there are other ways you can address the situation.  Perhaps you say, “How can I help you right now?” or “I understand where you’re coming from, let’s take a deep breath and try to resolve the situation.”  There are many ways to rephrase this dreaded phrase.

 

Show empathy.

Having someone upset at a situation is never easy on your part and never easy on theirs.  It is frustrating when a customer is not getting the response they want/need in the amount of time they want it.  After a while of going back and forth and not achieving results, it is easy to have those frustrations.  However, by showing empathy to the customer you can help ease their irritation of a situation.  Being a listening ear, supportive of decisions and not judging one’s past can help you better understand why someone might be upset at a situation.

 

Use good listening techniques.

Ensure that you are listening to your customers and not staring at them with a blank face while nodding your head.  They need your undivided attention to help them achieve their questions and goals.  Do not interrupt their thoughts and ideas to converse you own.  Wait and then chime in as it will show you were in fact listening to what they had to say.  Acknowledge their feels and know when they are troubled over something.  Giving nonverbal feedback from facial expressions can also show that you are taking in everything they have to say. Basically, listen to understand first and then respond.

 

Avoid taking it personally.

When you are dealing with backlash the last thing you want to do is take it personal.  Remind yourself that while you did not create this situation, it is up to you to handle and deescalate it.  Think to yourself, will this cross my mind tomorrow, next week, next month?  Most likely the answer is no.  Dwelling on a situation where someone wasn’t friendly to you will cloud your thoughts and decrease productivity, which is only hurting yourself.  Keep an open mind that perhaps they had a bad day and are taking their frustrations out on you.  And while, yes, this is frustrating to you, you must look past these small obstacles and prepare for much larger ones.  Getting caught up in something small that doesn’t affect you will only set you back.

 

Apologize.

When everything is said and done, just apologize, even when you didn’t do anything wrong.  Sometimes this is the hardest step because you know that you are not the one they should be angry at or the one that led them to the situation they are in.  However, at times you must apologize for the customer’s peace of mind.  This helps to show that they are important, and we understand what they are going through.  This can help restore a relationship that might be on the fritz.  However, it’s critical you do not follow up with the word “but.”  “I’m sorry but…”  This nullifies your apology and sends the message of you not actually being sincere.

If part of your New Year’s resolution is to reduce stress, try these tips out the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation. You might find it leads you down the path of success.