answer-back

Vocabulary Word

Definition

'Answer-back' is when you reply or respond to someone in a way that could be seen as rude or argumentative. It's usually used to describe people, especially children, who talk back to authority figures.

Examples in Different Contexts

In business meetings, 'answering back' can sometimes reflect assertiveness or, negatively, insubordination. A manager might caution, 'While I appreciate your input, answering back in meetings can be seen as disrespectful.'

Practice Scenarios

Customer-Service

Scenario:

Your handling of the last customer complaint was not up to our standards. Remember, customers are important to our business.

Response:

I'm sorry if it seems like an answer-back, but I was following the customer service guidelines as per our training.

Tech

Scenario:

Your last code review had many inconsistencies. Please double-check your work before submission.

Response:

I don’t mean to answer-back but the inconsistencies noted were actually due to the changes in the requirements.