This document provides guidance on handling difficult customers for trainees. It begins with objectives of identifying different types of difficult customers and demonstrating techniques for managing them. It then defines types of difficult customers like complainers and angry customers and how to deal with each. The document outlines a three stage process for structuring phone calls, with key reminders for dealing with complaints. It discusses active listening, assumptions, and assertiveness, providing tests and scenarios to help trainees improve their skills for managing difficult interactions with customers.

1. PPROCESSROCESS
KKNOWLEDGENOWLEDGE
IINFORMATIONNFORMATION
TRAINEE HANDBOOK
Handling
Difficult
Customers
(the Art of)
PKI 06.2008

3. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS3
PKIPKI
Table of Contents
PURPOSE & OBJECTIVE 4
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS 5
HOW TO DEAL WITH A PROBLEM 7
IDENTIFYING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 8
HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 11
THE 3 STAGES TO STRUCTURE 13
KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER... 14
HANDLING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS 15
SUCCESS 16
ACTIVE LISTENING 17
EFFECTIVE LISTENING 18
ASSUMPTIONS 20
ASSERTIVENESS TEST 22
ASSERTIVENESS TEST RESULTS 24
ASSERTIVE, AGGRESSIVE & NON-ASSERTIVE 25
ASSERTIVE, AGGRESSIVE AND NON-ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOUR 27
BEING ASSERTIVE 28
LISTENING TO SOME CALLS... 29
TRANSACTION MONITORING FORM 30
MONITORING CRITERIA 31
ASSESSMENT SCENARIOS 33
NOTES 36

4. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 4
Purpose
The purpose of the workshop is identifying difficult customers,
developing and practicing effective ways of managing them.
OBJECTIVE:
By the end of this session you will be able to:
 Define different types of difficult customers.
 Demonstrate different techniques you can use to manage difficult
customers during the assessment and a three month follow up
through your Transaction Monitoring results.

5. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS5
PKIPKI
Problem solving skills
THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH A DIFFICULT
CUSTOMER.
What kind of difficult customer did you deal with?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
How did you deal with it? (describe the process, did you involve
anyone else, if yes –how)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
What worked well during the interaction? (list anything that helped you
to solve the problem)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
What hindered the process? (anything that you felt hindered you from
dealing with the customer efficiently).
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Please answer the
following questions and
share the answers with
the rest of the group:

6. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 6
Were you happy with the outcome?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
If you were faced with the same or similar situation in the future, would
you deal with it differently (if yes, state how)
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

7. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS7
PKIPKI
How to deal with an issue
 State the issue.
 Get all the key facts and information.
 Decide the cause of the issue.
 Develop several solutions to each cause.
 Select the most practical solution.
 Take action.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution adopted.

8. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 8
Identifying difficult customers
THE COMPLAINER
CHARACTERISTICS:
HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM:

9. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS9
PKIPKI
THEANGRY CUSTOMER
CHARACTERISTICS:
HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM:

10. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 10
THEABUSIVE CUSTOMER
CHARACTERISTICS:
HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM:

11. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS11
PKIPKI
1. If a customer is angry, never get angry yourself. It can only turn an
unpleasant little incident into an unpleasant big incident.
2. Do not try logical argument on a customer in a temper: it only
adds fuel to the fire. Wait until the customer has calmed down.
3. Do not grovel, and do not let an angry customer draw you into
accepting his assumption that the organisation is generally
inefficient because of his own single unhappy experience.
4. The way to deal with an angry customer is to apologise for the
specific inconvenience only, and to take immediate action to
put it right.
5. An angry customer means that you still have an opportunity. If
the customer hangs up the phone he will never call back, and will
tell all his or her friends/colleagues about your dreadful service and
company. That is real damage. But if the customer comes to you in
a temper, you have the opportunity to prevent that damage.
The real disaster has not happened yet, and if you handle the
situation correctly, it won‟t happen.
1. Never show your boredom or frustration. It will offend other
people as well as the chatter box.
2. Never bully or hector any customer, or interrupt rudely, or
shut them up by visibly trying to dominate them.
3. Use every conversational gap and lead that you can to guide the
conversation towards a satisfactory conclusion.
1. Do not get personally upset by the rudeness of an offensive
customer. And do not fuel his/her abuse by making „value
judgements‟, just stick to facts.
2. Do not be deliberately casual or icily superior to show an
offensive customer what you think of him.
3. The way to deal with the offensive customer is to keep cool, keep
your professional detachment, stay polite, and keep offering
possible solutions in strictly factual terms.
4. Learn to ignore rudeness. Remember that the offensive customer
is offensive to everyone who deals with him/her, not just you. Your
job is not to make him/her nice; you simply have to supply
him/her with what he/she came for. All you have to do is to get
them to go away with whatever it was they came to get.
Handling difficult customers
HANDLINGAN
ANGRY
CUSTOMER
HANDLINGA
COMPULSIVE
TALKER
HANDLINGA
RUDE
CUSTOMER

12. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 12
Sometimes you do everything right. You‟ve put all the right
techniques into practice, but the person remains difficult. In this
case, you should try to bear in mind that :
1. Difficult people are usually difficult for a reason.
2. People who are scared and anxious are most likely to be difficult -
and may remain difficult until their problems are resolved.
3. Anxious people can become childlike and have
“tantrums” (adapted child ego state). Treating them like children
will encourage them to act like a child, whilst treating them like
responsible adults will encourage them to act rationally.
e.g. "I understand your problem and I assure you I’m trying to help.
Please hold the line while I find a solution for your issue ".
will be much more calming and effective than:
"Listen! I am doing all I can. You will need to wait ok?".
If people remain angry, it is often because they think that they
are not being listened to.
THE VERY
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMER

13. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS13
PKIPKI
STAGE 1: THE VERBAL HANDSHAKE!
 Answer promptly.
 Give name/department.
 If you are the caller establish whether it is convenient to
proceed.
 Get/use caller‟s name.
 Sound friendly and interested (Smile in voice).
STAGE 2: GETTING / GIVING THE MESSAGE!
 Listen carefully and sympathetically.
 Control the call.
 Use good questioning techniques.
 Speak clearly and distinctly.
 Vary voice.
 Courteous words and phrases.
 Avoid emotive words.
 Plain words - no jargon.
STAGE 3: OFFERING HELP
 Give useful information.
 Say what you are going to do next.
 Summarise.
 Agree Action.
The 3 stages to structure
AND MANAGE TELEPHONE CALLS

14. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 14
Thank the customer for bringing the complaint to your attention.
Apologise and say that you are sorry they are upset (whatever the
cause of the complaint).
It is important that you say that you are sorry they are upset
rather than apologising about the specific complaint. You are
unlikely at this point to have all the facts.
Be pleasant and courteous; don‟t argue.
Find out what the customer wants by asking open exploratory
and probing questions (for example those that begin with “What?”
and “How?”) is an important part of dealing effectively with a difficult
customer.
As a minimum, in order to solve the problem we need to
understand what the problem is, why it is a problem to the
customer and what action is required to resolve the problem for
them.
Offer to fix the problem and fix the problem if you can at no cost
to the customer.
Share information/suggest alternatives; be generous if you can
and offer something extra.
Agree on a solution and follow it through.
Stay calm. Breathe normally and be aware of your body posture.
Don’t say something you will regret or make promises you
can’t keep.
Get support or advice if you are in difficulty. Talk to your
supervisor.
Don’t take complaints personally and let off steam afterwards.
Key things to remember...
WHEN DEALING WITH ANY COMPLAINANT.

15. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS15
PKIPKI
Complaints must be dealt with sympathetically, calmly and
promptly. If you follow these standards you will be able to diffuse a
customer‟s feelings of disappointment, anger and embarrassment.
Listen calmly and sympathetically. Do not interrupt the customer. Do
not look away or appear distracted. Give the customer your complete
attention. Use verbal nods.
Phrase apologies in terms of being sorry that the customer has been
disappointed. Do not state or imply that there is a fault or that
service has been bad. When you apologise, MEAN IT, after all
customers are VIPs.
When appropriate, repeat the facts of the customer‟s complaint to
him/her to ensure you fully understand the problem.
Explanations of what might have happened of why things are done as
they are must be clear and favourable to other staff and to the
organisation. Do not attach blame, as such, in any explanation.
Gain agreement from the customer about the next course of action to
be taken, suggest only action and alternatives which are within
the organisation’s policy. Where necessary get help from a
supervisor.
Prompt action, within organisation policy must be taken. This applies
as well when that action is to get a supervisor to assist you. Nothing
aggravates customers more than unnecessary delay in resolving
their complaint.
Handling customer complaints
LISTEN
APOLOGISE
CLARIFY
EXPLAIN
AGREE
TAKE ACTION

16. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 16
Success...
Specify the issue
Understand the customer’s needs
Control the call
Concentrate on what you can do
Support the customer
Self Esteem Believe in yourself
and your abilities
Empathise with the customer

17. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS17
PKIPKI
Active listening
USE EMPATHY
 I understand.
 I recognise that you are upset about this.
 I sense your frustration.
 I can see why you are worried.
 I can understand how you feel.
 I can understand why you could be confused.
 I understand how irritating this can be.
ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
■ What is the serial number?
■ When did you purchase the computer?
■ How long have you been having this problem?
■ What other software do you have installed?
ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
 Can you tell me more about it?
 What seems to be the problem?
USE SELECTIVE AGREEMENT
 I agree with you, things are a lot more complicated than
they used to be.
 I agree, when you are waiting for 15 minutes on hold, it
can seem like a very long time.
USE ACTIVE LISTENING WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(vocalised nodding)
■ Uh-huh
■ Yes
■ OK
■ I see
ADMIT YOU WERE WRONG (when appropriate)
ASSIST THE CUSTOMER TO GENERATE
ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTIO

18. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 18
ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE CUSTOMER
When the customer can hear that you are listening in a non-
threatening way he will lose some of his defensiveness. When
this happens, he will often try to understand you better and listen more
effectively to what you are saying.
POSSESSION OF ALL THE INFORMATION
To solve problems and make decisions, it is necessary to obtain
as much relevant information as possible. Good listening helps you
to get as much information as possible about the customer as he is
prepared to tell you. If you learn to listen to the tone of voice, you
may also gain information which he/she did not intent to communicate.
Careful listening motivates the customer to continue talking.
IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS
The customer may have the opportunity to get thoughts, feelings,
facts, ideas and so on off his/her chest. As you listen you will in turn
understand them better. He/she appreciates your interest and the
relationship develops.
Effective listening produces results

19. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS19
PKIPKI
RESOLUTION TO DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW
Disagreements can best be solved when you and the customer
listen carefully to one another. This does not mean that you will
ultimately agree with his/her points of view, or he/she with yours, but
you can show that you understand it.
BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CUSTOMER
Listening carefully to the customer will give you ideas on how he/she
thinks, what he/she feels to be important and why they are saying
what they are saying. You are then in a far better position to
effectively identify and develop his needs and ultimately provide
the best service.
GOOD LISTENING GAINS
 Information
 Understanding
 Listening in return
 Co-operation
Remember on the telephone we are limited to using only 45% of
our available communication skills which means we must work
even harder than in face-to-face communications.

20. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 20
Assumptions
What caused you to make mistakes?
The biggest cause of mistakes will have been assumptions. Trainees
will have made assumptions based on the limited information
provided, and on their previous experiences.
Most will have heard a similar story in the past and will have used this
to make assumptions about the one they heard today.
Why are we making assumptions?
We make assumptions when we don't fully understand a situation.
It is a natural reaction to immediately fill in any missing information by
making up our own story. We do this because we like to try to make
sense of people and situations. The problem with this is that most of
the time our story is incorrect which causes all kinds of
complications. The fact is, we don't know what the truth is unless
we ask.
Why are assumptions bad for business?
Making assumptions is bad for business because doing so can:
 Cause unnecessary stress.
 Waste time and energy.
 Create misunderstandings.
 Cause you to miss out on great opportunities.
 Lower your confidence and create self-doubt.
 Lead you to offer the wrong product/service.
 Create obstacles that don't exist.

21. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS21
PKIPKI
Making assumptions isn't good for any relationship which means we
can apply this to our personal life as well.
When we ask instead of assume, we may not always get an
answer we like or expect. Still, asking is much better than making up
our own story because then we are in the position to make an
informed next step.
Asking questions is simple, yet not always easy. Find the courage to
do what may feel difficult and just ask. Ending assumptions is like
any skill, it takes practice. The more you do it the easier it will
become!
What have you learned from this exercise?
 We are all capable of making assumptions – they are
unavoidable.
 The important thing is to recognize the danger and to use for
example good questioning skills to check understanding and to
provide an opportunity for incorrect assumptions to be identified
early.
 Listen effectively.
 ________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________

22. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 22
Assertiveness test
1. In work meetings you are:
a) Butting in and speaking over others. You make sure your opinion on every topic is
well and truly heard.
b) Nodding and smiling appropriately, but secretly watching the time tick by…
c) Paying close attention to everything that is discussed and giving your constructive
opinion on a few things that you feel strongly about.
2. You’ve made a mistake at work, and it’s time to own up. You:
a) Blame others. If you weren‟t so overworked and understaffed you would never
have made this oversight.
b) Take full responsibility, and while you‟re confessing your sins, own up to taking
the last donut from the fridge, not re-filling the printer paper when you realised it was
empty and being two minutes late three Thursday‟s ago.
c) Acknowledge your mistake and move on. You concentrate on creating a solution,
not agonising over the mistake.
3. Your best friend has just broken up with her long-term boyfriend and you’ve
promised to bring soppy DVDs and takeaway to cheer her up tonight. At 5pm on the
dot, your boss asks you to work late as there is a project that requires immediate
attention. You:
a) Tell your boss to back off. You have already worked above and beyond what‟s
required of you this week, your work/life balance is out of wack, and it‟s time he or
show asked someone else to stay back.
b) Understand that in this day and age working late is a norm, rather than a once off,
and that staying back will prove to your boss that you are committed to the
company. You make up an excuse to your friend, and say you‟ll see her tomorrow
night instead.
c) Explain you have other commitments and if necessary, you can come in earlier
the next day instead.
4. You work for a “dinosaur” company where long work hours are the norm. This sort
of culture is wearing you down, and you want to cut back to a four-day week. Despite
presenting a mutually beneficial proposal to your boss, you are knocked back. You:
a) Burst into tears and threaten to quit.
b) Accept your lot, and go back to struggling through the day and battling to have
enough time for your family, friends and self.
c) Ask for a written explanation as to why you‟ve been knocked back, and then re-
write your proposal accordingly.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CONFLICT AT WORK?

23. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS23
PKIPKI
5. One of the girls that sits closest to your desk spends the majority of her day on the
phone gossiping to her girlfriends (and when she’s not doing that, she’s usually on
MySpace). Not only does this disturb your productivity, but you find it unfair and a waste
of the company’s time and money. You:
a) Glare at your co-worker whenever she does this, and later whisper in your boss‟s
ear that your co-worker is driving you nuts and wasting company time, and let your
boss deal with it.
b) Just ignore your co-worker. It‟s not your place to say anything, and assume that
eventually she will get found out by the boss.
c) Politely but firmly raise the issue with your colleague, pointing out her loud
gossiping and raucous laughter actually disturbs your work.
6. A set task is taking longer than you first thought, and you need help. You:
a) Don‟t ask, but tell others to do things for you. That‟s what receptionists and
secretaries are for anyway.
b) Feel guilty and anxious asking others to do things, and you spend the rest of the
day stressing about how you will phrase your plea for help.
c) Because you have a strong sense of self-worth, you ask for help without feeling
weak, guilty or inadequate.
7. You turn up five minutes early to a meeting, but the person who called the meeting is
20 minutes late. You:
a) Hunt down the said person, interrupt their phone conversation and demand an
explanation for keeping you waiting.
b) Wait patiently. They are far more important than you anyway and naturally will
have a good reason for being late.
c) Wait fifteen minutes and then return to your desk. You have major deadlines to
meet anyway and can‟t be wasting time waiting around. You send a memo to this
person asking if they would like to reschedule.
9. You suspect someone is harbouring a grudge against you, but you don’t know
why. You:
a) Ignore and avoid this person as much as possible and mutter snide remarks about
them in the lunch room.
b) Go out of your way to be nice to this person. You hate confrontation, and you want
everyone to like you.
c) Ask this person if they are angry at you, and try to be understanding.

24. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 24
IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY A‟S YOU ARE AGGRESSIVE.
You are very likely to defend your own rights, beliefs and opinions and work to
achieve your goals, but you have very little regard for other people and their
rights, beliefs and opinions. You also insist that your ideas and feelings are more
important than others. You often blame others for problems instead of offering
solutions. You rarely talk with people, but rather to them, and you carry a „my
way or the highway‟ attitude. You have a tendency to interrupt, and may use
threats to get your own way.
Tip: No man is an island. Try working with people, and seeing their point of view.
IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY B‟S, YOU ARE PASSIVE.
The most important thing to you is to be liked and accepted by everyone. You
are easy and pleasant to get along with, but you are unwilling to stand-up for
yourself and have your needs and opinions heard. Most importantly, you have
trouble saying no to people and often find yourself saying „yes‟ when you actually
mean „no‟. Being a push-over and having your needs denied, may eventually
lead to pent up frustration and/or unhappiness.
Tip: Understand that being nice has nothing to do with giving in to others.
IF YOU ANSWERED MOSTLY C‟S, YOU ARE ASSERTIVE.
Congratulations! Being assertive means you have the ability to stand-up for
yourself while also respecting the rights of others. You professionally tackle
problems face-on, ensuring that the emphasis isn‟t on who made the mistake but
rather how the problem can be solved. You give direct eye contact, which
suggests self-confidence and commands others to listen. You are not afraid to
say no, or to ask for help. You take responsibility for your behaviour but not the
behaviour of others or for situations that are beyond your control. Mostly
importantly, you get your needs met and you address problems maturely before
they build-up to crisis-point.
Remember: People only treat you how you let them treat you.
a
b
c
Assertiveness test Results

25. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS25
PKIPKI
Assertive, Aggressive & Passive
IF YOU ARE ASSERTIVE YOU DO:
 Ask for what you want directly, openly and appropriately.
 Are confident.
YOU DON‟T:
 Violate other people‟s rights.
 Expect people to magically know what you want/need.
 Give in to anxiety.
IF YOU ARE AGGRESSIVE YOU DO:
 Try to get what you want in any way that works.
 Often provoke bad feelings in others.
 Threaten, manipulate and use sarcasm.
YOU DON‟T:
 Respect or consider other people‟s feelings.
 Compromise.
 Listen.
IF YOU ARE PASSIVE YOU DO:
 Hope that you will get what you want.
 Rely on others to know what you want.
YOU DON‟T:
 Ask for what you want/need.
 Express your feelings.
 Care.

26. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 26
Now we know it is good to be assertive, so what is stopping us?
 Others being aggressive.
 Lack of Knowledge.
 Feeling ill/worried.
 Lack of confidence.
 Feeling inferior.
 Fear.
 Not enough resources available.
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
 ______________________________________________
These are all barriers. We face these every day. You hit a barrier when you step out
of your comfort zone.

27. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS27
PKIPKI
ASSERTIVE, AGGRESSIVEAND NON-ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOUR
ASSERTIVE AGGRESSIVE NON-ASSERTIVE
Characteristics
Choose for self.
Appropriately honest.
Direct, self-respecting,
self-expressing,
straight-forward.
Convert win-lose to
win-win.
Choose for others.
Inappropriately honest
(tactless). Direct, self-
enhancing. Self-
expressive,
derogatory. Win-lose
situation that you win.
Allow others to
choose for you.
Emotionally
dishonest. Indirect
self-denying,
inhibited. In win-lose
situations you lose. If
you do get your own
way, it is indirectly.
Your Own
Feelings on the
Exchange
Confident, self-
respecting, goal-
oriented, valued. Later:
Accomplished.
Righteous, superior,
deprecatory,
controlling. Later:
possibly guilt.
Anxious, ignored,
helpless,
manipulated. Angry at
yourself, and/or
others.
Others' Feelings in
the Exchange Valued, respected.
Humiliated, defensive,
resentful, hurt.
Guilty or superior.
Frustrated with you.
Others' View of
You in the
Exchange Respect, trust. Know
where you stand.
Vengeful, angry,
distrustful, fearful.
Lack of respect,
distrust. Can be
considered a
pushover. Do not
know where you
stand.
Outcome Outcome determined
by above-board
negotiation. Your and
others' rights
respected.
You achieve your goal
at others' expense.
Your rights upheld;
others' are violated.
Others achieve their
goals at your
expense. Your rights
are violated.
Underlying Belief
System
I have a responsibility
to protect my own
rights: I respect others
but not necessarily
their behaviour.
I have to put others
down to protect myself.
I should never make
anyone
uncomfortable or
displeased... except
myself.

28. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 28
 Know what to say.
 Say it!
 Be specific.
 Say it as soon as possible.
 Be relaxed.
 Avoid laughing nervously.
 Don‟t whine or be sarcastic.
Being Assertive

29. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS29
PKIPKI
Listening to some calls...
SCENARIO:
Customer sent his mobile phone in for repair three weeks ago after calling customer services.
The agent had told him the phone would be back from repair within 5 working days but this is
not the case. The customer is calling to see what is happening with the phone.
FIRST CALL SECOND CALL
What was good?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
What could be done better?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
What was good?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
What could be done better?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

30. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 30
Transaction monitoring form
Agent Customer/Case No. FE NO
Client Recorded NFE % 100.0%
Language Monitored
Monitor Feedback Total 100.0%
1 N/A C FE
2 N/A C FE
3 N/A C
4 Empathy N/A C
5 N/A C
6 N/A C
7 N/A C
8 N/A C
9 N/A C
10 N/A C
11 Controlled call effectively & Proactively helped and informed N/A C
12 Did agent use correct Hold Procedure? N/A C
13 Agent remained calm throughout N/A C FE
14 Agent refrained from using irritators N/A C FE
15 Agent refrained from making assumptions N/A C
Total FE's 0
Total NFE's 0
Transaction Monitoring Form (Call)
Communicated at an appropriate level both professionally & technically?
Was agent proficient in language of call?
Voice/clarity
Did agent stick to the issue?
Did agent attempt to build rapport?
Did agent listen actively & use verbal nods?
Was information given relevant & clear?
Appropriate use of customer's name
Did the agent reach this solution within an appropriate time?
Actions
Comments

31. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS31
PKIPKI
1. Communicated at an appropriate level both professionally & technically?
Use Terminology that the customer will understand, do not baffle them with technical
jargon. However, do not underestimate the technical knowledge of your customer.
The agent should remain professional throughout the call. Professionalism is reflected
in language, attitude and information given to the customer. This includes
professionalism with regards to our client, its products and services.
2. Was agent proficient in language of call?
The agent may be advised about certain words or phrases they are using which are
not correct, or may be given alternative phrases to use to sound more fluent.
3. Voice/clarity
I.E.: Speed, volume, quality, diction, long pauses. Also the general quality of sound on
the call will be addressed here, i.e. breathing sounds, coughing or excessive
background noise.
4. Empathy
Shows concern for consumer‟s problem and stresses the importance of their call and
our willingness to assist before probing. (e.g. That certainly is frustrating, and I am
glad that you called. I would like to help you with this). Please note this is not just
about saying the right words, you should also sound sincere.
5. Did agent stick to the issue?
Agent should only address issues relevant to the subject of the call and client
products and procedures, and not enter into discussion about unrelated issues.
6. Did agent attempt to build rapport?
Did the agent add a personal touch to the call or was it purely transactional? Did they
effectively adapt to the level of the customer, use the customer‟s name and use their
voice to assure or relax customer? Did they use positive language?
7. Did agent listen actively and use verbal nods?
The agent should listen carefully to the customer in order that things do not have to
be repeated or recorded wrongly. Listen attentively to all the information provided by
the customer indicating this by using relevant phrases and responses. Do not
interrupt or draw conclusions before the customer has voiced his concerns.
8. Was information given relevant & clear?
Did the agent give only relevant information to the customer or did they overload them
with information? Was the information relayed to the customer in a clear manner.
9. Appropriate use of customer's name
The agent needs to use the customer‟s name at least once in the conversation.
Monitoring Criteria
FE
FE

32. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 32
Ideally after confirming the customer‟s details, the agent should say, how can I help
you Mr or Mrs X.
10. Did the agent reach this solution within an appropriate time?
Agent gained understanding of issue within expected level of agent knowledge and
experience.
11. Controlled call effectively & Proactively helped and informed
Use open/closed questions to clarify and gather information that will assist in handling
the customer‟s questions and concerns. Agent should be confident and assertive to
an appropriate degree, and not allow the customer to steer the call away from the
relevant subject. The agent should also keep the call to an appropriate length.
(example of where points may be lost: customer terminates the call in anger,
customer keeps agent on line discussing irrelevant issues, agent insufficiently
assertive and customer continues to argue, customer having to ask a lot of questions
where agent should have been able to offer the information etc.)
Identifies other supported issues on call and addresses them, provides information
without prompting by the customer.
12. Did agent use correct Hold Procedure?
Agents should ask permission before putting the customer on hold. Once permission
is gained, they should check back with the customer approximately every 50 seconds
to ensure their case is still being dealt with. Once the customer is taken off hold
permanently, agent should thank him/her for holding/showing patience.
13. Agent remained calm throughout
The agent must show patience throughout the conversation when responding/
listening to the customer.
14. Agent refrained from using irritators
Overuse of words/expressions.
The agent should ensure they avoid overuse of certain words/phrases, even polite
ones such as “Sir”, or over using the customer‟s title and surname.
Examples of irritating Phrases:
“… if you let me finish …”,
“… you are not listening to me …”
“… as I have already told you several times …”
“… to be honest …”
These phrases should not be used, regardless of the tone of voice used.
15. Agent refrained from making assumptions
The agent should ensure that they do not make assumptions regarding the
customer‟s problem/situation without exploring all possible solutions, particularly when
dealing with common technical issues.
FE
FE

33. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS33
PKIPKI
Assessment Scenarios
A customer had booked a double room for
one night at hotel St. James and had been
quoted £100 as a total price (£50 per
person, per night). They now found out they
have been charged £200 instead, after
receiving a credit card bill, and they are
calling you to complain.
Explain to the customer that they had been
quoted the right price initially (£100) and
that you will arrange for a refund with your
manager.
SCENARIO 1
Hotel St. James

34. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS 34
A customer ordered two books from Online-
books.com (The Da Vinci Code by Dan
Brown and Harry Potter and The Order of
the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling) at a special
offer price of £5 per book. The customer
chose to pay „cash on delivery‟. The
customer is calling you to complain that he
was sent Angels and Demons by Dan
Brown instead, and that the invoice
presented to him by the courier service
quoted £8 per book instead of £5.
Explain to the customer that unfortunately
the order was logged incorrectly, and that
you will arrange for the courier service to
pick up the wrong book and drop off the
correct one at no extra charge. Also advise
you will refund the customer the £6 he was
overcharged.
SCENARIO 2
Online-books.com

35. HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS35
PKIPKI
A customer sent in his faulty camera to the
High-Tec Digital Cameras repair centre.
When he called in initially he was told the
camera would be replaced with one of the
same make and model, since it was still
within warranty. The customer has now
received a much chunkier, less practical
camera that is nowhere near like the one
he sent in, and the customer is calling to
complain.
Explain to the customer that unfortunately
there seems to have been a mix-up at the
service centre, and that you will arrange for
a pre-paid jiffy bag to be sent to the
customer so he/she can send the camera
back. Upon receipt of this you will make
sure the correct replacement camera will be
sent out to the customer.
SCENARIO 3
High-Tec
Digital Cameras

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