Handling Complaints

Programme Overview

Difficult situations are inevitable in a service industry especially when we deal with various customers who are bent on getting their way. A complaint is basically an expression of customer distress towards a situation that differs from his expectations of the service rendered. Although a complaint implies negative ramifications, it actually presents the service provider with the opportunity to offer redress and restore a customer confidence, as well as attaining customer satisfaction. Neglect or mishandling of a complaint would have serious repercussions to the service organization by way of loss of customer and subsequent damage to the organization’s reputation. The difference between the service rendered is easily measured by the method of handling complaints and recovering from difficult situations.

Objectives

• Upon actively participating in this course, you will be able to:
• Understand the reasons customers become difficult and work towards preventing such situations.
• Foster discussions and understanding on the nature of a dissatisfaction.
• Understand and manage our emotions when dealing with different types of customers.
• Value and welcome complaints as opportunities to provide redress and attain customer trust and satisfaction.
• Respond to criticism better.
• Acquire skills to handle difficult customers.
• Learn to say YES! Even when it seems like a NO!
• Know the usage of correct words, tone and body language when dealing with various types of difficult customers.
• Know the necessary steps to be taken to solve a complaint (listen, understand, identify, discuss solutions and solve).
• Employ effective EQ listening skills in handling various customer types
• Employ powerful service recovery methods to renew customer confidence and increase loyalty.

Programme Outline

Content Day 1

• Training content Day 1
• Key elements of a WORLD CLASS Customer Experience excellence
• Attitude
• Skills
• Knowledge
• Behaviour
• Group presentation
• Empathy – Putting Emotional Intelligence to work
• Understanding customer’s perspective, emotions, wants and needs
• Developing your Empathic Customer Experience Statement
• Learning to use empathic dialogue to develop trust
• Exercise: Developing empathic statements to use according to actual customer issues
• Rapport Building Communication Flow in complaint situations
• Active Listening
• The L.I.S.T process (Acknowledge, probe, solve)
• Identifying actual customer complaint scenarios
• Exercise: Developing complaint handling dialogue
• Role play
• Professional / Articulate Speaking
• Communicating without body language through phone
• Articulate speaking
• Mastering and Applying Voice Characteristics
• Tone, Pitch, Rate of Speech and Volume
• Trainer demo through participant interaction

Content Day 2

• Training content Day 2
• Positive body language in complaint situations
• Conveying non-verbal impressions
• Synchrony vs Dyssemia
• Slide presentation – Do’s & don’ts of body language
• Developing a customer-centric service mindset
• Self – diagnosis
• Service Dimensions All Customers Care About
• Exercise: Are we fulfilling those dimensions?
• Exercise: What needs to be done?
• De-fusing angry customers
• During this module, we identify and practice the crucial steps in calming and directing an angry or irate customer.
• Why do customers get angry?
• Managing / filtering our own emotions
• Managing the customer’s emotions – A structured approach
• Role play sessions on real scenarios
• Handling complaints through email
• The trainer provides email templates for the following customer requests including complaint handling:
• Form or document request
• Apology email with request for further information
• Giving information & Instructions
• Additional templates shall be created in case the participants provides more scenarios
• Group exercise – Customizing the trainer’s templates to the client’s business

Who Should Attend

This programme would be highly beneficial to Managers, Executives, Officers and Supervisors who are involved in the food and drink industries, manufacturers, service providers