Dealing with Stress on the Job

If you are in a customer service position, you invariably experience stress. Trying to meet the unending demands of your clients and customers can eventually take its toll on you. Most people report that after a day of dealing with unreasonable customers, their nerves are frayed and tempers are short.

Stress and Customer Service
There are some basic reasons why dealing with stress can be so upsetting. First, we must define what we mean by the word “stress”. Angela Morrow, RN, gives us a good definition for stress. “Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response”. She goes on to state that “stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious”.

Fight or Flight
Stress triggers our body’s “fight or flight” response. Many people report that when they are under stress they have a feeling that they are losing control. The typical reaction is to resist or run away from the situation.

For example, let’s say a customer calls you on the telephone and starts to verbally attack you and your company. He goes on to say that “your company is a sorry excuse for a business and ought to be reported to the Better Business Bureau”. He says that the product he purchased is “no good” and demands a refund.

If you are like most people, your first response is to “fight” this person; to counter his remarks and prove to him that there is nothing wrong with your company or the product. You want to tell him that he probably made an error in using the product.

The second response could be to take “flight”. In other words, you would hand this irate customer off to another person and go on a break. However you choose to handle this situation, you are experiencing a sizable amount of stress.

Stress Comes with the Job
What is important here is to realize that each day you will experience a certain amount of stress. Some will come on the job and some will come in other situations off the job. The key is to not be surprised by problems. Like the late J. Paul Getty once said, “Don’t be surprised by trouble”. If you can anticipate that there will be daily problems to deal with, and have a plan for dealing with them, your life will be much less stressful and more enjoyable.

If you are interested in a better career in customer service visit http://www.customerservicejobs.com/


Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more successful and profitable by helping them attract and retain their customers and clients.