The psychology of working with angry customers... pt. 2 / Dealing with IT

Last night after finishing up my latest blog entry while preparing for bed I began thinking about what I had written and realised that I had forgotten to write about the most important thing about working in IT; Dealing with all the hate and abuse coming your way.

How does one deal with the screaming, swearing and threatening? For the last three years I have been working as a Systems Administrator.  During this time I have managed to experience almost all kinds of abuse, back stabbing and cursing. I would be lying if I told you that my vocabulary hasn't grown with several new curse words.

Here is a small list of things how I control and handle the frustration and anger that working in IT imposes on me. For clarity I will divide the list in two separate sections; at work and back home.

At work:

1. Relax: Its just a job after all. I often take a small breaks and drink coffee after a tough call. Some people like to go out for early lunch. Just relax, stretching is another good thing to do. Just get your self re-oriented.
2. Talk about it. Opening up to your colleagues about the idiot you just had to deal with is often therapeutic. I use company IRC channel to host my discussions with my colleagues and friends. Just remember that if you are talking to some one not from your company, that you wont give away any company or worker names or any details about the customer, other than the issue and how he has made you feel. The customer after all has a right to remain anonymous, no matter how much of an ass he or she has made of herself.
3. Humour. Joke about it. Humour is a life line that yo shouldn't bypass lightly. You can and you should make a joke now and then about a customer call. You can also try acting weird by your self and by that way amuse your self and get your spirits up. Just be wary whit whom you joke around at the office. Throwing a dirty joke at the cute new intern might be frowned upon.
   Just so you know...
4. Toys. Yes toys. As silly as it might sound, get your self something sweet and cool that you can a) look at and b) play with. I have a deck of cards at my desk that I shuffle all day along while working. I also have a small stack of poker chips that I shuffle while talking to a difficult customer. Having something to do with your hands while listening to abuse is surprisingly therapeutic.  Having a stress-ball is also a good idea. Just make sure that you don't get nothing too childish. Having my little pony figurines at your desk might make you look unprofessional.

Back home:

1. Relax. Yes, this again. When you come home try to change to something more comfortable. Do something you like. I for example love playing video games and cooking. So I often try to look up simple, healthy recipes from the internet while downtime and when I get home I can go for grocery shopping and cook something. I take cooking as a form of meditation and a source of pride. That or you can sit down and unleash all that frustration to a fast paced FPS. I have to admit that I might scream at the screen sometimes but hey, at least I am not taking it on you.
2. Hobbies. If you don't have one yet. Get one.  I play video games, study new techs, search new music, play guitar and much more. My brother for example loves to photograph. We all have our own interests. Just do anything to take your mind off the hard day.
3. Be social. I can't overstate this. Being with your family and friends is essential to your well being. Go out. Meet new people and make friends. Maybe go out for a beer? Don't have friends? Get a hobby and get connected. Or just get your ass up and go to a pub, grab a beer and read the days new papers. You might just meet some one. Also getting connected through forums dedicated your hobby is a good idea.
4. Exercise. Staying fit is half way of keeping your mind clear and operational.. I try to exercise three times a week, but lately I haven't had the motivation to do anything after work. My last time at the gym was over three weeks ago and I have already noticed how I can't stay as alert and positive as usually. Exercising also helps me sleep better.

In the end, it all comes down to getting your mind out of the office and regenerating for the next day. Just find something you can put your mind into and you should be golden.

Next time: We try to cure Kim Jon-Il!