Pay attention to your volume and tone of voice. Use a gentle, even tone when replying to angry customers. Remain aware of your emotions. If you don’t think you can handle a certain call, tell the person that you’ll transfer them to a manager or another third party, even if it’s just your coworker. “I’m going to transfer you to someone who can help you better than I can,” you could explain. It is easier to tune out or forgive swearing against a product, company, or service than it is to forgive someone swearing at you personally. In either case, however, stay calm and do not respond in anger. Remember, the irate customer does not know you, and you did not personally cause whatever misfortune they are experiencing. Don’t let their foul language rattle you or make you feel personally guilty, angry, or incompetent.
“I can tell you’re upset. " “That sounds frustrating to deal with. " “Yes, that definitely sounds like a problem. What do you need to fix it?” “I’m sorry to hear about that. It sounds difficult to deal with. "
“I understand you’re upset. Cursing at me will not help me fix your problem. " “I know this is frustrating. I am on your team here, and profanity isn’t going to help me help you. " “I have a hard time focusing when people are yelling at me. If you want my help, please lower your volume, or come back later once you’ve calmed down. "
“I’m sorry, but I cannot help you if you curse at me. ” “I am sorry, but you are frightening people, and we cannot help you today. Please lower your voice or leave the building. "
Always be polite as you end your call. Let your customer know you’re hanging up. A goodbye like, “I’m going to hang up now because I do not want to be cursed at. I hope your day improves,” is appropriate. Be succinct. Follow through on your warnings to your customer that you’re going to hang up.
Do not shout, threaten, or scream when dealing with a customer who threatens you. This might panic them and escalate the situation. If you believe the customer is armed, do not announce, “I’m calling the police. ” This will only agitate them. Flee from an armed customer at the first opportunity. If the exit is blocked, look for safe spaces to hide within your workplace like under or behind a bar counter. Contact the police when you have a chance.
If you work at a call center, you might make an entry in their account describing the exchange, and how you handled it. At an in-person workplace, you might tell your coworkers about what happened, and give them a heads-up in case the customer comes back and curses at them too.
“Peggy, I’m uncomfortable with the language that you’re using. Could you please ease up on the cursing? I’d really appreciate it. ”
“Don’t speak to me like that. I don’t talk to you that way, and I don’t deserve this. " “I need you to stop cursing at me. " “I have asked you three times to stop cursing at me now. It’s creating a stressful environment, and I will go to HR for help if I need to. "
If it makes you uncomfortable, just say so. “Cursing makes me uncomfortable. Please don’t do it around me. " If they consider you a friend, then they won’t want to make you feel bad.
Try keeping a log of your coworker’s behavior, with each entry dated and with a full description of what happened and how you handled it. This can be useful evidence. If your immediate supervisor is unresponsive, contact the human resources department where you work. Sometimes you have to go over your direct manager’s head to get results. If your company as a whole is unresponsive, talk to a lawyer. Lawsuits involving hostile work environments are taken very seriously.
They heard it somewhere, but didn’t know it was inappropriate. They feel ignored, and don’t know how to get your attention. They’re angry and trying to express it. They’re copying another person.
Talk to the kid about what they can do if the other person curses around them (or at them) again. Avoid power struggles. For example, if your child’s new friend curses a lot, then saying “you can’t be friends with them” will probably make the child more stubborn. Instead, ask questions about the friend, and about what the child thinks about the cursing. Talk about their opinions about cursing in a TV show, song, or movie. What do they think is appropriate with regards to cursing? What does a bad role model look like? Having an open dialogue can help.
If the child didn’t know it was a curse, explain that it’s a curse word and it’s inappropriate. If they get embarrassed or upset, reassure them that they didn’t know it was inappropriate, so you aren’t upset with them. Now they do know, and don’t have to use it again. If they felt lonely or ignored, talk to them about better ways to get your attention. Maybe you’d like your child to tell you “I’m lonely,” or to invite you to hang out with them. Then, be sure to pay attention when they do this in the future, so they know it works better than cursing. If they’re angry, talk about other ways to handle anger. Maybe you’d like your child to say “I’m angry!”, or to punch a pillow, or draw an angry picture and rip it up, or get some exercise. Talk about ways to handle anger, and be a good role model by using healthy coping mechanisms when you feel angry. If they’re copying someone, have a conversation about how curse words might make others feel. Ask the child if they’ve ever been scared or upset by being cursed at. Talk about people who might be better role models, and things that are better to do than cursing.
Be clear when explaining why certain types of speech are inappropriate. For instance, you could explain to your child that “bad words” offend many people. If you are religious, you might also inform them that certain words are forbidden by your faith.
Try talking to the child about how they could make amends if they upset somebody. This is a positive form of discipline that can help them feel better about themselves. Ask the child for ideas on how to make amends to someone they upset (e. g. drawing them a picture, singing them an “I’m sorry” song, doing something nice for them) and let the child choose which way they think is best. Time-outs, grounding, and suspension of privileges may make a child feel “naughty. " Limit this type of discipline as much as you can. Do not use physical force against your child such as slapping or spanking. This will harm your relationship with the child, and may worsen behavior problems, including making them more likely to hit others. [13] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
Sometimes, a child needs to “have a good cry” if they’re dealing with a lot of emotions. You can help by staying and listening. Sit next to them, or hold them while they cry. Being there for them makes a difference. Consider getting a good therapist involved if your child is really struggling.
People with TS may have other tics such as grimacing, touching a part of the face, sniffing, shrugging, or blinking unusually. The movements may be repeated again and again. Recognize that the person with TS may be embarrassed by the swearing tic. They may try to control it, but be unable to. It’s best to ignore the cursing, and keep on having a pleasant conversation. About 100,000 people in the US have TS.
Usually there will be a ticket and a fine for the individual who was cursing. The amount of the fine varies by locality, but some can range up to $500.
The quickest way to file a complaint is to visit https://consumercomplaints. fcc. gov/hc/en-us and click on “File Complaint” under either TV or radio. You do not need to provide a recording or transcript of the program or call. However, you can send one, though it will not be returned.
