Those who work in a call center will tell you of those customers that are just plain mean. Some in fact will attack YOU personally.
Why they do isnt necessarily what you need to be concerned about, there are people who are just prone to being mean. What you need to know is how to deal with the cruel comments and difficult situations.
An example of a bad call would be
You answer the call to answer a billing question for your local cable company. The customer immediately says "what the *BLANK* do you people do all day? You are all incompetent idiots...." Then before they conclude their yelling, the customer calls you something horrible.
What you do may depend on your personality type, but, recognize you are still required to remain professional.
Depending on the policies in your call center, it may be necessary to hand the call off to a supervisor. Some companies allow you to hang up when an abusive caller calls, some companies do not.
If youve been attacked personally, DONT take it personally. Keep in mind, this customer doesnt know you at all.
For whatever reason, you have become the recipient for their unhappy day. Do not take their words to heart. It may be that you will need to take five minutes to shake off their comments, but, realize its not you, its them.
If you are feeling really bad about the call, it may be necessary to sit with your supervisor and or CCM to let them know how you feel.
Most calls to call centers are recorded, it may be that your CCM and supervisor will listen to the call to get a full picture of what happened. Just remember though, it wasnt your fault they were rude.
Its your responsibility to answer their questions and do your job. You are responsible for your reactions to their call too.
Never let a bad call ware you down. Most customers are good to work with and will thank-you for your help; focus on that instead.