"I’m horrible at dealing with customer service people, but my wife is ridiculously great at it. I don’t know how she does it, but she’ll get on the phone and within minutes we’ll have crazy discounts on our cable or phone bills, instant returns with no extra fees, etc, etc.. "<p>I'm pretty good at this too. The trick is to be nice to them. Ask them how their day is going while they're waiting for the computer to update, etc. Basocally read How To Win Friends and Influence People and apply.<p>All day long they have people yelling at them over stuff that isn't their fault. A few minutes of kindness to them is like a life raft to a drowning kid. They'll often do whatever they can to keep you happy and on the phone, because they know that as soon as you're gone, you'll be replaced by some old lady screaming at them about their broken computer.<p>Reserve all of your negative emotion for telemarketers.