We all have �bad hair� days. You know, those are the days we either say something we regret, or make a choice we wish we could erase, or take an action that comes back to haunt us.
Here�s an example. There was a good friend of mine who purchased a hot new sports car with a voice-warning system built into its design.� At first Kristian was amused to hear the soft alluring female voice gently remind him that his seat belt needed to be fastened. How delightful she sounded.� Kristian affectionately called this voice the �little woman.�
He soon discovered his little woman was programmed to warn him about how much gasoline was left in his tank. �Your fuel level is running low.� She said one time in her sweet voice.� Kristian nodded his head and thanked her.� He figured he still had enough to go another thirty miles, so he kept on driving.� But a few minutes later, her voice interrupted again with the same warning.� And so, it went over and over every few miles.� Although he knew it was the same recording, Kristian thought her voice sounded harsher each time.
Finally, he stopped his car, found his service manual in the glove compartment and crawled under the dashboard. Within a few minutes, he found the appropriate wires and gave them a good yank, and �presto� so much for the little woman.
He was still smiling to himself several miles down the road when his care began sputtering and coughing. You guessed it, he ran out of gas!� Somewhere inside the dashboard, Kristian was sure he could hear the little woman giggling.
So, this story reminds us that we must get a grip on our personal emotions and actions.� If we don�t, this inappropriate behavior will no doubt become our Waterloo (remember Napoleon), and have a devastating effect on our professional lives.
Now how can we apply this concept, dealing with our emotions and actions, to the workplace?� How can we remain professional when dealing with upset customers/guests or tough situations?
Apply the following steps for keeping things in order:


- Always take time to look at an issue from all points of view, from many perspectives, from the other side of the fence.
- Try to distinguish a customer who is being unreasonable from one who has a legitimate concern or real dilemma.
- Be careful not to allow your personal emotions and involvement influence a business decision. If you begin to feel your heart rate begin to increase or your temper beginning to boil, back away regain your composure.
- Use common sense and emotional control in dealing with unreasonable customers.
- Develop a frame of mind that sees negative situations as positive opportunities, one that seems harsh ordeals as educational challenges.
- Offer your opinion and not your advice.
- Never make a significant decision without first gathering all the necessary and relevant facts.
- Please as much as you can, but remember you cannot please everyone all of the time.
- Identify the true impasse to the problem: The customer, the situation, or self.
- Don�t compromise principles by caving in to unreasonable demands.
- Remain a person of high moral character, integrity, and commitment.
- When you come to making the final resolution, make sure that it is fair to both parties.