Behavioral Expectations Supported: Service Excellence, Effective Communication 

https://hr.ua.edu/employee-resources/performance-management/behavioral

Target Audience

Anyone who wishes to understand how to diffuse strong emotions with customers.

Overview/Description

Do you argue or engage in debate when interacting with customers? Do you become frustrated when

communications fail and complaints start rolling in? Every business has some angry, emotional or difficult customers. There are ways we can respectfully engage with customers and diffuse strong feelings.

This training will help you de-escalate a customer’s volatile emotions by responding effectively to their distress. The key skills that will be addressed in this session include:  careful listening, understanding, making appropriate apologies, and taking action. Key

strategies will also involve affirming what customers need and providing them assurances.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the most common customer expectations and causes for strong emotions

• Recognize common mistakes that escalate the risk for distress in customers

• Understand the gift of complaints

• Demonstrate strategies to de-escalate volatile emotions