What to Say When a Customer Demands a Supervisor —Without Escalating the Call or Giving Away Your Authority how to handle difficult customers phrases for handling difficult customers Aug 04, 2025

“Let me talk to your supervisor.”

If you’ve ever worked in customer service, you’ve heard it—maybe today, maybe five times this week. And in that moment, the pressure hits hard.

Do you transfer the call? Push back? Try to handle it yourself?

Last week, I walked my De-escalation Acad...

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When the Customer Starts Cussing: How to Stay Grounded, Set the Line, and Lead the Call how to handle difficult customers phrases for handling difficult customers Jul 24, 2025

The call came in like any other.
But within seconds, it shifted.

“This is [bleep] ridiculous. You people are [bleep] clueless.”

No preamble. No warm-up. Just heat.
You’ve had a call like that. Most of us have.

And when it happens, your nervous system knows it before your brain does.

Your shoulde...

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How to Shut Down a Rude Customer—Without Losing Your Cool customer service de-escalation how to handle difficult customers phrases for handling difficult customers Jun 27, 2025

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a customer is being downright disrespectful, but you still have to help them? It's a challenging spot that many customer service professionals face daily. You're doing your job, staying calm, and suddenly it feels like you're under attack. You're not...

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National Customer Service Week Day 5! celebrating national customer service week how to handle difficult customers phrases for handling difficult customers Oct 11, 2024

Welcome to the final day of National Customer Service Week, where our theme is, “Balanced Minds, Bright Service!” 

Dealing with demanding or unreasonable customers is a significant source of stress. In this video, I’ll show you how to set boundaries with difficult customers and protect your peace -...

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5 Phrases That Work Better Than, "Ma'am, I need you to calm down." customer service de-escalation phrases for handling difficult customers Aug 26, 2024

Have you ever found yourself in a heated conversation with a customer, desperately wanting to say, "Just calm down!"? If so, you're not alone. But here's the thing: telling someone to calm down is like throwing gasoline on a fire. It doesn't work, and it often makes the situation worse.

Let's face ...

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Stop Being a Doormat: 4 Phrases to Eliminate Pushback from Demanding Customers how to handle difficult customers phrases for handling difficult customers Aug 17, 2024

Have you ever felt like you're fighting an uphill battle with customers who just won't take "no" for an answer? You're not alone. As customer service professionals, we often find ourselves in situations where our words can either diffuse tension or inadvertently escalate it. The good news? With a fe...

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