The Respectful Workplace: Diffusing Hostility through Customer Service Length: 25 min.

Program 2, takes a strong customer service training approach to the issue of working with hostile customers. Important communications skills are taught which will help employees turn difficult customer service challenges around.

However, where abusive customers cross the lines of acceptable behavior, employees are empowered to put their physical and emotional safety first.

While the media has focused on the spectacular but very rare instances of lethal workplace violence, the reality in most workplaces is very different. We deal with daily occurrences of hostility, intimidation, harassment and other damaging behavior. The perpetrators are employees, managers and customers. So are the victims. They are us. Unlike the rare, extreme cases, the more common manifestations of workplace violence take a daily toll on most workplaces. The Respectful Workplace is a resource designed to help organizations put an end to this other violence - the destructive conflicts that affect us all.