Managing Difficult Customer Contacts

The frontline agent’s in-depth study of the techniques used to identify and diffuse difficult customers and to find the best solutions to turn a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one.

Handling difficult customers is one of the most challenging stressful tasks performed by frontline contact center agents. Through ICMI’s Managing Difficult Customer Contacts classroom course, agents will learn strategies and practice skills that will help them diffuse difficult situations and decrease customer dissatisfaction by finding the best solution for the customer and the company.

Regardless of how the agent feels, each customer deserves great service. Agents will learn the key phrases that convey empathy and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to building customer relationships. Agents start with identifying the three types of difficult customers. They’ll explore the events, triggers and actions that result in an unhappy customer and how to take the “un” out of unhappy.

Next, agents will learn and practice a system of managing difficult customers beginning with the five keys to being an effective listener. They’ll learn to control the call using questioning techniques to gain the details needed to discover what is making the customer unhappy and then guide the customer to a solution. Even when the agent can’t say “yes” to an unhappy customer, they’ll be prepared to use the HELP model to avoid escalations.

Finally, agents will explore the ways to recognize customer stress and tips on how to diffuse it. Most importantly, they’ll learn five vital skills for managing their own stress, plus receive 90 more stress-busting ideas in their course materials.

Designed for frontline contact center agents who often take calls from customers who are angry, frustrated or dissatisfied and who need strategies for:

• Identifying the three types of difficult customers.
• Listening and empathizing more effectively.
• Recognizing and handling abusive callers.
• Responding to customers with positive language to meet their needs.
• Demonstrating commitment to solving customer concerns.
• Determining the best solution for the customer and your company.
• Expressing appreciation of the customer, even when they are dissatisfied.
• Managing their own stress and help reduce the stress of customers.

Course Length

This course is delivered over one day in a classroom setting.

Cancellation Policy

Please take a moment to read the cancellation policy.