Courses

Dealing with difficult customers

General duration

1 day

Target group

‘Dealing with Difficult Customers’ is designed to provide participants with a range of strategies for dealing with difficult and challenging customer behaviour. The course aims to give staff the confidence, understanding and skills to deal with the complexities of their role and will focus on how to deliver information, explanations and outcomes to the customer in a positive manner. This will enable the team to feel confident that the customer has had a positive experience; regardless of the outcome they have had to convey.

Learning objectives

At the completion of this course participants should be able to:

• handle difficult customers in an appropriate manner
• list the CARP method for handling difficult customers
• turn difficult situations into opportunities to demonstrate high quality customer service
• employ empathy and calming techniques when dealing with aggressive, irate or abusive behaviour in accordance with organisational guidelines
• apply practical assertiveness techniques
• initiate action plans for continued self-development to ensure transfer of learning to the job

• state the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive behaviour

Course content

This course includes:

• why customers express difficult behaviour
• turning difficult situations into opportunities to demonstrate high quality service
• identifying your triggers
• the power of empathy
• the importance of using proactive language
• the ‘CARP’ technique – four steps to effectively handling difficult customers
• how to cope more effectively with stressful situations
• develop action plans for improving current skills to apply back in the workplace