I’m sorry you’re upset,” came the reply from the customer service operator.
“I’m not upset, I’m angry,” replied the customer in an increasingly loud voice.
“Yes, I can hear that you are disturbed.”
“Disturbed? Disturbed? I am not disturbed, I am angry,” shouted the customer.
The conversation quickly spiraled into a battle of wills with the customer becoming increasingly angry at the customer service agent’s reluctance to acknowledge the fact that she was angry. The simple repetition of the customer’s own words might have led to a different outcome