Stress/Time Management Factors for a Customer Service Rep

• Unhappy clients can cause customer service reps a lot of stress. Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

  Yelling and screaming and stomping, oh my! If Dorothy had encountered some of the 70 percent of people shouting at customer service reps because of problems with services or products, she would've found them scarier than the animals in Oz. Financial and health worries have left so many feeling out of control that when little things go wrong, it's easier for them to get mad, according to Customer Care Measurement and Consulting.

Anticipation

• The anticipation of angry clients is a built-in stress factor of customer service. Avoid absorbing consumers' frustrations. Allow them to vent -- it's not personal. They do not take into consideration that you are human, with feelings and problems of your own. Developing a thick skin often allows upset individuals enough time to blow off steam so you can help resolve the problem. Patiently addressing their issue can even turn that angry patron into a pleasant one, likely to sing your praises.

Control

• Though controlling an angry individual's emotions is impossible, factoring in control of your own isn't. Learning to handle your emotions helps with one-on-one interactions. Typically, the client will follow your lead. Allowing someone to get under your skin allows him to dominate the situation. This usually results in an escalation of anger.

Bad Habits

• Failing to respect your time at work and home is a bad habit in time management. Mental agility at work calls for knowing when to call it quits. Even though most individuals know this, developing the bad habit of overwork is common.

  Working your fingers to the bone adds stress mentally as well as physically, according to Worksmart. (See References 2) Knowing when to take a break from the customer service counter helps manage mental health. Put in a day's work, then mentally and physically walk away. This helps you enjoy home life and respect precious time off. It's too valuable to waste fretting about job hassles. Avoid overworking at home also. Get plenty of rest and eat healthy.

Slow Down

• Exercising effective time management may mean slowing down. Keeping it moving may mean working too fast. A large project, such as the never-ending line at the return counter, can seem overwhelming, according to Helpguide.org. Take the line as it comes -- one person at a time. Give that customer the full attention he deserves, then move onto the next.