Customer Service & Telephone Complaint Handling
"Build confidence with irate customers & resolve telephone complaints effectively"
Overall Aim:
The aim of this workshop is to help staff develop a greater understanding of the importance of communicating effectively with customers over the telephone, especially when dealing with irate customers. Participants will learn how to deal with customer complaints in a caring, assertive and professional manner without reacting inappropriately; resulting in satisfied and loyal customers
Who Should Attend:
A practical and interactive one to two day workshop, the course is designed for staff, who talk to customers each day by telephone – includes customer service, administration, reception, accounts, order processing etc.
Objectives:
After completing the workshop, each participant will be able to:
- Apply highly developed communication skills for dealing with customers over the telephone
- Encourage customer feedback and make it easy for customers to complain
- Adjust your mind-set and avoid complacency by understanding the customer’s perspective
- Present a professional image and create the right impression even under pressure
- Build confidence with customers, whilst portraying a helpful and friendly attitude
- Learn the importance of tone of voice to put customers at ease and create empathy
- Learn to really listen to customers, ask the right questions and understand their needs
- Be able to know how and when to control the call
- Differentiate between different levels of dissatisfaction and respond appropriately
- Be assertive when dealing with different personalities and aggressive behaviour
- Avoid defensive behaviour and trigger words that irate customers
- Deal with criticism, remain calm, speak clearly and defuse the situation
- Manage customer complaints and difficult situations in a confident and competent manner
- Keep promises, keep customers informed, meet expectations & respond quickly and effectively
- Resolve customer issues and turn complaints into opportunities
Workshop content:
- Communicating with customers on the telephone in a professional and personable manner
- The impact of poor customer service and why customers don’t complain
- A complaint is a gift – the opportunity to create a positive outcome
- Encourage and motivate feedback and complaints from customers to improve business
- The traffic lights philosophy for measuring a customer’s reaction
- Create great first impressions and apply the right attitude even under pressure
- Calm the customer, show empathy and really listen to customers
- The importance of tone of voice to build confidence and control the call
- Understand what customer’s really want - ask the right questions and verify
- Distinguish between what you can control and what you can influence for a positive outcome
- Measure the severity of complaints to provide the appropriate response required
- Deal with the 3 types of human behaviour – assertive, aggressive and submissive
- The effectives of defensive behaviour & trigger words that irate customers
- Work under pressure to defuse the situation – deal with criticism, remain calm & speak clearly
- Manage different types of customers and difficult situations positively
- Excel in service recovery management – manage complaint and create new opportunities
Training method:
The training takes the form of a one to two day workshop, with group discussions, exercises, case studies and feedback based on individual/group needs. Each learner receives a workshop manual. A second follow up mentoring day can be provided where participants make live calls.