Public freakouts are a reality and they can have an adverse effect on your public image. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
At the start of this year, a woman named Cooper earned herself the nickname “Karen.” She went viral for calling police on a bird-watcher in Central Park who complained that she had to leash her dog.
1. Be the bigger person.
Dealing with Karen customers can be a challenge for business owners. Not only do they often bring about negative press for your company, but they may also be intimidating. Without proper management of these individuals, they could sabotage your reputation and ruin the image of your brand.
There are a few steps you can take to prevent these public meltdowns. Firstly, strive to be the bigger person and understand that your customer is simply expressing their emotions.
Sometimes it can be beneficial to take a step back and assess the situation from another angle. Doing so may help de-escalate any tensions that could be building between you and your Karen customer.
Showing your customer that you value them by treating them with respect is a great way to demonstrate your care. Doing so will build trust and loyalty between the two of you, so ensure everyone who enters your door receives courteous treatment.
It’s essential to remember that not all Karen customers are malicious and require patience. Doing this allows you to better defuse any tensions that might be building and protect your business from any negative publicity due to an unpleasant Karen customer experience.
Recent videos of rude Karens have flooded the internet, so it’s essential to stay composed when dealing with them. Not only will this prevent you from losing your temper, but it can also help you resolve their issues quickly and efficiently. Here are a few tips on how to do so successfully:
2. Keep cool.
If you work in customer service, chances are you’ve encountered a “Karen” — someone who tends to lash out and become an embarrassment. Recognizing your limits can be key when handling these individuals effectively.
Public outbursts of anger are nothing new – they have been around since the dawn of civilization and can have serious repercussions for your business. It’s essential to remember that public displays of emotion can cause major rifts between you and your customers, so try your best to stay composed when dealing with these types of people.
Lillian Glass, a communications expert and author of “Toxic People: 10 Ways to Deal with People Who Make Your Life Miserable,” believes that many Karens and Kens feel threatened due to furloughs, layoffs and lockdowns. She noted that there has been an uptick in violence during lockdowns due to economic stressors such as shortages.
Due to these stresses and strains, Karens often lose their temper in public; something which could happen to anyone feeling overwhelmed by life’s little inconveniences. Unfortunately, this trait makes Karens especially prone to such outbursts than other customers.
It’s hard to pinpoint why this occurs, but some experts speculate it might be because women are often encouraged by society not to get angry. Conversely, men tend to act more assertively and decisively when feeling threatened.
Although it can be challenging to remain composed during a public argument, it’s essential to know when to stop talking and take a step back. Doing so will allow you to manage the situation appropriately which is essential for your business’ public image.
3. Don’t be afraid to call the cops.
Karen Public Freakouts are an issue that businesses and service providers frequently experience. These incidents arise when customers feel they have been treated unfairly. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent these instances from arising and keep your business or service secure in the future.
One of the best ways to prevent such issues is by being more empathic and understanding your customer’s perspective. Doing so will enable you to more effectively address their worries, increasing their trust in your brand or service.
It is essential to remain in control of the situation. Failure can have a negative impact on both your reputation and the brand of your company.
If Karen is screaming at you, it’s essential to remain composed and maintain your cool. Doing so could prevent a confrontation that could escalate into litigation and negative reviews for your business.
Do not be afraid to contact the police if necessary; doing so can protect your reputation and ensure that the incident is handled quickly and professionally.
Tracking complaints, whether you work in a retail store or offering services, can help hold your company accountable for customer interactions. Doing this will prevent similar problems from reoccurring in the future.
The Karen meme began as a humorous joke, but has since blossomed into an entire movement. Videos of people labeled “Karens” are going viral online and garnering widespread attention, condemnation and criticism alike.
No matter your opinion of the Karen movement, it’s essential to acknowledge its mainstream acceptance as a means for racial sex discrimination. Right-wing and corona skeptics alike often use this term when disparaging women of colour; while this does not guarantee its efficacy, it does suggest its usefulness in an age where misogyny has reached new heights.
4. Be empathetic.
Empathy is the capacity to understand another’s perspective and put yourself in their shoes. It’s an invaluable trait in the workplace, as well as one that helps build stronger connections with people.
Empathizing is a learned trait that is affected by both genetics and socialization. Children raised with empathetic parents tend to develop more empathic personalities, while those not exposed to empathy have difficulty showing it.
Cognitive empathy, or the thinking part of empathy, involves placing yourself in another person’s situation on a cognitive level. You make an educated guess based on your knowledge and past experiences as if you were standing in their shoes.
However, this doesn’t give you an emotional understanding of their reaction. If someone were to reprimand you at work and express sympathy to your coworker, a common response might be “I’m sorry,” but that wouldn’t really convey the sadness, nervousness or disappointment you might be feeling about being told off.
Empathetic people would take time to sit with them and share in their suffering. You would climb down into that hole to be with them.
Empathy not only fosters better relationships, improved communication abilities and greater well-being in your workplace; but it can also help avoid misunderstandings or arguments that might occur there. Empathy helps maintain cooperation when faced with social dilemmas and even reduce discrimination and unethical behavior.
5. Be patient.
Some people become so distressed over life’s hardships, such as getting sick or losing their job, that they experience public meltdowns. Yet these incidents may also have larger social and economic causes behind them.
Lillian Glass, a Los Angeles-based communications expert, believes the furloughs, layoffs, stress of lockdowns and reemergence of Black Lives Matter are all contributing factors. She calls it an “ideal storm,” with Karen and Ken videos often reflecting displaced anger from a community divided by these events.
One recent viral video captured on camera features a woman who was given a mask as she entered a store but refused to wear it. The incident went viral, and eventually police had to physically escort the woman out of the store.
Many people quickly label an incident a racist attack, but that may not always be the case. The person in the video could simply have had an off day or been frustrated with staff who took too long to respond.
No doubt they had valid complaints, but that doesn’t make it any less valid. No matter the cause of their outburst, it’s essential to remember that these incidents can have far-reaching repercussions.
The best way to prevent them is to stay composed and avoid any unnecessary displays of anger in the first place. Not only will this help you maintain your cool, but it could also shield your business from negative PR consequences that come from public meltdowns!
Karen, a common slang term among middle-aged white women who are perceived as demanding and aggressive when in public. Instagram accounts such as @karensgoingwilds have collected hundreds of videos depicting this behavior. But some experts have criticized it for being sexist and disregarding the reality that women of color also face racism, misogyny and gender discrimination on a regular basis.
