How to stop Customer Service Stress affect you

Countless studies have been made to demonstrate how work-related stress negatively affects employees. Working in the Customer Service sector can be one of the most stressful jobs. There are no employment sectors where stress is not an issue. 

If you have no idea what it is like to work as a CSR, (Customer Service Representative) just imagine yourself being shouted at for something you have no control over but are expected to provide resolution and/or assurance. If you have been there, then you know how stressful it is to handle demanding complaints of varying degrees of complexity, all in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. As a result, CSR’s are particularly susceptible to both acute and chronic stress.

Work is the most common cause of stress for adults in the UK, with 59% experiencing it. That is over half of us feeling the stress. It is alarming and there is something we must do about it. 

How to stop Customer Service Stress from ruining your day?

  1. Know the symptoms – First step to managing stress is to know how it manifests. 

Symptoms of acute stress include:

  • Shallow breathing
  • Sweating
  • Upset stomach
  • Fatigue
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Chest pain
  1. Breathe – perhaps you are in the middle of a heated call or meeting, of course you can’t simply turn the call down or walk away because that is against your work rules. We can’t just let the stress eat away at us so we learn how to breathe and calm ourselves down.

Inhale through your nose to the count of four, then exhale through your mouth to the count of four. Repeat. 

  1. Don’t take it personally – Working in the CSR field places you in situations where callers could belittle and say mean things towards you. As a tip to not let such foul and degrading words affect your mental health, you can practice the art of letting negativity slide off you like water off a duck’s back.

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