And then I just completely lost it.

[Alpha Strike]

I donno, sometimes a firing is a blessing in disguise.





Sometimes, it's just an outright blessing.

It certainly forces you to go in a new direction.

Personally, I prefer to leave under my own power but sometimes we need the proverbial kick in the ass.

[Buglady]

Me: You know what? R does not own this store; Gamestore does. You are a grown man. You are a grown man--listen to yourself. Look at how you're acting. You're supposed to be an adult. Jesus christ, you have kids and look how you're acting. Do you normally wave your arms around and yell like this? Like you've lost your mind? ARE YOU REALLY AN ADULT?!

He took his 'return,' gathered his kids and quietly walked out.

BRAVO!!That was a perfect response, and that's exactly what we should probably ALL be saying to our difficult customers - because they DO know better, I'm sure of it, and if it takes a public reminder that their mama taught them better, then a public reminder they shall have.

I'm studying to become a psychologist, and I'm already pretty sure that the unconditional positive regard, warm fuzzy humanist style won't work for me. Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy a la Ellis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Ellis) is more like it - he favoured looking clients in the eye and saying, "well, what the hell did you THINK was going to happen? OK, now how are you going to fix it? We both know you know better than that."

In the meantime, I am happy to report that a steady, noncommittal but interested gaze seems to be a really good way to make people stop and think about their behaviour. I don't say anything to cranky customers, I just look at them. They backpedal like crazy in about four seconds. (I discovered this with my Girl Guides... I don't have to say anything to them and they settle right down, while the other leaders yell and rant with no effect).