Difficult Conversations with Members of the Public

Course Overview

Your organisation may receive a wide and diverse range of support enquiries from members of the public, your ‘customers’, for your services. These include people who are aggressive, angry, difficult, distressed, emotional, threatening, worried and/or vulnerable.

This course is designed to give participants the necessary knowledge and skills to manage people displaying a range of emotions whilst supporting a culture of customer care excellence.

Participants will learn how to deal professionally, courteously and efficiently with customers in ways that encourage good relationships.

Objectives

At the end of the course, you will be able to:-

• Understand the importance and benefits of providing good customer service
• Support and empathise with distressed and anxious customers
• Know how to deal with angry and upset customers
• Stay calm and professional through stressful and busy periods
• Display professional and acceptable behaviour when interacting with customers especially when dealing with difficult people or aggressive customers
• Use assertive techniques in order to control a conversation
• Take greater control of your mental well-being

Content

• Customer Care Excellence
  • How customers are made to feel important

• Skills of Communication
  • Self-awareness, assertiveness and confidence
  • Positive words and phrases
  • Body Language o Building Rapport
  • Avoiding misunderstandings – clear communication and accurate note-taking
  • Being empathetic and acknowledging the customer’s needs
  • Managing emotional people
  • Active Listening Skills
  • Questioning Skills
  • Taking control of a conversation and getting to the point
  • Explaining the next steps and wrapping up a conversation
• Dealing with Difficult and Angry Customers
  • Causes of aggression – Dealing with the caller’s perceptions and expectations
  • Acceptable and non-acceptable levels of behaviour o Understanding our own behaviour and its effect on others
  • The role of listening when dealing with angry customers
  • Strategies that effectively diffuse difficult situations and the angry or complaining customer
  • Options instead of saying ‘NO’
  • Essential skills for not getting emotionally hooked with the difficult or angry customer Remote working – when to ask for help
• Personal Action Planning