A clarification.
Of course people are able to be affected by upsetting things happening around them. It'd be pretty inhuman for someone not to be. For example, when I heard your news I felt terrible for you, likewise when I heard about a former housemate being shot, and when a (friend of a) friend's baby died aged 3 months.

All of these events didn't directly affect me, but all of them gave me pause for thought and popped into my head on a number of occasions over the following days. It's very easy to imagine the distress suffered, and it's easy to put yourself in the position of victim.

However, none of these things distracted me from my day to day activities/work.

The point I was trying to make was that the OP handled the first call admirably; he was clearly sensitive, caring, sympathetic, professional and efficient. Great! Exactly what every frontline customer service phone monkey should be (and which sadly very few are).

However, with the second call, there was no tragedy, just a grumpy old man. He was still a valid caller and a customer of equal importance (one might even say more importance, as he was alive) to the previous caller. By hanging up there was no attempt to empathise with him, or understand his point. It's rude beyond belief, unprofessional and ignorant. The man may have been miserable, miserly and a twat but, as long as he is not abusive and does not swear he is still entitled to good service.

The fact is that moving/upseting stories are worth a thought and are worth special attention, but not to the detriment of your job or the service you provide to others.

Hopefully that clears things up a bit; I am sympathetic, and as aeasily affected as the next man, but I also believe that work is work, and very distant tragedy that doesn't directly affect you is, despite being worth a thought, not something that should be a distraction.
( disasterprone "Pyjamas caused the Holocaust", Wed 8 Sep 2010, 15:02, Reply)