These days, Customer Service is something of the past. Both Jerry and Terry had good techniques, but I especially liked Terry's method of the test. Put the candidate on the spot from the start. Grace under pressure is a good indicator of a help desk tech. Hanging up or cursing out the caller certainly is a reflection of their Customer Service attitude. The customer may not always be right, but it's important to make them THINK they are. But my rule of thumb is empathy. They are frustrated,which is why they call normally. While upset or downright angry, it's not personal! Having been there, I try to express to the tech that my anger is not directed to them personally. Unfortunately, it's difficult to discern that, but it's always best to ASSUME (at least in this case) that the customer is not out to get you. I also feel that the "quota" puts too much pressure on support agents. Putting quantity over quality is the first violation of Customer Service Ethic and it DOES roll down hill.