Hate Your Computer? Don't Bully Tech Support

We've all done it: The computer misbehaves and we vent our frustration on tech support. But the ugliest of these confrontations can have real consequences, ABC reports. What the user sees as just blowing off steam, the tech support pro might experience (and report to superiors) as bullying. Aggravating the problem? People often say things on the phone or in e-mail that they wouldn't say in person.

The most belligerent customers are often passed along to to tech support bosses, who then report them to higher-ups. People annoyed by waiting need to remember that tech support has to prioritize: "Every secretary who can't get her solitaire to work thinks it's the end of the world," one tech support professional said. (More tech support stories.)