"In the past, I have dealt with people on the phone who were angry, mean, or both. For a period of time, I worked as a telemarketer, and this was just a part of the job. I have learned to handle this by teaching myself not to take it personally. At the end of the day, I know that they are taking out a bad day or frustrations on me, but it's not me personally who they are attacking - I just happen to be on the receiving end of it. Because I know this, I am able to stay calm at all times, but I do work to de-escalate the situation by being friendly and trying to give them information that might be helpul to them. If the conversation isn't going well after a few minutes, I firmly cut off the interaction as soon as possible and move on to the next call."