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15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers



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15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers
When people are rude to you or speak to you in a funny, condescending, bullish tone, or if they just outright insult you or your business and say something rude and derogatory. Say whether in person, on the phone, live chat or by email or something. How do you deal with this for each scenario and why? That's what we'll talk about and give you some tips on how to properly deal with such rude people and handle and deal with them in a positive manner!

Think Like God Thinks - Find Positives in Everything
God has infinite knowledge and wisdom so nothing is too hard for him. He can make good come out of any situation or scenario and use any for good! And he does like a good God would. But God is a positive thinker! He thinks positively about things and sees positive and good things within them that can be taken out, buffed and shined (or tried in fire) and used to get ahead with in life.

And that's how you need to think like, sort of, more or less. Just basically finding the good and the positive in everything and using that as food for good and turning it around in your favour. That's not always easy to do when you don't know how. So here's some ways of thinking when it comes to dealing with rude and or aggressive or demanding customers, clients and just people in general! 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

1. Don't Ever Loose Your Cool - Be Like the Fonz
Never let the sun go down on your anger. What does that mean? Basically, don't flip out! Be angry but in a righteous way. Even the Fonz gets angry, but he doesn't go flailing his arms and putting his deuces up. Get a hold of your anger, be the bigger man and take the non-neanderthal approach to doing business.

Whatever happens, no matter how heated it gets, try not to raise your voice at people as this is always seen as something people have to respond to by talking back but louder! And never ever insult someone no matter how much they do you or your business. Just thank people for their opinion and leave it at that and move on!

2. Don't Take it Personally - Leave your feelings at the door please!

I remember when I used to work for a telesales company (ever seen the movie Boiler Room? It was like that) and my boss was really strict and also very ruthless too! He wouldn't care if the person who wanted to buy his service was someone that didn't really need it and only had enough money to pay their rent that month, or some old woman on a pension, he would still take their money if they could be talked into it. He wasn't breaking the law by doing that, but he never really used to like it and you'd probably lose your job if you refused to take people like this on. I'm glad I never worked their long!

But sometimes, in that industry, in that environment, you would sometimes speak to very rude people that used to either be offended you called them or for some other reason and would verbally swear at you and call you all the names under the sun. Now I'm not going to lie and say I've never told someone where to go and hung up on them before when they have lol. But you can't really do that if it's a potential/existing customer and client!

However, what I've learned when someone was rude to me on the phone (and in person) and insulted me or my business or business I was working for, personally in some way, was not to retailiate in the same manner. But to recognize what it is and to play on it and use it for good. Basically to just turn it around on them and play to their human side.

So what I would say if someone insulted me is something like, "well thanks for that sir, cheers!" Or just "oh right, thanks for that." And then from here just say, anyway is there anything else I can do for you? Because some people, no matter how much you thank them, they can just carry on insulting you. Some people are just going to be anti-social in which case you either just need to hang up or call security! 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

But never take insults or personal remarks personally and let them effect you. Make them just bounce off you like you're made of teflon. Laugh and smile them away and keep smiling! If someone says something rude or funny to you in an message or order on here, don't respond in like manner. Don't let it affect you negatively. Turn it round on them with a compliment saying thanks lol.

If worst comes to worst, just cancel the order or report them to staff but it shouldn't ever come to that! Just remember, don't take it personal, it might not even have anything to do with you. ;)

3. Confront or Refrain

Look sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and gain the respect you deserve! Both in real personal life and in real business life too. And if someone is really out of line, then you should confront them on the matter. And that can apply both online in person, in life and business and online too in personal and business life.

Let's say for example that someone demands more than you provide and you should give it to them or they will leave a bad review for you or talk smack about you on your FB page or something. Or say that someone insults you or talks down to you or one of your staff and upsets them but still wants a good deal on your service. You can refuse to work for such people of course, but that would be a loss of earnings. And you can always deal with anything they've said or will say, to or about you, your business etc on any site later on anyway.

So when/if people, clients, existing and potential, are ever rude to you or are out of line in their demands or way they've spoken to you. don't be afraid to confront them and put them in their place as that is your God given right as a human being and the way of the world and good for business too.

Sometimes though, you might want to refrain from confronting people on things they've said. Think about whether this person will likely do business with you or you them and just leave it. Just leave it and don't even reply to them. Refrain completely and just move on! 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

4. Don't Expect Rudeness to Change!

Rude people are often always rude people lol. I know people and I know people with manners and literal verbal skills and those that just speak in grunts and moans lol. And most people who are rude to people, are often hot headed people and the type to lose their cool and blow their top or fly off the handle, whatever philosophical bent you want to take lol. But it's true! Rude people and people that are generally rude to talk to. Do you have that one mate that is often rude to people for no reason or uses language that isn't called for? lol I know a couple people like that!

Some get given ASBO's and put on curfew LOL. And some people even get put on a black list! And that's just the nature of rude! It's something to do with their upbringing if you ask me! And this can happen sometimes in the world of doing business. You can come across rude customers or people and then later on have to experience their level of dealing with things all over again. Every company, electric board, gas board, water board, mobile company, insurance company, entertainment company etc etc, has a few bad customers like this and it can have an affect on morale and business all round.

So it's important for businesses to know about how rudeness doesn't ever stop being rude and knowing how to deal with it each time it rears its ugly head.

5. Objectify Scenarios and Situations

Objectifying the scenario or situation at hand is basically just looking at it from all angles and perspectives. So if someone has said something negative, offensive, demeaning, rude or condescending to you. Instead of replying in a negative way, you would look at all the ways that something good or positive could come from it. As well as possibly, all the good things that you could do or offer to that person or persons.

That could be something like, offering to transfer their call to someone higher up or more knowledgeable and powerful than you are but really it's just going to someone else in the same department who adopts the same logic and tactic until it is eventually and then they can decide how to deal with it. Or it could simply be just replying to something someone has said and offering them a chance to leave feedback or a testimonial somewhere. Even a discount code or reduced rate on something. But more something that benefits both of you.

Okay this is getting pretty long and I've got a pizza in the oven so I'll leave it here for now and post the other 10 later! 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

Over to You!

Do you ever come across

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djshahab21
every one sometimes crossed with a rude person. some times I become angry and if he sees ohh my gash he is more crazier than me then he will be quiet but some times they are crazy crazy and to much rude and stupid and then it's your turn to be silence
an Iranian poet says : the only response to stupid person is silence
so try this ways and if things goes bad just call the police in don't know lol...



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vinaya
I am a kind of person who loses temper easily. No matter how hard I try to keep my composure, I cannot. Generally speaking, I am not rude, however, when someone behaves rudely, I cannot stand. I have been trying hard to develop "I don't give a damn" attitude since a long time, but have not succeeded. If you don't give a damn to people who are rude and impatient, you will remain calm and cool.



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Artois52
When you receive messages on platform like SEOClerks, where there are many people who don’t speak your own language as their first language, it is also important that you make sure that their apparent rudeness is intentional.

I have a regular customer who loves using the exclamation mark and short, abrupt sentences, which often makes it look he is shouting at me, but he’s not, he’s actually one of my best customers and a great guy to work with.

If you think someone is being rude, don’t answer the message straight away. Read the message again in an hour or two and you might find that it doesn’t sound so rude after all.



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AlexHarris
I've found that with words it's sometimes hard to distinguish rude from unintentional. Since different language's grammar sound a certain way in English. Now for the actual rude ones unless they are a valuable customer I would probably deal with them kindly and then not deal with them again. Since taking crap from someone isn't something new. You usually experience it first from parents and adults and then your boss and the police. So we should all try to calm them down a bit and if that doesn't work, destroy them. I'm kidding, just use your happy customer service voice because that gets to them the most.



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ArtOverHomework
No matter where you are in life you will always be faced with difficult people. Whether they are your co-workers or your boss or your parents, they will always be there. One way to deal with them is to ignore them. Some people just aren't worth the high blood pressure. If they are all talk and don't really do anything except talk at you, then ignore them. I know its hard but trying to reason with people like that is even harder. If its something more serious such as physical violence or property damage, then you may need to confront them about it and try to come to an agreement. If that doesn't work you may need to seek outside help such as the authorities, your boss, etc.



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dejah0987
We live in a world were not everyone has a good heart and is understandable. Every single person on this planet will come across at least one difficult person they have to deal with. Individuals who witness this first hand almost every single day are employees working in retail, entertainment, food, business and etc. Most of these conflicts occur in a work setting, so its always a good idea to remain as professional as possible. Handling any rude customer can be a challenge but going about the situation with pride and dignity is the best way to go. The person has to remain calm, still have the customers best interest in heart, but by also following any rules they have to abide by given by the company and supervisors. Explaining the process to the customer also helps, just walking through everything you can and will do to make light of the current situation. This way the customer can feel better and know that you are doing everything you can to make things better. Just to remain polite because it is your job but if things get out of hand, which does happen, call a higher supervisor with more authority than you for suggestions on how you should go about things.



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Lyudmilka7
When I am encountered in a cituation with a rude client, I try and stay calm and resolve the issue. I notice that most people want to be heard and understood. I apologize for their unconvince even if I am not at fault and try to help them in any way I can to resolve their concerns.



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airfightermax
This is the way to go. Try to listen to their concerns first, even if they are quite annoying. Try to be as helpful as possible to them as shutting down your reasoning would probably end in a fight or a shouting match. At the end if you really listened to them they will appreciate it and they'll be a loyal customer to you 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers



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wikifarmer
That really helped thank you, My job is mostly related to marketing and sales so I have to encounter a dozen people every day and they come in all characters, some are soft, some are rude and many, so its really very difficult to handle so many people in a single day. Even though i try not to take things personally because i know its my profession, some clients just annoy us so much and I almost get tempted to get physical on them. But anyway this article has many guidelines that seems to work out form me, So I'll give them a try.



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keen2write
Yeah there are a lot of rude people about and nasty and sly comments. Just ignore them and yeah sometimes we come across some ignorant people or just trouble causers. Just let karma sort them out lol.
Also when someone is trying to get you angry then when they see its not bothering you this will get to them more. I don't like nasty like minded people either.



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arachnophobik
Back then when I was still running my youtube channel (that was devoted to dark humor/offensive humor), whenever somebody sends me a hate comment, I usually just make them a part of the joke. In a way, it's like never breaking character for me, and instead of just succumbing to them, I use wit and turn the tables around in a funny/offensive way which eventually makes them stop.



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wallet
Is not easy to be calm and patient when you must deal with a rude client because sometimes a rude client may break the limit of the common sense. And yet the customer is always right, this is the rule we must to apply and try to get the customer satisfaction in any way we can!



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clara1993
I like the third point which says confront or refrain I hate to deal with rude people but unfortunately my work make me meet them everyday so I always choose to refrain and act like I can't understand what they say and just smile at them and keep serving them till when they get out of my sight thanks God.



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mark8625
Yeah that is sounds better. Ignoring them is the key or just having a little chat with the unwanted person is the best thing that we could do.



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joegirl
It takes a lot of patience to deal with a rude individual. And its more difficult if you have to work with them or see them every day. I would say, let them know they are being rude, right there and then. I know people say walk away but sometimes rude people just need someone to confront and correct them. Evil runs wild because good men do nothing is quite fitting here.



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Neiltarquin
I've worked as a Call Center Agent and I have encountered everything about rude people. The list shown was down right accurate. Patience really is a virtue and always dontbtake it too personal. They are rude because they are not satisfued of something, unfortunately you are the one whose dealing with the negativity. What i always do us i just let them vent out. Thats the best way for me to pacify people.



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Pixie06
I agree to all your points. I used to work in a complaints department some years back and I had to handle some very difficult customers. It is true that at times I felt frustrated due to some customers behaviors and wanted to vent my anger on them but I never did so. It is so difficult to keep your calm at times but we have to. Normally after dealing with a bad customer I would usually go out and to get some fresh air.



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Meg24
These are good points, it sure isn't easy to work with people. I worked in retail when I started college and it was a struggle. All of us had to handle some kind of situation often. It's hard not to lose your temper, but I found that it was the best way. Just try to keep calm and address their situation. If things got really out of hand we got our manager. It's important to be patient and look at the bright side.



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DenisP
All really good points, and I couldn't agree with you more. What I've come to find after a while is that dealing with rudeness is a skill in and of itself. It takes practicing good habits over and over again until your brain has become rewired in a way where it is second nature to react a certain way to specific stimuli. I myself found that the most important factor is remaining calm. If I let myself lose my cool and get angry or frustrated, that is when I start making poor decisions. It has a Domino Effect, because once you lose your head, you make one bad choice after another that simply leads to an escalation in things that could have been avoided.



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PinkTurtle
Since I’m anurse is “easy” to find some rude people along the way because when you have a
family member sick you’re just focus on them and you can’t really think beyond
that illness. I get it. So I just take a deep breath and try not to lose my
cool as you said before. I explain to them as calmly as possible what’s going
on and then, if I can’t make anything for them to relax I just give them a
little alone time and come back later when they are calmer. If that’s not
possible then you can make the family member to leave the room for a bit while
you do what’s need to be done in the patient. After all, that’s what’s
important in my field. The patient always comes first!



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Barida
It has not been easy dealing with rude people around me ranging from the way business is done, to people living close and all that. I must say that I learnt a lot from reading your article.



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kgord
Usually when people are rude they are frustated about something. Even though it is hard to do, unless someone is really abusive it is best to listen to them to hear the source of their frustration. They may be taking it out on you but it might not be about you at all. This is what you need to know.



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allyn2017
I agree with you, but being frustrated in something should not be a reason to be rude.



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jaymish2
My question would be why deal with rude people? If your client is rude why continue dealing with them?Why take this kind of treatment? Have you no self-esteem? I have learned the hard way that people value you or they don't, you can lick their shoes all you want, but this won't make a difference. You teach people how to treat you, groveling only makes bad treatment, worse. We need to all grow a backbone and not be willing to put up with rude people. Try this and you will start to attract the right clients to your business.



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ballyhara
Well, I think the poster is making reference to when you have a rude customer/client. Which makes it even harder, because you always want to have a good deal with your clients, but honestly, I totally agree with you when you say we should stop dealing with rude people. I'm not very good on this for sure, I just do what you say, if they don't value then why to keep doing deals with such kind of people? I need to work on the tips the other people comment here.



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ballyhara
This is really not an easy topic for me. I never get to keep myself cool with rude people, that only shows the ignorant side of someone, and I really can't stand with that behavior. Honestly, I've been working hard on it, but is really annoying to deal with people that acts in a very disrespectful way. I think I may need more than just counting to 10, because is something that I can't tolerate.



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allyn2017
I agree with you, it is frustrating when you are so kind and accommodating to the costumer, yet they act rudely at you.



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Corzhens
This reminds me of our college professor in salesmanship class who was always telling us to be cool all the time. Losing your temper is like losing your personality and if you are a salesman, that is your doom already. He told us the job of an ambassador whose main function is diplomacy. When you are selling, you act like an ambassador of your product or service with the potential customer. And I think that is a good advice – be cool, composed, and diplomatic in all your dealings regardless of the attitude of the customers.



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mark8625
I think dealing with difficult people should be in positive way no matter what,
I used to work in different industries that required customer services and management skills. Dealing with them everyday was like challenge. It would challenge your temper and self control. What I have learned from this experience was stay positive and show them kindness still.



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cmoneyspinner
LOL. The best way to deal with rude people is NOT to be a copycat. Just cause they're rude don't mean you gotta be rude too! Like Michelle Obama "When they go low, you go high." 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers 15 Ways to Deal with Rude People, Clients & Customers

Seriously though. Two wrongs don't make a right. Never did. Never will. Sometimes people are just having a bad day. Then again sometimes people just ain't got no manners. Whatever! Don't let their attitude and behavior become your way of reacting and dealing with people too. You already see how ugly it is. Do you want others to see you that way? Of course not!



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ballyhara
Totally true. I need to remember this every time I have a similar situation. What makes it hard for me, is to contain myself to not explode with their bad attitude. Can't believe that people can be so rude sometimes, is like feeling they are the center of the World right?



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allyn2017
Wow, you are right but its really good to be respectful even if the person you re dealing with is being rude to you.



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jeffreyjose48
Thanks for all your tips. I believe what we really need is patience. We must be quick to hear and slow to speak. The Bible says the more words you speak more mistakes. So its better to keep your mouth shut. A soft answer turns away wrath says the proverbs too.



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allyn2017
This is really helpful, I have a hard time dealing with this kind of people and I love that you wrote an article on how to deal with them.



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overcast
I think patience during the wrong side of the people. And the bad approach of the people needs to be taken into consideration. I can tell you that rude people often have their own agenda. Your job is to just avoid such people or nullify their demands. That is what they are likely to tell you in terms of the negotiation. Make sure to understand what they want, and avoid those ways. I think many people have done that and managed to live in peace.



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