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Synopsis:
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It's frustrating enough when something goes wrong with a
purchase, but the interactions with the customer service
department can make an already tense situation worse.

1) Realize - your ideal situation:
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To quickly reach the person who will solve your problem.
To be heard, acknowledged, validated, respected, and valued.
The solution to be quick, simple, and free.

2) Review - the real-life situation:
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You bought a new computer, and an error occurred when you
connected it to the printer. After reviewing the basics you
determined that something beyond your scope of knowledge was
causing the error. Repeated calls to customer support resulted
in hours of being on hold, "unsympathetic, arrogant,
mean-spirited" conversations from the service representative,
sending in the computer three times for repairs (once receiving
it back with a different operating system on it).

3) Reveal - ideal vs. reality comparison:
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The ideal scenario you envisioned didn't fit the actual
experience. In the end, however, you got what you wanted -
to move past this problem (even if it did mean buying a
computer from a different company).

4) Release - your ideals that aren't benefiting you anymore:
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Detach: There is no one way a call to a customer
service department can proceed. While it's encouraging to hope
for a smooth and quick interaction - your attachment to that
vision will only serve to increase any disappointment (and stress)
you feel.

The quicker you can adapt your internal line of dialogue
from "this is supposed to go smoothly" to "this is supposed
to go exactly as it is" the better.

Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve
your situation...

5) Raise - the likelihood that future reality will match ideal:
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Attitude: Yours will have a tremendous effect on how you
perceive everything (and how you are perceived). Be aware of your
attitude and then shift to a more beneficial one such as ...

  Be positive: Going into a conversation with aggression is
  usually going to be met with aggression.

  Why create the atmosphere of battle when you can create
  one of teamwork?

  Be cool like Fonzie: People generally don't like to be yelled at.
  Even if what you're going through is a matter of life and death
  just say in a calm tone, "I need you to know that this matter is
  not only urgent, but critical. I'd greatly appreciate it if you
  gave me your full attention and use every resource available to
  fix this matter as quickly as possible." Everyone respects the
  person who can keep their cool under pressure.

The Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would want done to them.

The person on the other end of the line didn't personally
build your product, they've never spoken with you before.
They're doing their best. Make it easier for them to do their best.

Shift the focus from what you want, to what the other
person wants, and come up with similarities. Ask them,
"What would help you out the most right now?" Get them in
the frame of mind that the person they're talking to is not
upset with them.

Once you take the time to discover what the other person wants
you can find similarities to your own viewpoint. That common
ground is the basis for Diplomacy - "the art of letting someone
else have your way." (American Proverb)

Persistence: It may not be happening as quickly as you'd
like, but unless you're following up, the problem will most
likely never get resolved. How much more effort is worth
putting in is up to you. All the work you've already put in,
however, is a sunk cost, and shouldn't be included in your decision.

Timing: Some times are literally better than others.
If the customer service department is only open from 8am-6pm
call at 8am. The person answering the phone will not yet be
tired from a day of talking with customers.

6) Remind yourself:
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Aside from enjoying a life of lowered stress, you deserve
to recognize and reward yourself for taking the time and
putting in the effort to undo years of harm. Giving yourself
a reminder of what you've learned will help you maintain the
progress you've made. It's easy to skip this step, but that
makes the process less enjoyable, which is the antithesis of
what we're working towards.

What will be your reminder? Pick something that will stand
apart from the little things you give yourself to make this
experience more memorable.

7) Repeat as necessary:
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Releasing stress is an ongoing process that gets easier the
more it is applied. With each application of the Seven R's
deeper layers of stress will be revealed and released.

Broader discussion:
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Many companies view customer service as an expense rather than
a way for them to generate more revenue, but every contact
they have with a client is a potential sales opportunity.

It takes six times as much work to get a new customer than it
does to get an existing customer to make another purchase.

If you're having difficulties with customer support, it may
make sense to contact the sales or marketing department of
an organization to inform them how their hard work is being
thrown away on the other end.

General Stress Strategy:
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Don't take it personally: Seriously. Problems happen.
Miscommunication, the wrong tone of voice, waiting on hold.
All of these have to do with the experience and nothing to
do with you. You did nothing wrong. Sometimes things just
don't work correctly. Even if you dropped the damn thing.
Things happen.

Just don't take it personally. Take the frame of mind of you
watching the interaction from your TV...
What activities lead up to the phone call?
How would you want the people to behave towards each other?

In a perfect world everyone would be civilized and generous
towards each other, all the time - and then I'd have to find
a new profession. One can only dream...

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