Have you encountered Karens before in your business? These individuals often complain about customer service and demand to speak to managers directly.
Karen is more than your typical whiner; she can be downright annoying! So what’s the best way to deal with her?
Maintain Professionalism
When dealing with Karen it is essential to remember she is not your typical customer; rather she expects her demands met despite any circumstances or costs involved.
Though many of us may be tempted to react negatively when customers become unreasonable, it is essential that we remain calm and professional at all times. Doing this will defuse the situation while showing customers that your company takes its business seriously rather than being simply money hungry.
Listening carefully and objectively is also key in order to demonstrate you care for customers and understand their perspective, giving you an opportunity to find solutions which benefit both parties involved and remain feasible in reality. Dani Weller from Bionic advises staying calm while explaining things objectively rather than subjectively.
Set Boundaries
Establishing healthy boundaries may not always be possible, but setting healthy ones can make all the difference in avoiding potential Karens and potential bad behavior from others. Failing to set appropriate work boundaries could leave you more susceptible to being taken advantage of by people and lead them down paths that lead to bad behavior from you and them.
If Karen is invading your personal space at work or while shopping, ask them to move into an isolated spot away from other customers and offer assurances that you want to hear what they have to say; just stress that at this moment in time you must focus on other customers first.
If you need to talk with Karen, keep in mind they will likely respond aggressively and argue. To counter this behavior, remain calm and explain the situation objectively and without emotion – for instance “I understand you have an issue but right now I am working on an important project which requires my full focus and it would be inappropriate for personal conversations to interrupt me”. This will show them they need to respect your boundaries as valid ones that need to be respected.
Keep Communication Clear and Documented
If you find yourself working closely with Karen on a regular basis, it’s essential that communication be open and documented so if escalated action are required you have proof of her behavior as justification for doing so.
Problematic Karens tend to believe their actions are justified because they feel threatened, using this rationale as justification for getting what they want; yet it’s often not true.
Rather, if Karen is creating an issue at your checkout and other customers are waiting in line, you could ask them to move away from the register or – if possible – take them into your office space where they can speak freely with you in private.
When dealing with Karens, try to put yourself in their shoes. She doesn’t have any reason to be rude or act entitled – Karens are unique individuals that must be treated with the utmost respect; yet they can be managed and taught better ways of behaving.
Seek to Understand
Stephen Covey has identified seven habits of highly successful people that help build strong relationships, with one being “seeking understanding”. To incorporate this habit successfully in dealing with Karen, empathy should be practiced so you can appreciate things from her viewpoint – something essential if any conversation escalates into an argument.
Utilizing this technique is also helpful when trying to ascertain if Karens are truly being aggressive or not. Many times they play victim by pretending like someone else has threatened them when in reality it was themselves who behaved inappropriately or were rude.
To determine this is true, ask them about what has occurred and listen carefully to their response. Inform them that you would be willing to assist in solving their issue once they stop shouting and explain themselves – this shows your genuine care while at the same time making them realize you will not give in to their demands. This should often help reduce tension.
Don’t Take it Personally
No doubt, anyone working in customer service has encountered at least one Karen. These customers are notorious for being rude, entitled and angry – often using their name to gain power over situations they find themselves in.
Business disputes are an everyday reality that can wreak havoc, both financially and in terms of employee stress and morale. Knowing how to effectively address such conflicts is critical if we want our businesses to flourish and for employees not to take them personally.
First thing to keep in mind when dealing with Karens is remaining calm. They thrive off drama and if you allow yourself to get too heated up, they have won. Speak in a clear voice and explain the situation while emphasizing that abusive or threatening behaviours will not be accepted – if they escalate further inform management or HR and request they sign an agreement before beginning work together so there won’t be disputes about payments or drawn-out arguments between yourself and Karen.
Focus on Solutions and Not Problems
Any person working in a service industry has encountered Karen at some point or another. This term has become a derogatory name for an entitled customer who demands everything at their whim and expects to be treated like royalty. Karens can be men, women or older people in almost every industry.
When dealing with Karens, it’s best to focus on solutions instead of problems. Listen to their issues and offer solutions that make sense for everyone involved. Try keeping encounters as brief as possible as Karens may attempt to linger to increase their power over you and the situation.
Establishing clear policies will help dissuade Karens from exploiting your business. For instance, placing up a sign stating that all clients must cancel within a specific time frame or face being charged a cancellation fee will deter Karens from making last minute cancellations or demanding to be seen at their convenience.
Limit Interaction
Karens can create an unfavorable work environment for their colleagues, limiting work progress with their demands and interfering with productivity. While understanding their needs may be important, you must limit interaction with them so as to maintain a healthy and productive work environment.
“Karen” has become a meme widely used on social media to describe women who behave inappropriately at work. Critics have charged that this meme perpetuates ageism by stereotyping older women as “bitchy”.
One effective strategy for dealing with Karens is limiting their contact with your business, such as setting boundaries and setting clear lines of communication – this should ensure interactions stay professional.
Contracts can help mitigate your encounters with Karen by setting expectations on both sides and helping avoid potential disputes about payment or service. By having clients sign one before beginning to work together, you can make it clear they agree to all terms and conditions before you commence collaboration.
Know When to Escalate
Karen is a derogatory term used to refer to women who are loud, argumentative and entitled. Their presence often creates an uncomfortable work environment that leaves coworkers stressed out or uncomfortable. Karens typically belong to heteronormative environments like IT companies. Karens can be found anywhere workplace and often refer to anyone whom is difficult or disruptive – this has become problematic since using this label denigrates women while recalling similar concepts such as “mansplaining”.
De-escalation can help avoid further aggravation in the workplace when dealing with Karen. One approach involves approaching issues calmly and respectfully – another method might include keeping records of Karen’s behavior for legal or HR proceedings; finally, making contact with other employees who are also dealing with Karen can foster support between individuals impacted by her behavior, creating a community.
