Courses

Managing complaints effectively

General duration

1 day

Target group

When a customer complains, it is a critical moment of truth in the cycle of service. An environment needs to be created in the organisation where complaints are welcomed, acted upon and most importantly, handled appropriately by knowledgeable and skilled team members. This course will equip participants with the skills and techniques to manage complaints effectively, improving their willingness to deal with complaints they are presented with, reduce stress and ultimately turn the customers’ dissatisfaction into satisfaction.

Learning objectives

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

• recognise the importance of complaints to the organisation
• manage complaints sensitively, courteously and discreetly
• take responsibility for resolving complaints
• establish and agree on the nature of the complaint with the customer
• demonstrate the ‘LISTEN’ technique – the six-step method for managing complaints
• employ empathy and calming techniques when dealing with aggressive, threatening or abusive behaviour in accordance with company policy
• develop strategies for dealing with stressful situations to enable participants to ‘not take it personally’
• self-assess any areas for further development

Course content

This course includes:

• why customers complain?
• communication skills in complaint handling
• the ‘LISTEN’ technique
• aggressive, submissive and assertive behaviour
• the powerful impact of empathy
• Service Recovery Strategy
• using complaints as an opportunity for continuous improvement
• taking ownership and responsibility

minimising frustration - strategies for staying calm in stressful situations.