Karens can be extremely dangerous customers; they despise authority and all who dare challenge it, including people who look different or don’t follow their own way of doing things.
Customer service industry workers will come across Karen customers at some point or another; but how should they handle them?
1. Recognize the Trigger
Triggers are stimuli that elicit extreme reactions in an individual, typically fear, sadness, or anger. Such responses often stem from past experiences or trauma.
Triggers vary for everyone and may include physical symptoms like racing heartbeat or rapid breathing; emotional responses like sadness, anxiety, tension or pain; or they could arise as a response to emotions or thoughts unrelated to the original trigger.
As soon as a trigger appears, it can quickly spiral out of control or feel overwhelming, so it is crucial that we take time to identify and understand its cause. While this may seem challenging at first, it can be accomplished!
To help identify your trigger, consider how you felt in that moment – were you feeling angry, sad, or jealous? Did your body show any symptoms such as racing heartbeat or cold sweats?
Once you have identified a trigger, it’s important to acknowledge its normalcy as part of learning to manage mental health effectively.
As you become more adept at identifying your triggers, this knowledge can assist in devising effective coping mechanisms to handle them in the future. Furthermore, creating an action plan to address both the trigger itself and any emotional reactions it might produce can also be very useful.
Practice self-compassion and acceptance when feeling upset; being reactive when feeling triggered will not serve anyone well.
Many individuals find it takes multiple attempts before they can identify psychological triggers; this does not reflect failure or weakness on the part of either party.
Recognizing your triggers makes it easier to develop coping strategies and limit emotional reactions in the future, which is particularly useful for people struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions.
Note that triggers don’t just come from external sources like loud noises or strong scents – for some individuals they can come from within themselves, like memories or feelings of shame and anxiety.
2. Disengage
Customer interactions can add extra strain to our days, making us all less than effective workers. If it’s Karen you’re dealing with, the best approach may be to disengage from her situation. Shutting off the line or walking away may help – simply avoid falling into an endless cycle of negative feedback loops by reframing this situation as an opportunity to gain knowledge about them and improve your craft.
Listening and asking the person directly what their most urgent need is is key in order to avoid miscommunications, as this will ensure the best experience for them. Remember that everyone is different and must feel safe and supported during daily life; those suffering from mental illnesses or addiction may not understand exactly what you expect of them; be patient while working through these challenges with them.
3. Avoid Arguments
As a customer service representative, you’ve likely encountered difficult Karen customers at some point during your career. These individuals can often take over situations, making things more complicated than necessary and becoming quite disruptive to service personnel.
But what should you do if they appear at your doorstep? Identify the source.
A difficult Karen is defined as an entitled, self-indulgent woman who demands superior treatment to everyone else. They believe themselves above the rules and deserve special consideration simply for entering your office.
And while they seem ignorant to how the world works, they lack insight into others’ points of view – for instance, not understanding coronavirus pandemic or how to care for those ill with it.
So when they approach you with a problem, they have an incentive to be your worst foe – meaning they won’t listen and will continue acting in ways which frustrate or upset you.
However, you can leverage this fact to your own benefit. A recent article in the Guardian spotlighted an online service called KarenCheck which allows users to scan Etsy accounts and identify potential troublemakers.
One of the primary benefits of our website is allowing you to quickly review an account’s review history before reaching out with any complaint. This gives a good picture of their likely responses, saving both time and money over time.
KarenCheck can also help by scanning their name to see if they’re registered as an agent of a business, offering additional protection against them. In addition, always speak calmly and clearly while remaining non-judgemental towards problematic customers; don’t patronise or get into arguments over any disagreements.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a minute or so to relax and breathe before engaging with customers again. Doing this will allow you to be more professional once back on the job.
4. Be Kind
Have you ever encountered an entitled Karen customer? Dealing with them can be extremely trying; they are highly demanding and frequently have an adverse effect on your life. While confrontation is unavoidable with such customers, there are steps that you can take to minimize the likelihood of negative encounters.
One of the best ways to deal with difficult Karen is by treating them kindly and with respect. Show this by being polite, showing that you’re an adult, and showing that you care. Doing this may make future interactions with Karen less likely while showing them that someone cares.
Understanding their circumstances is also key in being kind to them. Be considerate and understanding when helping someone go through tough times such as having a baby, losing their job or just having an unpleasant day – be understanding and show kindness at all times.
As long as you treat them kindly, they’re more likely to trust and become loyal customers of yours. Plus, they might tell others about their positive experience with you which will only serve to expand your business further!
Keep records of complaints received, so that should a similar situation arise in the future, you will be prepared and can address issues quickly and efficiently.
As another means of treating difficult Karen customers effectively, being proactive and responding immediately to their concerns will save time and effort in the future. Doing this will also allow them to feel like their concerns have been heard and addressed appropriately.
Mistakenly engaging in an argument can be very disruptive; to avoid unnecessary irritation it’s better to speak peacefully and remain neutral whenever possible.
However, when dealing with difficult Karens it’s important to remember their right to feel angry and don’t argue back if they seem in the wrong.
