Receiving an angry email from a customer, that seems unnecessary to us, is like a bomb for employee morale. Reach out to parents early in the year. Picture this: It's Monday morning, you get to your desk and turn on your computer ready to start a new work week. It’s the ‘swallow your pride’ part that we all have problems with. Bad reviews hurt and can sometimes be downright cruel. There are multiple studies showing about 50% of all emails are misinterpreted. How to Respond to Angry or Emotional Emails, Professionally by Mark Marchenko Everyone’s been there: You get an email that makes you do a double take. Email is a terrible way to communicate. I apologize for the misunderstanding, but I do have a quick question that would help resolve the current problem in a timely manner: ARE YOU ALWAYS SUCH A MORON OR IS TODAY A SPECIAL OCCASION???? Thanks for your email. My understanding of the situation is [explain your perspective in a calm and neutral manner]. An angry email dripping of discrimination or oppression is seldom something we can just let ‘slide by’. Stand up for your beliefs, morals, rights and the rights of others. For example, saying, "I get that you're upset, but..." can come off as dismissive and offhanded. So go take it out alone in a safe environment. Whenever emotions come into play, take “say less” to its ultimate extreme: Just don’t write an email when you’re feeling angry or anxious or sad or ashamed. For example, you could immediately get enraged by a harsh-worded email from your boss because deep down perhaps you’re worried he’s implying you’re not good enough, and you unconsciously believe being infuriated is better for your ego than facing your fear. Go for a walk, punch an innocent pillow, scream or cry it out. Deep down you already know that. Finally, the best way to avoid an angry parent altogether is to turn them into an ally before they ever become angry. I kept the emails, but did not inform anyone at a higher level. In dealing with angry parents, whether via email, over the phone, or in person, I’ve slowly learned a few necessary steps to take to “defuse the bomb” and effectively address the issue at hand. If some human interaction isn’t possible, then it’s time to get crafty with some basic psychology technique to dissolve people’s anger, called the ‘Positive Sandwich”. When anger reaches a certain boiling point, it’s too late to go back. A friend might read the same angry email and say ‘give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they have a point’ and so in addition to being ‘over the rooftop furious’ you’re suddenly consumed with thoughts of finding a shovel to bury your friend in the backyard. The goal was to shred their illogical or personally motivated argument. Responding to anger with more anger is like using fire to put out the fire, it doesn’t work. The ending is what we all remember the most; it’s what makes a good book, a good vacation or a good argument. Take a Pause What’s your first emotion when you get to the closing line of an We promise not to use your email for spam and you can unsubscribe at any time. Responding to an angry email doesn't have to mean accepting blame for something that wasn't within your control. Let your boss vent out some of that anger before you respond. Introduce yourself via email during the first week of school. I know, it’s not enough…. Let it all out and don’t hold anything back. I’m the ‘Why’ girl. Their usage only tells a lot about the personality of the person using it. Develop a plan. It makes you mature and wise and smart. Because the implied meaning of the word is totally different! Just remember, rage will never make you extraordinary, but intelligent patience will. If that's the case, then consider writing out a fake email response on paper or in a Word document, one the gets out everything you feel, be it nasty or angry or aggressive. But if you can’t do that, then at least don’t respond. This impulse to react usually leads to regret and ends up damaging our relationships. Lilly S. Mohsen, Sun 24 Shawwal 1439AH 8-7-2018AD Social Productivity 6 minutes. Template #4: An angry customer Dealing with angry customers requires its own post (which of course we’ve already written). History proves that healthy anger has conquered racism, dictatorship, and abusive slavery. Before you respond, take a minute, hour, or maybe even a day to reflect on the email and consider how you can respond in a way that will work towards a resolution and doesn't escalate the situation. Your first instinct may be to type out a quick, scathing response, but that likely isn't going to resolve the problem and will instead heat things up and make the situation more aggravated. Lilly S. Mohsen is the author of 'Live Your Story' and 'The Prophets To Islam' Series for children. You have every right to feel that way….”. There’s so much you can tell from a person’s pitch, attitude, or facial expression. I asked Mike if I could include it in this article because it is such a stellar example of how a manager can: Show concern for an employee, and how they were affected by their interaction. b. A driver cuts you off on the road, or a waiter brings you mashed potatoes instead of fries and you just hulk out on them while someone else might simply say ‘it’s no big deal’. History You need water to put out the fire of anger. Take a deep breath and walk away from the situation until you feel you can look at it objectively. Ways to respond to a work email when you are annoyed & angry Mastering the tone of written word is a challenging feat, especially when you are angry and cant seem to figure out the right way to respond. Here the update. Alive! It builds you a solid ‘sterling’ reputation and it’s everything you need to invest in good, healthy, long-lasting relationships. If, on the other hand, you've received an angry email when you haven't made any mistakes, it's not necessarily appropriate to apologize. Using email templates to train your customer support team can help build alignment among your service reps and build a unified front that genuinely represents the value of your brand. When one of you is angry, he should be silent.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]. A shared inbox is a valuable tool for managing customer support requests , allowing customer service reps to collaborate, draft replies, and get feedback before sending responses to customer complaints. Handling Angry Customers: 3 Email Responses Your Team Need Mercer Smith-Looper – June 22, 2017 – 2 Comments Whether you’ve worked in support for a month, or a decade, you will have run into an angry customer. The customer is always right. Someone sends an email that upsets us and we react by firing off an angry response. We’re getting closer to that time every year in the fall season when in the USA, The Productive Muslim Company is becoming a Hijri-first company as part of its, Mindfulness, of late, has become a buzzword and as Muslims, we might wonder what, Copyright © The Productive Muslim Company 2021, yet the husband will most probably get a bit scared, Adjusting to Fall-back time: A Professional Muslim Perspective, We’re Going Hijri: The Productive Muslim Company to Align its Business with the Hijri Calendar, What is Mindfulness and Spiritual Intelligence: An Islamic Framework. I’m happy to say that there were no further outbursts from that coworker, and our working relationship proceeded fairly smoothly from then on out. Why empathy matters in customer service Many times when people are angry or frustrated, they are just looking to vent—and many are the people who send an email that should’ve never been sent. Rather, it may be required for you to hold your ground or remain firm in your position. Are you still angry? An angry email will usually trigger your own anger and cause you to act irrationally. Sometimes sending emails back and forth can lead to miscommunication and escalate an ordinary situation into a tense or heated one. So naturally, I’m gonna take you back to basics; the inner core of human psychology. Want to pull this template up in an email with one click? Never reply to an angry message or email on the spot. Here's a sample response that may help you reply to an angry email that lands in your inbox. When addressing their emotions, it's important to carefully consider the wording that you use. Once you've had a chance to get out everything you feel, you can approach the situation with a more calm and level-headed perspective. But now the tricky part is, ‘Anger’ is the King of ‘Hide and Seek’; it’s so good at hiding your real emotions away and tricking you into seeking aggressive reactions instead. 7 Tips on How to Respond to an Angry Email Take a minute Your first instinct may be to type out a quick, scathing response, but that likely isn't going to resolve the problem and will instead heat things up and make the You know, science has proven time and time again that controlling your anger actually rewires your brain into becoming a better, more compassionate person. #1 Breath Why? The important this is to not send what you write to the other person, instead use it as a way to communicate the annoyance you feel without actually sharing that with the other person and making the situation worse. In a previous post, we offered up 10 tips for handling angry customer calls.. You’re shaking your head, aren’t you? When responding to an angry email, address the emotions, feelings, and perspectives of the other person. I actually studied about anger in one of the ‘Psychologies’ and here’s the textbook definition of it: “Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy human emotion that can also be very destructive.”. This is by no means the definitive step I have received angry emails from my customers, my peers and my leaders through the years. I need to know why things happen the way they do, and what goes on inside people’s heads. And now, based on this breakdown, since it’s all in that 7 % of words used, a whopping 93% of the feelings conveyed in an email or text message are lost and can be completely misunderstood. Start your response on a positive note, validation of anger or an apology. So you read it, and yup, it’s confirmed, that same person who should be busy drowning in his or her endless array of mistakes is actually taking out their anger on YOU! If you’re still apprehensive about the whole thing, then cut down to the chase and request a face-to-face meeting or even a phone call.