More often than not, individuals working in the front office area have the most contact with customers, the general public, and other employees. It also means that individuals working in the front office will deal with upset individuals and unruly customers. This section discusses confrontation in the workplace and, more importantly, how to avoid it — especially in the front office area.

On the Line: Telephone Effectiveness

A lot of potential problems can be avoided by preventing people from getting upset at the onset. This can often be achieved by having a well-established phone procedure.

General Guidelines

Telephone Courtesy

• Answer the phone within three rings.
• When you answer, ask how you may direct the call.
• Transfer correctly the first time.
• Before you transfer the call, ask what it’s regarding. If the message is long, transfer to an appropriate voice mail or message system where the person can leave a more accurate message.
• Always thank the caller.
• Keep duplicate written phone messages. This eliminates the "I didn’t get the message" problem.

Angry Callers: Use the "ESP" method

Empathy: "I understand how you can feel that way…"

Sympathy: (Implied agreement) "I would be upset too if that happened to me."

Priority: Figure out the first thing you can do to assist them in solving their problem, but only promise what you can deliver.

• End all calls on a pleasant note to convey professionalism on your behalf.
• Use the phrase, "Thank you for bringing that to our attention," while being careful to avoid sounding sarcastic.
• If you receive a personal threat, take it seriously. Make note of who called. Use caller ID or *69 to find out what number they called from. Make note of the nature of the threat and when the caller plans to carry it out.

Problems in Person

It can be intimidating dealing with an angry person, particularly when that person is standing right in front of you. You have to handle the situation professionally, but you also have to maintain control.

Trouble Brewing: Nonverbal signs a person is getting angry.

• Inappropriate smile; a smug look that suggests they don’t believe you
• Touching or rubbing the nose
• Turning the body slightly away, showing they are not interested in what you’re saying
• Rubbing the back of the neck (a sign of frustration)
• Scuffing their shoes
• Short, quick breaths
• Flaring nostrils
• Clenched fists
• Tight neck and face muscles

Dealing With The Problem

When you notice the nonverbal signs of anger or frustration, it gives you a good indication of trouble brewing, unless you can do something to diffuse the situation.

A few nonverbal signs you can give to assert your own authority are:

• Sit or stand erect
• Square your shoulders
• Have a sincere smile
• Bring your hands together – fingers touching, palms apart
• Elevate your hands to nose level about 8 – 10 inches away from the face
• Avoid touching your face or hair – that indicates nervousness
• Once you establish your own sense of confidence and authority, you can take other actions to help calm things down.
• Use the person’s name to give a sense of caring - it makes them feel like a person, not a number.
• Get them moving – offer them a chair or take them to a private area. This demonstrates your concern.
• Offer them a beverage – it takes their mind off their main concern and gives you a breather to give some information.
• Acknowledge their feelings – paraphrase what they have said using the "ESP" rule.
• Only offer assistance that you can provide. Use "I," "What I can do is…."
• Offer them an alternative if one is appropriate and available.
• Call the police if you sense things are getting out of hand.
• Alert coworkers using a code word system such as, "Please, bring me the RED FILE." Other staff members will then know about the problem and can call the police.
• Don’t be afraid to be assertive. Maintain eye contact and stand if the person is standing. Keep your back straight to indicate that the person is not getting the better of you.
• Be courteous and let them vent – but for no more than two minutes. After two minutes, interrupt by using their name or dropping something on the floor.

When all else fails, be friendly, but firm. Give them the bottom line. Tell them once again what you can do for them and thank them for bringing the matter to your attention.

Additional Help

In addition to handling the situation alone, you can establish certain procedures to help avoid trouble in the front office.

• Notify a supervisor to handle the situation.
• Have security come to the front.
• Call the police. Preprogram your local law enforcement agency’s number in all phones.
• Have a predetermined back-up person for trouble situations.
• Install a panic buzzer.
• Establish an operations manual for employees that covers emergencies.

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