HOW you say it!

Over the weekend I quickly went into the market to use the ATM to make a withdrawal. On my way out a bagger flagged me down to tell me I took the cashier's pen. I assured her I had only been to the ATM and therefore couldn't have taken anyone's pen, having no need to use one and there being no pen there. Okay, I am not that thin skinned, so I just shook off her statement as I got in my car subsequent to her 'O' and no apology for the accusation. In my mind, I thought of the customer-correct ways she could have presented her comment. Maybe - miss, by any chance do you still have the cashier's pen?. But no.

Without always reacting to it, I do happen to be somewhat sensitive to the way things are said to me. Growing up around the ever-hovering presence of anger and verbal abuse, okay so maybe I can be highly (I like that better than 'over') reactive. I definitely take notice of it, and if it is said too indifferently, too harsh, too critically or otherwise negatively, I have difficulty with it. And that is why I like this article.

the way we emphasize and use our tone of voice means a whole lot in the customer service arena. Think of all the ‘tones’ and deliveries we can use. A few that come to mind are...
1. Bored
2. Happy
3. Sad
4. Angry
5. Terrified
6. Worried
7. Unconcerned
8. Hurt
9. Inconsiderate
10. Shocked
You can take your own sentence and use any one of the emotions listed above. And certainly you can find other emotions to use, too.
Obviously, there are various tones we don’t want to use in certain situations

So often the words being conveyed would be so much better received had they been said differently. Generally people are not tone (of voice) deaf. I still like my mother's oft-used adage: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It at least encourages 'thinking' before 'speaking'. Along with the antonyms, words can burn, chafe, chill, cut, rupture, stick, etc.; if words could kill ...