COMPLAINT HANDLING TECHNIQUES

The customer/client is always right! Even when they’re wrong! Or so the saying goes. Right or wrong? Handling complaints well can be a real challenge for both individual complaint handlers and the organisations being complained about. So this course has been designed and developed to help whether your role is tactical (getting your ear bent by angry callers day in day out) or strategic (putting in place the systems to deal with the complaints, learn from them and change where and when appropriate).

Register your interest in a public group session

We understand individuals and small businesses may not have the resources to book an exclusive group or one-to-one session, so we operate a wait list system. Give us you contact details and when enough people have registered their interest we'll be in touch to organise a date. For most sessions you'll be alongside (virtually that is) no more than five other trainees.

Organise an in-house private course

This is the way most organisations choose to work with us. You get to choose the workshop, nominate who you want to sit the session, fix a time and date that suits everyone and decide whether you want online or in-person delivery. We do the rest – even down to tweaking the training to match your specific needs. All we need is a bit of information about you so click the organise button to get the ball rolling.

Price

From £1199 per session

Handling complaints can be difficult, but successful organisations rely on satisfied clients and staff. The aim of this half-day course is to assist delegates in listening to, responding to and handling complaints more effectively and in a way that creates long-term loyalty.

Whether you are offering a service, an idea or a product, your customers and clients are increasingly demanding the best, fastest and most convenient and if they feel their complaint or objection is not being heard and dealt with effectively they will take their custom elsewhere. As important, is the way in which you handle internal complaints, so that they don't escalate into destructive conflict. This course is aimed at those who want to improve the way in which they respond to and successfully manage complaints.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this practical and interactive course, through group exercises, discussion, case study and individual activities, delegates should be able to:

Identify the range of complaints made by clients and members of staff and appreciate the source of those complaints.
Understand why people complain and the sources of those complaints
Design a procedure for welcoming and recording complaints and suggestions about improved performance and responses.
Develop an effective complaint handling policy and set of procedures - and have a process in place that involves and shares with all members of your organisation who will be handling customer/client complaints
Appreciate the importance of well-trained, motivated, empowered staff that are able to address complaints and view them as opportunities to improve, rather than as threats to be feared.
Decide who in the organisation [front line staff, management, HR] is best to handle different complaint scenarios.
Appreciate the importance of good communication skills – verbal, body language and active listening – in turning 'customer complaints' into ‘customer delight’ when dealing with complaints.
Develop appropriate strategic problem-solving and conflict-resolution techniques to deal effectively with complaints.
Recognise the triggers that result in a complaint escalating into a conflict.
Learn how not to take complaints personally and to see them as an opportunity, rather than a threat.
Develop a system for reviewing existing client and staff member complaint systems, which can be implemented to improve future performance.

FACILITATOR

Many of our organisational development courses are led by Sandy Keating. Her background is in marketing and management. She couples this with her extensive experience in adult vocational education and learning. It's a highly effective combination.

FEEDBACK

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IN HOUSE

This workshop is available for in-house delivery which is cost effective if you've got more than a few people who need training with the added advantage that course content can be tailored to your specific organisational needs. Contact the trainer to discuss your requirements.

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