"When I was a waitress, I had a very upset customer who didn't have his meat prepared the way he wanted. I apologized, but he was very upset to the point of yelling. I tried to stay calm so I wouldn't appear rattled, and he stopped eventually. I apologized again and told him I would comp his meal and talk to the chef. I also asked him if he would like to order something different. He chose another option and was quiet after that."

"I used to work in a call center, so I often had customers upset about the fact they had to wait a long time to talk to a "live person." I had one customer who went on and on about how her time was valuable and how she couldn't believe it took her this long to get a real person. I let her vent and then apologized. I told her I was here now and asked how I could help her. I listened carefully to what she needed, and instead of passing her to another individual when she asked me a question I didn't know, I was able to put her on hold while I found the answer instead of transferring her. She was grateful I was able to help her and calmed down by the end of the call."