Dealing With Difficult Customers

Participants will learn the most effective strategies for:
Staying calm and confident when pressure is on
Dealing with angry or upset internal and external customers
Focusing on fixing the problem not placing the blame
Making empathic responses to customer concerns
Convincing the customer that you are ready, willing, and able to help
Making the customer your partner in finding a satisfying solution
Dealing with the cumulative frustration and stress that are an inherent part of the support professional s job

The following topics will be addressed and discussed:
Customer Service Standards and Goals
The Art of Customer Relations
Disarming complainers. Helping them feel good about themselves and you.
Empathy or sympathy? The big difference.
Understanding Customer Needs
Searching for the facts. Probing without offending.
Identifying personality types and anticipating their reactions.
Looking at the problem from the customer s angle.
Developing Effective Strategies to keep problems from escalating
How to keep your own reactions under control.
What to do when a customer tunes you out.
When to turn a complaint over to your boss or another department.
Handling Difficult Customers
What to do to turn down the heat and disarm the difficult types.
Actions to take when the customer is angry.
Strategies that position you as a helper not an adversary.
How to keep the long winded brief . . . the loud quiet . . . the grumblers happy . . . the abusive polite . . . the angry calm.
Taking Care of Yourself
Dealing with negativity.
A positive approach to stress.

Note: We recommend using real case studies from client organizations in this workshop. Names, file numbers, and other identifying information can be changed to protect confidentiality. We can also include your organization s customer service policies in the handout materials.