If you or your staff have to deal with customers both face to face or over the telephone then effective Customer Care training is essential in enabling you to develop a Customer Caring or ‘Customers First’ attitude to delivering service effectively and consistently. Total Success run a one-day Telephone Skills and Customer Care course for those wishing to learn telephone etiquette; handling customers on the telephone and a one-day Customer ? For those who’s customer service training requires tips and techniques in both telephone and face to face skills in handling difficult customers (such as rude, angry or aggressive customers) as part of their daily duties we also provide a Customer Service and Customer Care training course that deals with these types of customer. It also covers handling customer complaints; tips for retaining customers and how to diffuse customer conflict quickly and efficiently. Telephone skills and Customer Care, Customer Service, Introduction to Selling, Telesales and Presentation Skills are some of the courses trained by Total Success Training in London and throughout the UK. We have over 18 years experience training people on strategies to improve productivity and enhance self development. Other courses run by Total Success are Assertiveness skills and Time Management. If you require further information on our training courses please contact Total Success. More and more companies are increasing their use of the telephone as the quickest and most convenient way of establishing customer contacts. Call centres and mail order are the fastest growing operational departments for UK organisations. It is essential that all employees represent their organisation in a professional and friendly way. Clear and effective communication is essential to ensure that the business is not lost. If your staff are not trained properly on telephone skills, how much business are they losing your company?
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CLICK ON COURSES FOR FULL OPEN COURSE AGENDAS Appraisal skills (one day) - updated to include new legislation Assertiveness Skills (one day) Assertiveness and managing conflict (one day) Coaching for managers (one day) Correcting poor performance and disciplinary procedures (one day) - updated to cover current legislation Dealing with difficult people (one day) Interviewing skills (one day) - updated to cover current legislation Introduction to selling (two days) Leadership and team building (one day) Letter and report writing (one day) - updates include writing e-mails Negotiation skills (one day) Presentation skills (two days) PowerPoint Presentation skills (two days) Advanced Presentation skills (one day) Project planning for non-project managers (one day) Stress Management (one day) Telesales and Telemarketing (two days) Telephone skills and customer care (one day) Time Management (one day) Time management working with Microsoft Outlook (one day) Time management working with Microsoft Outlook 2007 (one day) The New Manager (six days) Training the trainer (one day) We provide many free articles packed with valuable information about the topics we train. Our newsletter page contains many more. Here are some of our more recent articles How to structure a presentation Time management and working from home Assertiveness Self Assertion Analysis Customer Service on the telephone Telephone skills and Customer Care Organisational stress management Planning an appraisal and setting objectives Giving feedback in an appraisal The power of attitude in selling PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques |
HANDLING VERY DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS Top tips for handling all difficult customers 1. Remain calm yourself. 2. Don’t take it personally 3. Ask relevant questions 4. Give reasons for all actions/requests 5. Listen closely to understand the problem 6. Agree what the problem is without blaming the customer 7. Restate content or feeling 8. Propose an action plan/suggest options and then do it! 9. Remain courteous 10. Show in your voice that you care
What to do with an angry customer - your fault 1. Listen - so you will understand the problem or concern 2. Relate - apologise in a general way or in a broad sense 3. Propose an Action Plan/Suggest Options - this will help to solve the problem
Examples: How to Relate “Mrs Smiley, I understand how you must feel.” “I'm sorry about the confusion.” “Mr. Welch, I don't blame you for being upset. Let's see if we can correct the problem.”
Note that in the above examples, the apology is very general. You can always apologise for the situation or the confusion etc. without admitting that you or your company were wrong. Most customers will find the general apology acceptable.
When the customer has a legitimate complaint sometimes it's best to relate by agreeing: “Mrs. Johnson, you're right. You were promised a call-back yesterday and we didn't call. Let's start again and get this problem solved.” “I'm sorry Mr. Valdez I promised you delivery by yesterday and didn't make it. This time I promise we'll get it right.”
When a customer complains, offer your concern that they are upset, but do not take aggressive or hostile comments personally. Often an angry caller will display a lot of emotion. When this happens, do your best to remain calm and avoid getting caught up in the emotion. Once you have done this, listen closely, relate and then offer an action plan. Make sure your action plan is one you can deliver. The action plan should be clear and concise.
“I'll check with accounting and call you back with an answer before 4:00 o'clock today.” “Let's do this. I'll call the technician and find out what time you can expect her and then I’ll call you. Will that be all right?”
What to do when the client won’t listen to you? o Explain the consequences of their current behaviour “it’s going to take us a lot longer to sort this out if you don’t give me your account details” o Give them better options than the ones they are suggesting “if you let me speak to them I’ll be able to sort this out much quicker than you” o Explain that your inability to act is not a ploy and it would be easier for you to “grant them their request but you are caught in the middle” o Tell them you understand their frustration and that you would feel exactly the same o Explain that “if you had the power to give them what they wanted you would do it” o Give them a choice of behaviours if they become aggressive
“If it were up to me Mr Jones I would issue you the ticket now as the last thing I wish now is to be shouted at by an angry customer. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing I can physically do now to update the booking. The system will update itself by 4pm and I’ve put in a request for this. The only thing I can promise you now is a call back at 4pm to let you know what is happening then.”
“I’m finding it difficult to concentrate if you keep shouting at me. I’ll sort this out but I must ask you to help me by staying calm and giving me the reference number. If you choose not to I’ve got no choice but to terminate this call. Now, what would you like me to do?”
What to do when dealing with an abusive customer o Show understanding to the problem o Let the customer know that their language will not help the situation o Relate to them personally o Say something like, “I know this is a problem for you but I can only help if you will let me” (an empathetic assertion) o Encourage the talker to talk out feelings of aggression (the longer the customer talks the less aggressive they will become) o If you cannot calm the individual, arrange for a break (e.g. tell them you will ring back or that you are going to fetch a document; look up a reference number etc).
What to do with a non responsive customer o Map out the call i.e. let the customer aware of what you’re going to do during the call or what will happen after you have finished speaking. This puts customers more at ease as they can see what will happen next. o Ask open questions o Respond favourably to their answers o Ask closed questions frequently to see if the customer is still with you
What to do with an emotional customer o Ask questions to uncover the reality of the situation o Show understanding and sympathy, if appropriate o Avoid getting caught up in their emotion o Restate the cause; the problem as the customer sees it and the feelings associated with the problem o Let them know you agree with their right to have such feelings “you’re right to be upset about this” o Ask ‘How’ questions to get the person to a problem solving mode o Move to ‘Action plan’ as soon as you can o Try to manage the result - not the emotion
What to do with a confused customer o Slow down o Show empathy o Know your systems and find ways of describing your forms and procedures that are simple but non-patronising o Encourage the customer at each stage with a simple ‘thank you’ What to do with a verbally demanding customer o Recognise that the customer is very stressed/distressed and this is causing the aggression o Raise your assertiveness level to show the customer that you are not intimidated but don’t match their aggression level o Explain that their language will not help them or their situation by outlining the consequences o Show willingness to solve the problem both verbally and vocally o Reframe the context of the language o Give them options o Show understanding to the problem o Relate to them personally
What to do when the customer demands to speak ‘to your boss’ o Explain that you would be willing to help them if they could give you more information o Ask open questions to uncover the problem
What to do with an obstructive customer o Ask questions to find out the root of the problem o Summarise the problem as the customer sees it o Show understanding o Ask if you both could start again o Show willingness to solve the problem
What to do with a customer who you believe has behavioural problems o Recognise their pattern of behaviour early and break the cycle o Be clear and explain clearly what you wish them to do (or stop doing) o Set standards of behaviour and be assertive in your delivery o Show understanding not sympathy
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Presentation tips - Overcoming presentation fear - How to structure a presentation - How to master body language plus a useful presentation checklist - Asking questions in interviews - Structuring a recruitment interview - Good work through praise - Time management tips - Time management skills - Managing your e-mail - Time management and working from home - Time management links - Assertiveness Self Assertion Analysis - Assertiveness links - Self Assertion Analysis - Becoming More Assertive - Constructive criticism and disciplinary procedures - Dealing with difficult people - Dealing with difficult customers on the telephone - Customer Service on the telephone - Telephone skills and Customer Care - Managing your stress - Organisational stress management - Practical appraisal skills - Planning an appraisal and setting objectives - Giving feedback in an appraisal - The power of attitude in selling - Opening the telephone call effectively - PowerPoint presentation tips and techniques - Using visual aids in PowerPoint presentations - How to use transitions in PowerPoint presentations - Negotiating with difficult people - Planning a successful negotiation - Managing meetings - Train the trainer training - Presentation planning form - Handling conflict in appraisals - Project management - Neuro-Linguistic Programming - Management skills - Leadership Skills - Stress Management and Control - Customer Service and Customer Care - Management checklists for Training courses - Planning form for Public Speaking Presentation - Managing your e-mails - Stages of Competence in Training - Time Management and Technology - Training Stories and Anecdotes -
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Stress Quiz: How Stressed are you? - Recognising and Combating stress - Managing Stress - Relaxation techniques for managing stress - Relaxation using simple and personal mantras - Stress and the Credit crunch - Using Humour in Presentations - Attention gaining tips for Public Speakers - How to make the best of closing your presentation - Making Powerful Presentations - Using Visual Aids in Presenting - The importance of FlipCharts in Presentations - Improving your presenting style - Vocal and Diet tips for presenters - Rate you Presentation effectiveness - Dealing with Difficult Audiences - Overcoming Presentation Anxiety - More Presentation Anxiety tips - Dealing with Difficult people at work - Tips for Dealing with difficult people - Dealing with Difficult People-the arrogant person - Dealing with Difficult People-the aggressive person - Customer Service during Christmas - Time and Stress Management - Successful Telesales - What type of leader are you? - Vocal Elements of Communication in Leadership - Managing Pressure - Handling Very Difficult Customers - Opening Negotiations Effectively - Tips and Techniques for Sales Presentations - Rules of Assertiveness - Product Demonstration Skills - Personality and Stress - Handling Objections - Methods of Overcoming Resistance - Effective Communication in Negotiations - Your Response to Stress - Dealing with conflict and aggression - Co-Presenting Tips and Techniques - Controlling the Call - Contact Strategy - Becoming Assertive in Negotiations - Situation Leadership for Coaches - What is your managerial style? - Giving Praise - How great can you delegate 1 - How great can you delegate 2 - Management superstars - Delivering effective course content - Dealing with complaints - Practical guide to punctuation - The sequence of a report - Top tips for writing effective emails - Aims and Objectives for the New Manager - Question Techniques in Group Training - Its not What you say, but How you say it! - How to overcome and channel fear - Why is project management important - Project definition and proposal - Estimating time accurately - 10 step guide for Project Planning - Project Progress Meetings - Assess your problem employee - Disciplinary Procedures Guide - Disciplinary Rules