Ever told someone to calm down - and watched things escalate?

28 May 2025

In public-facing roles, the wrong phrase can spark the wrong reaction

At WAK, we train your team to handle conflict with confidence - starting with what not to say

If you’ve ever worked in a public-facing role, you’ve likely encountered a tense moment. A customer raising their voice. A patient becoming aggressive. A member of the public storming in with a complaint and a short fuse.

In the heat of that moment, it’s tempting to reach for a phrase we’ve all used at some point:

“Calm down.”
“There’s no need to shout.”
“You’re overreacting.”

You’re trying to help. You want to bring the temperature down. But more often than not, these phrases do the opposite.

At What-A-Kerfuffle, we’ve trained thousands of people across the UK — from retail staff and NHS workers to council officers and call handlers — in how to handle these moments safely, confidently and effectively.

And one of the first things we teach?