Handling Demanding and Difficult Customers

Handling Demanding and Difficult Customers

Course Overview

Servicing happy customers enjoyable for those in a service role. However, helping those who are “not so happy” can be stressful, , and costly to an organization if members of the service staff have not received training as to how to best handle demanding customers and difficult situations.

Handling Demanding and Difficult Customers program is to educate, empower and equip employers and employees with skills on techniques to build rapport, listen to customers, choose words that say “professional, polished, and in control”, de-escalate tense conversations, and manage daily stress.

Course Objectives

After completing this course participants will be able to:

•       Quickly build rapport with customers.

•       Explain why customers get upset.

•       Choose client-centric language.

•       Listen and indicate they have heard what their customers have said.

•       Reset customer expectations.

•       Communicate with unreasonable customers.

•       Better manage service-related stress.

 

Duration

2 Days

Methodology

The foundation of our training is anchored in activity-based experiential learning. This methodology takes into consideration different learning and communication styles, and more importantly speaking the client’s language and understands cultural differences. It is through active participation that the adoption and application of theory is expedited, and it is with that outlook that the basis of each experience is governed by the following parameters:

 

  • All participants are fully engaged at all times.
  • All engagements are lively and foster knowledge transfer and idea sharing amongst participants.
  • All participants maintain a positive learning environment.
  • All participants leave the course with clear personal action plan and recommendations for addressing critical challenges with their professional development.
  • All participants will explore concepts that will help them bring out the best self into focus, enabling them to be more sensitive, effective, increase awareness and joy in choosing how to lead their life.

 

Course Outline & Schedule

DAY 1

9.00am                  Introduction

  • Ice Breaker
  • Why is handling difficult customers/situations
  • Identify different types of difficult customers

 

9.30am                   Understanding Why Difficult Situations Arise and Customers Are Demanding

  • Reasons customers become upset, demanding, and hard to satisfy
  • the trigger points, isolate
  • Identify any possible process issues
  • Methods to improve customer experience

 

10.15am                 Tea Break

10.30am                Building Rapport and Listening

  • Process of rapport building
  • Methods to communicate wisely with customers
  • 10 steps to effective listening skills
  • Active Listening Exercise

 

1.00pm                   Lunch

2.00pm                   The Magic Words/Phrases for Dealing with Angry Customers

  • Phrases to use to show the customers you are listening
  • Techniques to with empathy and discernment
  • Can you take ownership to handle the situation?
  • Affirm, affirm and affirm
  • Maintaining good boundaries

 

3.15pm                    Tea Break

3.30pm                   Methods in Handling Difficult Customers

  • Identify rude, obnoxious and angry customer
  • G.R.O.W methodologies to handle customers
  • Coping with
  • Connect with your customers
  • Practice your listening skills
  • Resolving to everyone’s satisfaction

 

5.00pm                   END

 

 

DAY 2

 

9.00am                  Effectiveness of the Methods in Handling Difficult Customers (Case Study)

  • Are you able to Identify rude, obnoxious and angry customer
  • Is G.R.O.W methodologies helpful for you to handle customers
  • How did you cope with tense situation
  • Did you manage to build and connect with your customers
  • Are you satisfied with your performance

 

10.15am                 Tea Break

 

10.30am                Dealing with Unreasonable Customers

  • Methods to handle customers who attempt to take advantage of the serving organization
  • Technique for handling offensive or abusive language
  • Group discussion
  •  

1.00pm                   Lunch

2.00pm                   Managing Stress

  • What is stress?
  • Reactions to Stress
  • Identify signs of Stress
  • Stress-management techniques
  • Action planning

 

3.15pm                    Tea Break

3.30pm                   Staying Cool and Confident Under Pressure

  • Use silence to your advantage
  • Earn Respect from customers and colleagues
  • Work-Life Balance
  • Methods to let go and be cool
  • Forgive and Forget

 

 5.00pm                  END