“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.” –  Thich Nhat Hanh

At some point in the life of an entrepreneur, you’re going to have a bad customer. When you work with the public, sticky and stressful situations are bound to occur. A customer is going to lash out at you. It’s business. It’s life.

If you are going to survive in business, however, there is one thing you must never do.

Don’t take it personally.

I wrote a little bit about that here in, It’s Not Me, It’s You. Check it out if you haven’t already. This can be hard to do, I get it. I still work at it every day, some 20 years into working for myself in various ventures and capacities.

Don’t take it personally.

The reality is, most times, a persons reactions to you have very little to do with you. Sure, review the current situation, acknowledge what you could have done differently, be better next time. Adjust your business moving forward by either avoiding that type of customer altogether, or taking note of how you can handle a similar situation differently in the future…but ultimately realize that, it’s not you, it’s them.

Don’t take it personally.

Tuesday Tip: 7 Signs Of A Bad Customer

Recognize that, in dealing with the public in any capacity, you are dealing with creatures of emotion, not logic. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they have a bad life. Maybe the only way they know how to build their building up, is by knocking others’ buildings down, and you are the target du jour.

Don’t take it personally.

See you on the journey…