Recently, I had a window replaced. Consistently poor service left me disgruntled. After expressing my frustration to the installer, I received a call from the company’s district manager.
Still frustrated, I quickly rattled off a list of the company’s wrongs. As I did, I thought, “I’m behaving like a crazy woman.”
That’s when it occurred to me. How many times have I been on the other side of this conversation, the rational person trying to calm down a difficult person?
Having realized this, I began analyzing this conversation. In doing so, here’s what I learned about how to deal with difficult people: