How to cope with Work stress / immense pressure

[MishaBukvic]

Hi everyone
I'm posting here because I can't speak to anyone in real life.
How do you cope with work stress and pressure of the job? Is there a technique?
I work in admin/ scheduling , booking in repair engineers/repair trades (think fridge repairs/broadband repairs ) .
It is crazy busy at the moment. We can't cope with the workload. We can't outsource the repairs, and we're trying to recruit but due to a massive skilled trades shortage, we can't recruit at the moment. Existing repair people in our company are working overtime but are so unhappy with their workload, they're refusing to take on anymore.
My usual hours are 8.45 to 5.30pm . I'm regularly going in at 7am to try to catch up, and work through my breaks.
I'm the first point of contact for customers. I'm spending 50 hours a week getting screamed at, shouted at and pressured into getting repair engineers to customers. We cannot fulfill the amount of jobs coming in . My boss has no comment. Just "we can only do what we can do". No constructive help, just tells me "not to get so stressed , put more pressure on the field engineers ". But the field engineers are at breaking point.
I have cried several times today . I go home , snap at my family , get short with them , and then sit checking emails over my dinner.
I know tomorrow I'm going to get phone call after phonecall after phonecall from customers demanding something that I can't give. I get made to feel so guilty , that customers are being left for days without an engineer visit. We're not a big company like KnowHow , we're a small independent.

I haven't spent anytime with my family this evening, I've been zoned out stressed to the hilt and crying over work. My poor children haven't had a cuddle off mummy tonight because I'm so damn distracted.

What gives . What do I do . How can I get jnto the mindset of "its just a job " and deal better with the pressure ?

Hi @MishaBukvic I am so sorry you're going through this. Many things can be suggested, however, I found that focusing on a couple of things which you can influence and control can bring some balance. Sleep (at least 7h) and at least 30min of personal (can be time with your family) can go a long way in helping you regain control over your life. I hope you find a way to identify those couple of things that you have to claim back. Best of luck!

I'm sorry you're feeling this way. If there isn't any way you can change the job itself, the only thing you can change is your mindset (assuming you want to keep the job). It may seem unhelpful what your boss is saying, that you can only do what you can do but it is true and to have a boss who isn't piling on the pressure is definitely a bonus in these circumstances.

Sometimes just relaxing and taking a step back helps you to see things more clearly and the pressure may not get to you as much.

People will obviously be upset if they're waiting but that's not because of you and you're doing your best so try not to take it personally and just see it a bit more objectively.

It will take time to change habits with the way you feel, react and see situations but you'll get there if you focus on what matters most.

Will your boss back you up if you end the calls with abusive customers?

Please stop going in at 7.

This is wise advice. Bonus exercise and social time.

I wouldn’t do extra hours - it makes managing stress more difficult, and this sounds like a job not a career, so there’s no long term benefit to you.

Have Google about how to manage angry customer calls - it’s a well known problem so I think there must be specific techniques for this.

As previous posters have said it’s definitely about mindset.
Those angry customers are not angry at YOU, they are angry at the situation, they don’t know you, so DO NOT take it personally.
It is not your business so you won’t lose money/reputation because of the situation.
Be a cool, calm professional - you’re doing a job, not trying to save a life!
Acknowledge that they are upset but the best you can do is….
Do not allow them to scream at you, tell them to moderate their tone or you will end the call. Tell them you will not tolerate bad language or you will end the call.
Be cool calm and professional.
DO NOT start work at 7am! Start and leave at your proper times - ITS A JOB! Which you could walk away from if you needed to.
Take your beaks - use them to reset yourself. Perhaps watch funny YouTube videos, read a joke book etc - it is hard to feel stressed when you are laughing.
Use your family as your sanctuary from work, get involved with them, laugh with them - allow them to give you perspective.

ITS JUST A JOB and the best way to help your customers is to be cool, calm and professional. Think that in 5/10 years time this will be one of those anecdotes you tell people - “do you remember that time when work was absolutely crazy…”

Agree stop going in at 7 and take breaks. The advice to not let people scream at you is sound. Your boss is right. You can only do what you can do. Worrying just makes things worse.

It sounds like a new job is in order. Ask your boss what can be done about the problem. Stop taking calls and move to an email only contact system. You could stop saying the same thing over and over and just send standard responses. It would be more efficient.

A website message saying this is a busy period and to bear with you whilst you deal with their problem plus an apology. At the moment it isn't good customer service to not be able to help anyway but tell them in person.

Also an answer phone message asking them to email their issue and explanation that you have limited Capacity currently.

Going in at 7 isn't taking away your stress. So stop doing it. Clock in on time. Clock out on time.

Basically put in as many hours as you can, and keep written notes of everything to have a strategic outlook of the overview of what's what, etc

All the best and positivity

Thank you everyone. Sometimes it takes hearing it from someone else for it to actually sink in,

@Speakingofdinosaurs This bit really resonated with me -
Be a cool, calm professional - you’re doing a job, not trying to save a life!

I really do care for the companys reputation, and our customers, but over the past day since my post and your replies, it's made me get some perspective.

Even the most angriest of customers wont even remember by name by this time in January so I need to not take it to heart as much,.

Started at 7.45 today which is already better. 8am on Monday.

I think i'll have a look at some youtube tutorials for advice on keeping cool and calm, thank you for recommending that. it's funny how sometimes the most obvious solution doesn't show itself to you, thank you all.

Possibly a silly suggestion but can you suggest to your Manager that in instances your company cannot accommodate requests, that you recommend another company (checking with them first their availability).

I'm the type of customer who always stays respectful but I always get the problem resolved. One of the things that irks me is when people don't seem to want to help or sound like they don't care. It makes it changing not to get frustrated.
I'm not saying that's you for a second, but if you're doing everything as you can and trying to be sympathetic to their situation then you are doing the best you can do. I'm sorry people are being so vile to you and treating you like this. Sometimes I think customers don't hear what the barrier is and that there is no solution, other times they've had a bad experience and think they're not being listened to and other times they're just d, but there's no excuse for treating you like this. I do think you should tell your Manager quite how bad it's making you feel and what toll it's taking on you personally.