You're faced with a challenging customer on the phone. How do you keep your emotions in check?

What I’ve found helpful is to allow the customer to unload before responding. This allows the customer to release the pent up frustration, and makes the rest of the conversation easier.

Pay close attention to their concerns without interrupting, as this shows respect and empathy. For example, use phrases like "I understand your frustration" to validate their feelings. Techniques from Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler can help, such as staying calm and asking clarifying questions. Understanding their perspective doesn't mean you have to agree, but it helps in finding a mutually satisfying resolution. Practice reflective listening by summarizing their points to ensure you've understood correctly. This approach can diffuse tension and lead to a positive outcome.

Agree with this. Working closely with in-home customer facing engineers, they are often not skilled in setting boundaries when a customers behaviour goes beyond what is acceptable. Sometimes, potentially risky behaviour is accepted, so that a job does not fail. Having the skills required to manage a customers issues maintaining boundaries without escalating things is very important. Employee safety should always be the first priority.

Instead of saying, "I can't do that," try, "What I can do is..." This shifts the focus from problems to solutions and shows that you're working towards a resolution. For example, instead of "We can't deliver until next week," say, "We can schedule the delivery for early next week." Techniques like this, inspired by How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, help maintain a constructive conversation. Use reassuring phrases such as, "I'm here to help," to keep the discussion forward-moving. This approach increases the likelihood of a satisfactory outcome for both parties.

In my experience, what really helps is maintaining the customer relationship through to resolution. Even if you aren’t responsible for the end to end process, stay in touch with the customer.

After understanding their concerns, present viable options that you can execute and explain how they meet their needs. For instance, if a product is unavailable, suggest an alternative that could work just as well. Techniques from The Effortless Experience by Dixon, Toman, and Delisi emphasize being proactive and resourceful, like ensuring you follow up with updates. If an immediate solution isn’t possible, reassure the customer that you're working on it. This approach shows commitment to resolving their issue and helps rebuild trust. Offering alternatives keeps the conversation positive and focused on resolution.