"His Reaction Was Priceless": 30 Rude Clients Who Had No Clue They Were Speaking To Business Owners

Work relationship expert Louise Carnachan says that disrespecting young bosses and managers simply because they're young is ageism. "If you're young (or appear to be younger than your years), there's an assumption you don't know much."

"There seems to be a positive bias toward those in their mid-thirties to their fifties as the sweet spot for skill and wisdom. If you fall on either side of that, your competence is questioned. Of course, there are exceptions depending upon the profession and the person," she adds.

Carnachan says that it all comes down to appearing reliable. "The bottom line is that customers/clients want to know you are trustworthy and can solve their problem. If you appear confident and helpful, that goes a long way. Then you need to deliver results."

The work relationship expert tells Bored Panda that sometimes young people might think they're being disrespected because of their age, but it can be just because the customer thinks they're not doing their job right. "If a customer challenges your ability because they aren't satisfied with your service, that's a different issue than being challenged because you're young."

"If it's the former, then make it right. If it's the latter, rather than snapping at them, here are some things you could say (with a smile):

1. I've had experience with similar issues, let me help you.
2. I realize I appear youthful, but I do have experience.
3. Yes, I'm fortunate to have been able to open my own business. How can I help you?
4. Appearing young runs in my family. (And it does, everyone was young once!)

Louise Carnachan says that it may be harder for young people to be taken seriously when they start a business. "Young entrepreneurs do have a disadvantage when it comes to obtaining investors. You may be highly skilled and have a wonderful business idea, but possessing skills is not the same as being able to demonstrate a track record."

"As Will Rogers said, 'Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.' Investors want to know your judgment is sound, so be very thoughtful about how you propose your business plan."

"It's worth noting that being young is an advantage in some industries (i.e., pretty much anything technical)," she notes. "And the bias is actually in your favor. In the end, being or appearing young is a time-limited issue."

Judging whether a person is a good manager or boss based on their age would be inaccurate. "Age is a poor metric for assessing someone's leadership skill," Carnachan says. "Those with a gift for understanding people may demonstrate this early in their lives.

"A good boss or manager is able to treat everyone fairly while paying individual attention to the needs of their staff through stretch assignments and motivating them. They are clear communicators and care about their employees. While we can train people to be decent managers in leadership classes, those who excel at leadership usually come in already wired that way," the work relationship expert explains.

"Entrepreneurs of any age may or may not be good leaders," Carnachan adds. "Typically, a start-up entrepreneur attracts employees who are enthusiastic about the product and service. When the business is new and small, the shared vision is compelling. However, as a business grows and matures, an entrepreneur may not be able to make the leap into successfully leading others."