Negative or Positive?

 Nothing saps your energy like negativity can! Whether caused by outside influences or self-generated, negativity causes stress, both mental and physical. In our world as a customer service representative working in a call center, negativity and stress are sometimes unavoidable. But are we inadvertently adding to those feelings through our own response to them? Are we “snowballing” our feelings? When we build a snowman, we begin with a small, hand-packed snowball and then we roll it in more snow, picking up layers of the white stuff as we go; eventually, we have a huge ball. Negativity can be layered like that; sticking one event or negative thought upon another until all you can “see” are the negative aspects of every situation.

Imagine leaving for work and discovering that you have a semi-flat tire. Are you happy because it isn’t entirely flat? Or unhappy because it means a stop at the gas station on your way to work? Positive feelings or negative feelings?

You arrive for work 15 minutes late, breathlessly explaining what happened to your boss and co-workers. Your boss isn’t happy but tells you she is only going to give you a warning. Are you happy that it is not going on your record or are you miffed because she wasn’t more sympathetic? Positive or negative feelings?

You answer your first phone call only to have an irate caller on the line, furious because the office is not open yet and it is after 9:00 and it SHOULD be open! Are you happy because it is only one phone call, and you can handle it or are you angry because this day is going from bad to worse? Positive or negative feelings?

You are able to soothe the caller, take a message, and protect your customer’s reputation. Do you feel good about yourself because you have handled the situation so well, or do you just add resentment for the caller and the client to your emotional “snowball”? Positive or negative feelings?

Throughout every single day, we have one opportunity after another to make a split-second decision about how we are going to respond to life’s little issues. In our first example, there was no need for a tow truck; no need to purchase a new tire unexpectedly. In the second scenario, because the tire wasn’t flat, you were only 15 minutes late, rather than losing a whole morning. There was no permanent blemish on your attendance record either.

Irate callers come at all times of day, for all kinds of reasons, almost never is the caller upset with YOU, only a circumstance. You can afford to be sympathetic. Moreover, you can feel good and sometimes earn accolades for the wonderful way you responded to the situation. Even if you think no one hears how you controlled the call and turned it around - you will know, the caller will know, and you’d be surprised at how many times the truth comes out and your supervisors will know too. You did your job the right way- that’s positive! (Had you been negative – you would all know that, too!)

When negative feelings pile up, one on another, it creates a ball of stress. You look down and find your hands are clenched. Your jaw is tight; you’re getting a headache. It is difficult to respond to anything in a nice way, in a positive way. When you return home that night, and someone asks how your day was, are you positive? Or do you make their day negative, too? It’s up to you. Stay positive!