ROEHAMPTON -- It's a real question. What is the exact cut-off on rudeness?  There must be one.  When does persistence become pestering?  When does assertiveness become aggressive behaviour?  When do you stop being demanding and start being disturbing? 

Part of the reason I ask is because I witnessed something I found disturbing today.  People shouting at each other across a tennis court.  Two separate games that ended up fighting with each other.  On one hand you have a group of senior men's doubles, and on the other two guys grunting and groaning like teenage girls at Wimbledon.  Who definitely thought they were at Wimbledon.  (Although the tennis was not...)

And where I have trouble is I felt that all parties were partially to blame but no one backed down.

And I am finding this a persistent preoccupation in business too.  I continue to see people who complain the most getting the most attention. 

This is not just an issue in customer service but even within the workplace.

What do you think?

/df

P.S. Did you know that Barack Obama's chief economic advisor is called Austin Goolsbee?  I feel his pain.