In order to have a friendly encounter, you first have to *create* a friendly encounter. Once you acknowledge the customers emotional state, then you can move onto what you will do to fix the actual problem. -or- It's impossible to avoid eventually being abused by a customer. This needs to be met with unwavering professionalism and a servants heart. The more upset they become, the calmer you should be in response in your attempt to turn the policyholder around. Despite the abuse, I believe it could actually be quite rewarding to help someone with their problems. (I had to answer this question multiple times)