communication skills at work? help!

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I have worked off and on for a company for many years, i.e. over 15…reviews seem to always be the same…great at this, excellent at that, amazing ability for this…needs to "improve communication skills"…ugh…WTH? I hate the constant issues with communication skills because of course, they NEVER state specifically what I need to improve. I work from home, remain calm while in meetings on the phone even when I talk and I have some people huffing and puffing on the phone, literally YELLING and saying such things as "fine, I get it, go on"…no matter how nice I try to be. I never send rude emails, yet I am constantly sent rude emails by a few of the men…they are still there, moving up as always. I am so sick and tired of this. What is expected of me? I have no clue when I ask I am told "just improve your communication skills"…WTH do you mean? To be an even bigger idiot and not complain when people cut me off during a conversation or to say nothing (which I don't) when they start breathing heavy on the phone while I am talking because they don't like how I talk? WTH? Please help. Honestly, I don't know how much longer I can take of this. Right now my job is on the line and I desperately need the money to pay for my son's therapies who gets NOTHING from the crappy government…we pay EVERYTHING out of pocket…

So, anyone have any ideas what these crazy NTs mean?

Communication is a milestone. I'm suprised they do not give you training courses or good advice from monitored calls and what have you. It is usually about relating to people. Like the current event thing. Sociology, wich is something I don't entirely agree with. Staying in control, (projection transferrance and control). Being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Calming the customer (you need to be a phone therapist)?. Basically these people need to feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and you still need to be able to get done with whatever it is you want to do. After you brainwash them enough with mind control tactics to get what you want, you will know you are doing what your company wants. Sorry in advance if that is bad advice, it is the best I can do for being a mechanic who has spent 20 years dealing with pathological lying service writers.

Are you a woman? This makes a difference.

I undestand. I use to work in a callcenter years ago as a customer service rep. I knew nothing about saying Thank You, You're Welcome, or apologizing. I was also told to talk in a more sympathetic tone of voice which was hard for me to grasp at first. I was there for about a year before going into the Navy. And I learned how to talk a little politer near the end with my voice that is when there is a customer service issue only unfortunately. Anything beyond customer service, I suck with my tone of voice. And in the Navy I learned how to walk and say excuse me. They also taught me how to shave correctly as well. Ok I am going off on a tangent again. lol. The point is you are not alone on the communication problem. I still have the problem even after learning some of the basics from jobs I have worked at and after being yelled at many times.

It sounds like they are saying you need to learn to get to the point. Maybe you are too chatty. My sister is like that. She is my transportation whenever I need to go somewhere and it is unbelievable to me how long it takes her to finish up even the simple transaction of making a purchase at a store. Bleh, bleh, bleh, bleh bleh. How about just "how much is it? Thank you. Have a sparkling day."

kinda like I am in writing. It takes me 217 syllables to write something that bores the cheerios out of who is at the other end of my message.