Summary.
Most people have experienced incivility at work — anything from a rude customer or snippy boss to ambiguously curt emails from otherwise friendly colleagues. To handle these situations, address your own emotions first and ask yourself why you’re feeling offended. Then weigh the pros and cons of calling the person on their rudeness. Finally, use language that deflects the blame from the other person and focuses on the behavior’s effect on you and that helps to establish shared norms.
You’re trying to help a customer get a refund on a product they weren’t able to use. When it takes longer than they’d hoped, they lose patience and ask if they can “talk to someone who’s competent enough to deal with the issue.”
