39 Dealing With Difficult Customers courses delivered Live Online

This workshop is designed to support staff and organisations in the voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to consider, plan, and implement personal and professional boundaries in the workplace.

2-part workshop for parents hosted by Rachel Wright, Founder of Born at the Right Time and author of 'The Skies I'm Under'.

This highly practical one-day workshop has been designed specifically to help maximise sales where customers make contact by telephone. When customers contact us direct they have clearly already considered the possibility that they might buy from us, but we're still only half-way to making a sale. Unless we fully understand their needs and make it easy for them to buy, we may not secure the business. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques needed to achieve the most positive outcome in any inbound customer call. A combination of excellent customer service skills and savvy sales awareness techniques will increase our chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The programme features the unique INBOUND model, to help remember the key principles for effective inbound telephone sales: Initial impressions Needs of the customer Bring them with you Open up the conversation Understand the triggers Narrow down the solutions Decision time! The programme also covers how to deal with difficult calls and challenging people - after all, every complaint is a sales opportunity! This programme will help participants: Create the perfect interaction with any customer making contact by telephone Make every call count Build rapport quickly in any situation Handle difficult calls and challenging people Create sustainable and profitable relationships Increase your sales conversions 1 The inbound sales process Each customer who contacts us will be at a different stage of the sales process. Some might be making general enquiries whilst others will be ready to commit, having made most of their decisions already. Sales and customer service people need to be ready to find out the stage the customer has reached before helping them to make the right decision for them 2 Engaging with the customer Having clarified where the customer is on their journey to making a purchasing decision, our next responsibility is to create and build a trusting relationship on both sides. This involves establishing rapport quickly to ease the communication process, thus enabling smooth transactions, both now and in the future 3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information Developing these skills requires practice so that the communication becomes natural for the customer. This helps the customer to feel comfortable with us and work with us towards an effective solution. We discuss different types of question and how to use high-gain questions to uncover key information. Active listening will ensure that we can really help customers get what they need 4 Overcoming objections and excuses If we have followed the process properly and really understood the customer, then there should no further objections or barriers to completing the transaction. The reality is that there will still be the occasional issue that needs clarifying, so we need to prepare for possible objections and questions that customers might have. This includes probing objections so that we fully understand the customer's perspective before constructing suitable responses or solutions 5 Gaining commitment and ending the call Customers want to gain a solution to the issue they are facing and the sooner we can help them achieve that the better. Guiding the customer and helping them to believe in their own decision is part of our role. This section is dedicated to getting commitment all the way along the process, not just at the close 6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations The realisation that everybody is different, with different personality types, different ways of looking at the world and different goals, is key to understanding sales. With this is mind we discuss these differences and how we adapt our approach to ease communication and maintain trust and understanding 7 Action plans Course summary and presentation of action plans

How to protect your cash flow In the current economic climate more and more companies are finding that their customers are taking longer to pay - or are not even paying at all. As cash flow is key to the survival of any business, effective debt collection tactics are vital for all businesses. This workshop concentrates on the telephone skills and techniques you can use to achieve the most positive outcome in any debt collection situation - payment of money owed, as soon as possible, whilst keeping the collection cost as low as possible. The course will help you: Understand your debtors and communicate with them accordingly Develop a strategy for more effective debt collection Make every call count Handle difficult calls Reduce the amount of time you need to spend on chasing payment Increase your collection rates 1 The debt collection process Understanding the reasons behind payment default Looking at the debt situation from the customer's point of view Developing a strategy for effective debt collection 2 Advanced telephone communication skills Techniques for speaking to the person responsible for paying the debt How to gain the customer's trust when discussing debt Telephone collection skills best practice Key phrases that keep the conversation positive and open 3 Questioning and listening skills for gathering information Different types of question Using high-gain questions to uncover key information Active listening that will help you understand what customers are really saying Leading with examples and high-impact questions Summarising and restating 4 Overcoming objections and excuses Identifying objections Preparing suitable responses Probing objections and ways to overcome them 5 Gaining commitment and ending the call Learn how to negotiate an agreement to suit both parties Summarising actions for you and the customer Ending the call professionally 6 Dealing with difficult and challenging situations Understand different personality types The correct way to respond to an upset customer Ways to calm angry customers (and handle verbal attacks) 7 Action plans Course summary and presentation of action plans

It's a fact of life that costs generally increase and as a result prices must go up too. Implementing an increase without losing customers is challenging. Talking about a price increase with customers never makes for an easy conversation. Your customers will generally decide whether to accept the increase based upon value, as well as the hassle cost of switching and going elsewhere. Even the most experienced salesperson who has implemented price increases before will be fighting back the nerves when faced with the task of 'selling' the increase. In this flexible programme, we will support your internal preparations at whichever stage you and your colleagues are at. From making the decision to increase prices, right through to those on the frontline already dealing with any push-back. This programme will help participants: Understand the business case for increasing prices Take steps to research the market Consider their customers' motivations Use the six principles of influence Identify and adapt for different personality styles Assess their level of trust with customers Build rapport rapidly with their customers and prospects 1 Raising prices - keys to success Understanding the business case Researching the market Assessing the value of your offering 2 Understanding your customer base Assessing your key accounts What is your 'target' customer range? Creating consistency in pricing approach 3 Planning the increase Timing your implementation Communication strategy Elements of a good price increase letter 4 Developing influencing skills The Trust Equation The six principles of influence Discovering your customer's buying decisions 5 Emotional intelligence and price increases The part emotion plays Developing strategies for keeping calm Handling your customer's responses 6 Understanding different customer styles Discover your own style Recognising behaviour traits in others Adapting your approach to their style 7 Preparing for customer contact Preparing for specific customers Anticipating their response Dealing with challenging customers 8 Following through Maintaining a consistent approach Resisting requests for discounts Confirming the increase in writing

Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for individuals who desire to become more skilled at handling difficult customers. Overview Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to deal with difficult customers in a way that increases productivity and customer service, and decreases unhappy customers. In this course, students will gain a valuable skill set to deal with difficult customers in various situations. 1 - GETTING STARTED Housekeeping Items Pre-Assignment Review Workshop Objectives The Parking Lot Action Plan 2 - THE RIGHT ATTITUDE STARTS WITH YOU Be Grateful Keep Your Body Healthy Focus on Positive Thoughts Invoke Inner Peace Case Study 3 - INTERNAL STRESS MANAGEMENT Irritability Unhappiness with Your Job Feeling Underappreciated Not Well-Rested Case Study 4 - EXTERNAL STRESS MANAGEMENT Office Furniture Not Ergonomically Sound High Noise Volume in the Office Rift with Co-Workers Demanding Supervisor Case Study 5 - TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS What is Transactional Analysis? Parent Adult Child Case Study 6 - WHY ARE SOME CUSTOMERS DIFFICULT? They Have Truly Had a Bad Experience and Want to Vent They Have Truly Had a Bad Experience and Want Someone to be Held Accountable They Have Truly Had a Bad Experience and Want Resolution They Are Generally Unhappy Case Study 7 - DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMER OVER THE PHONE Listen to the Customer?s Complaint Build Rapport Do Not Respond with Negative Words or Emotion Offer a Verbal Solution to Customer Case Study 8 - DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMER IN PERSON Listen to the Customer?s Complaint Build Rapport Responding with Positive Words and Body Language Besides Words, What to Look For? Case Study 9 - SENSITIVITY IN DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS Who are Angry Who Are Rude With Different Cultural Values Who Cannot Be Satisfied Case Study 10 - SCENARIOS OF DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT CUSTOMER Angry Customer Rude Customer Culturally Diverse Customer Impossible to Please Customer Case Study 11 - CUSTOMER ONCE YOU HAVE ADDRESSED THEIR COMPLAINT Call the Customer Send the Customer an Email Mail the Customer a Small Token Handwritten or Typed Letter Case Study 12 - WRAPPING UP Words From The Wise Review Of The Parking Lot Lessons Learned Recommended Reading Completion Of Action Plans And Evaluations

Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for customer service professionals with any level of experience who want to expand their knowledge, improve their skill set, and increase the understanding of customer benefits. Overview In this course, you will develop the skills to coach for results. You will:  Describe the benefits of customer service, identify internal customers, identify the benefits to you of giving good customer service, and identify how you can help your company to excel. Identify the major trends in customer service today and the combination of criteria required for customer satisfaction. Identify the benefits of bringing respect, emotional support, and a personal touch to customer interactions, and apply the personal touch to customer interactions. Identify the six categories of face-to-face communication, the critical success factors in face-to-face communication, and the benefits of actively listening to your customers. Identify remote customer service communication channels and apply remote customer service best practices. Identify guidelines for handling unreasonable customers, explore ways to handle angry customers, and identify guidelines for handling unhelpful colleagues. Take action to increase the loyalty of the customers you serve. You will also identify guidelines for dealing with moments of truth, identify the benefits of customer complaints, identify the steps in the service recovery process, and analyze the moments of truth in a real-life situation. As a customer service representative, you are expected to handle customer interactions in the best way possible. The expectations of both your company and your customers hinge on your ability to provide the right service in the right way. In this course, you will explore the background and techniques of customer interactions.Providing quality customer care ensures that every single contact with your company is a positive experience. Customers can range from external consumers to internal employees in other departments. Knowing how to provide the same level of service to all customers will enrich your time spent at work by establishing positive business relationships. Recognizing crucial points throughout customer interactions increases your ability to solve problems and offer affirmative solutions. Applying this knowledge to trends in service and consumer desires allows you to contribute to the company?s bottom line and make a customer?s life a little easier. Understanding Customer Service Describe Customer Service Benefits Recognize the Importance of Internal Customer Service Identify How Customer Service Benefits You Excel with Customer Service Identifying How Customers Define the Success of Your Company Recognize Trends in Customer Service Identify Criteria for Customer Satisfaction Increasing Customer Satisfaction Identify Characteristics of the Personal Touch Create Lasting Positive Impressions on Your Customers Providing Face-to-Face Customer Service Identify Categories of Face-to-Face Contact Understand the Critical Success Factors in Face-to-Face Customer Service Identify the Characteristics of Active Listening Providing Remote Customer Service Identify Remote Customer Service Communication Channels Apply Remote Customer Service Best Practices Engaging Difficult Customers Serve Difficult Customers Manage Angry Customers Deal with Difficult or Unhelpful Colleagues Increasing Customer Loyalty Optimize Moments of Truth Recognize the Value of Customer Complaints Identify the Stages of the Service Recovery Process

Wouldn't sales be a 'walk in the park' without challenging customers? Why is it that some customers are so difficult to please, so quick to call 'foul' at the slightest blip and so mean with their gratitude after we've bent over backwards to accommodate them? Whether we are looking at prospective or existing customers, there is a toolkit for dealing with the most challenging of them. This course will help participants: Use broad open questions to give the customer a platform for their opinions or issues Improve listening skills to really understand what's behind the customer's challenging style Probe specific phrases to show listening and earn deeper disclosure Use silence to let challenging customers 'blow off steam' Understand the negative impact of certain phrases on a challenging customer Summarise effectively and reassure the customer of our understanding of their needs Recognise the 'behaviour cycle' and avoid emotional escalation Understand 'transactional analysis' and how to bring people from 'child' to 'adult' state Create loyalty in customers who are slow to give trust 1 What makes a customer 'challenging'? Why customers challenge us - understanding their drivers 'Wearing their shoes' - seeing things from their perspective Understanding our own personality style How to flex with a style that is different from our own Ways to quickly recognise a customer's style The benefits of flexing with a challenging customer's style 2 Practical exercise - forum theatre Participants take it in turns to deal with the trainer (who plays the role of the challenging customer) Observers stop the action when they hear or see something they deem wrong The participant in the seat gets a chance to use a suggested alternative line The participant who makes the suggestion has the chance to occupy the seat and deliver it themselves Frequent feedback from the trainer as to how the participant's words are making him feel Opportunities to rewind the action if an ill-advised line is suggested and delivered Flipchart for capturing what worked, what didn't work and why Mehrabian principle - the importance of body language and tone over words used 3 Questioning and listening skills How to use open questions to get the customer talking What questions to avoid and why The use of pauses and silence to reduce tension and build trust What listening is and what it isn't Question funnelling - how to earn deeper disclosure through probing The power of summary 4 Transactional analysis explained What is transactional analysis (TA)? Exploring the TA states and why people behave in that way under pressure How to bring challenging customers to 'adult' state to reduce tension How 'parent' or 'child' behaviours can be inadvertently triggered Understanding the 'behavioural cycle' and how to break it Mini-role play 'vignettes' to demonstrate real time impact of ill-chosen words 5 How to build trust with challenging customers Techniques for placating current challenging customers Methods that the participants have already used effectively - understanding why those methods worked and how other participants can model them Participants' experiences of trust having been lost - understanding why those experiences had that negative outcome How to 'go the extra mile' with challenging customers 6 Bringing a 'real' challenging customer to life Participants give the trainer a brief profile of a specific challenging customer of theirs 5-10 minute roleplay in which the trainer brings that individual to life Observing participants - without interrupting - make notes on what is and isn't working Trainer stops the action half-way through to give feedback on how he is feeling Participant goes back into the roleplay having recalibrated their approach based on feedback Observers give feedback on what did and didn't work Trainer comes out of character to explain the impact of the participant's words and behaviours 7 Wrap-up Key learnings from each participant Individual action planning - steps that can and will be implemented in the workplace

leadership management training course customer service training

Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for managers and individuals who would like to increase their skill in leading and planning meetings. Overview Upon successful completion of this course, participants will have the basic tools needed to initiate and manage meetings that will engage attendees and leave a positive and lasting impression. In this course, participants will learn the needed skills in planning and implementing a successful meeting. Getting Started Workshop Objectives Action Plan Planning and Preparing (1) Identifying the Participants Choosing the Time and Place Creating the Agenda Practical Illustration Planning and Preparing (2) Gathering Materials Sending Invitations Making Logistical Arrangements Practical Illustration Setting Up the Meeting Space The Basic Essentials The Extra Touches Choosing a Physical Arrangement Practical Illustration Electronic Options Overview of Choices Available Things to Consider Making a Final Decision Practical Illustration Meeting Roles and Responsibilities The Chairperson The Minute-taker The Attendees Variations for Large and Small Meetings Practical Illustration Chairing a Meeting (1) Keeping the Meeting on Track Dealing with Overtime Holding Participants Accountable Practical Illustration Chairing a Meeting (2) Running in and Out Cell Phone Ringing Off on a Tangent Personality Conflict Practical Illustration Dealing With Disruptions Running in and Out Cell Phone Ringing Off on a Tangent Personality Conflict Practical Illustration Taking Minutes What are Minutes? What do I Record? A Take-Home Template Practical Illustration Making the Most of Your Meeting The Minute Meeting Using Games Giving Prizes Simple Magic Practical Illustration Wrapping Up Words From the Wise Additional course details: Nexus Humans Meeting Management Skills training program is a workshop that presents an invigorating mix of sessions, lessons, and masterclasses meticulously crafted to propel your learning expedition forward. This immersive bootcamp-style experience boasts interactive lectures, hands-on labs, and collaborative hackathons, all strategically designed to fortify fundamental concepts. Guided by seasoned coaches, each session offers priceless insights and practical skills crucial for honing your expertise. Whether you're stepping into the realm of professional skills or a seasoned professional, this comprehensive course ensures you're equipped with the knowledge and prowess necessary for success. While we feel this is the best course for the Meeting Management Skills course and one of our Top 10 we encourage you to read the course outline to make sure it is the right content for you. Additionally, private sessions, closed classes or dedicated events are available both live online and at our training centres in Dublin and London, as well as at your offices anywhere in the UK, Ireland or across EMEA.