Course Overview

“Is this how you speak to a customer? Is this how your brand manages customer expectations?”, screamed an angry customer in the crowded supermarket aisle. Surely, we have heard customers make this statement, more than once. We too, may have made this statement ourselves as customers on the receiving end of bad customer service. The entire game centres around expectations. Meeting the client expectations, and yes meeting each and every stakeholder’s expectation, here the expectations could vary and hence would involve highly demanding customers, which is why we are focusing on specially dealing with difficult customers

When we are dealing with customers, it is extremely important to have high level of customer service skills. It becomes so crucial when we deal with demanding and challenging customers. Just like organisations, customers expect everything at a low cost. Yet, they seek high quality and an exceptional level of service. Customer Retention becomes easier when they have been dealt with respect and this helps the customer have trust, credibility and respect for the brand / organisation.

How do you handle difficult customers training?

Handling difficult customers can be very tricky, where we need to gauge what is the exact requirement of the customer and then accordingly customize our interaction with them. Regardless of the medium of communication we use, it becomes important to convert unhappy customers to loyal ones. These customers would definitely return to our businesses as their requirement was taken care of. Furthermore, they would recommend our goods and services to the world.

How do you handle demanding customers?

This advanced Zoe training course will empower you with new abilities in customer service. You will have the opportunity to understand yourself as well as the behaviours of others in a situation of conflict. Come and enrol with us to unveil the easy ways to overcome seemingly frustrating situations in the customer service space!

Course Objectives

This dealing with difficult customers training course equips you to work through a strategy of enhancing customer service skills, understanding the customer’s requirements, customizing to their needs and creating customer retention. This program supports in being able to deal with the customers questions, and converting the difficult interactions into successful ones. Since handling difficult customers can be so tricky, this course will support you in offering the right structure in dealing with them.

Upon completing this Dealing with Difficult Customers Training Course successfully, participants will be able to:

• Identify their approach towards difficult customers
• Use a customer centric approach
• Know the different types of customers
• Convert the difficult and challenging customers into successful ones
• Empathize with the customer and understand his requirements
• Learn to be a proactive listener and gauge the understanding by using listening skills
• Build credibility in their body language and language skills
• Interact with customers elegantly, even in a situation of conflict
• Gauge, meet and exceed customer expectations

Training Methodology

This dealing with difficult customers training course will comprise of the following training methods:

• Presentations
• Role plays
• Group Discussions
• Lectures & Seminar Method
• Assignments
• Activities
• Polls
• Surveys
• Whiteboard interaction
• Case Studies & Functional Exercises
• On the spot Coaching

The program is a detailed and interactive session, following a two-way communication. Zoe works with each participant to make sure that they receive a practical experience in customer interaction. At ZTS, we use the ‘Do-Review-Learn-Apply’ model.

Organisational Benefits

If you are an organisation who believes that you want to keep the brand value high and do not want the difficult customers to go unhappy, this program is for you and you employees. This dealing with difficult customers training course works with the individuals to learn the rapport formation, understand the reason of the challenges being faced and the pain areas in order to be able to deal with their upsets and create successful interaction

As an organisation who wants to enhance their customer satisfaction index scores and also better the experience of their interactions with the customers, should look at nominating their employees for this program

Organisations who nominate their employees to participate in this Dealing with Difficult Customers Training can benefit in the following ways:

• Gain higher customer satisfaction (C-SAT) ratings for the organisation
• Have the employees create trust credibility and respect with the customer
• Have the employees build rapport with the customers and enhance their interpersonal skills
• Use Customer Centric responses when interacting with the customer
• Be able to deal with the difficult customers in a successful manner
• Organisation will be known for going the extra mile to support the customer

Personal Benefits

Every delegate attending this course can benefit phenomenally. The customer complaints are increasing and so are the organisational demands which leads to increase in stress. The individual will be able to develop the skills to deal with difficult customers by attending this program.

Individuals who participate in this Dealing with difficult customers training course can gain from it in the following ways:

• Understand the different kinds of customers
• Know your customer and find out their needs
• Deal with difficult customers and turn them into successful interactions
• Achieve an overall reduction in the complaints
• Get a detailed insight into all aspects of communication skills
• Excel in the customer interactions

Who Should Attend?

This Dealing with Difficult Customers Training Course is for anyone who deals directly with customers and customers escalations. Whether you are from the sales or the service field, this course will be appropriate for you. Irrespective of the industry you work in. This program is also suitable for managers who train their teams to interact with customers and assist them in dealing with difficult customers.

Course Outline

MODULE 1:  Understand different customers

• Know the different kind of customers
• Understand their requirement
• Know the customer service principles
• Set the foundation with the pillars of customer service
• Set a professional approach towards defining their experience

 MODULE 2: Create Trust Credibility & Respect

• Set the importance of building trust with the customers
• Increasing stake-holder credibility
• Knowing which one is key – trust credibility or respect

MODULE 3: Build the Right Attitude

• Find out about knowledge skill and attitude
• Build the right attitude and develop success
• Show the approach of gratitude
• Focus on the positives
• Invoke the conversation with a peaceful approach
• See the perspective of giving with joy

MODULE 4: Stress Management

• Understand the reasons of happiness / unhappiness in our job
• Find out how to create thankfulness within ourselves
• Build happiness within yourself in order to make the customer happy
• Use the principles of compartmentalizing and stress management to deal with the customers
• Focus on mindfulness

MODULE 5: Know your Personality Style

• The 4 different personality traits
• Understand your own personality style
• Identify and adapt to personality styles around you
• Flex your behaviour according to the situation

MODULE 6: Build Rapport and connect with the customer

• Use conversational language to your advantage
• Build a connect with the customer
• Create a good line of enquiry
• Understanding customer expectations
• Create a successful interaction with the customer

MODULE 7: Listening Skills

• Customer conflicts & Listening
• Know the different levels of listening
• Key elements of listening
• Hearing & Listening | Do’s and Don’ts
• Managing conflicts by listening with empathy

MODULE 8: Communication Skills

• Work towards building a two-way communication
• Understand the basics of a good conversation
• Recognize the filters to communication
• Overcoming barriers to communications

MODULE 9: Body Language – Non-Verbal Communication

• Recognize the importance of non-verbal communication
• Work towards creating a positive impression
• Ways to create a positive environment

MODULE 10: Dealing with Difficult Customers 

• Cycle of dealing with difficult customers
• Resolve customer complaints through listening
• Go beyond the obvious to support the customer
• Bring in sensitivity in dealing with difficult customers
• Defuse the anger and create successful relationship

MODULE 11: Handling Customer Complaints 

• Understanding the different kind of complaints
• Solving complaints creatively
• A Structured Approach
• The thirty second rule
• Reduce the number of complaints
• Create customer champions