Work with the "Difficult” Client

Communication skills – the ability to get along with different people, to hear their needs and find the best solution for them – is a universal tool for the productivity of any professional. Yet every one of us sometimes face situations when our professionalism is challenged, particularly it happens when dealing with the so-called "difficult" client.

This seminar offers an opportunity to get a deeper insight into the phenomenon of the "difficult" client, providing practical answers to the following questions: what do all "difficult" clients have in common? What communication strategies should be applied in interacting with them and how? How to perfect one's personality so that the "difficult" clients, in the interaction with them, become a challenge instead of a problem; a challenge that you can accept and solve constructively?

Target audience: Customer service specialists.

Aim of the course: To develop the ability to communicate with various "difficult" clients; to prevent and resolve conflict situations. 

Gains: 

  • Recognizing various types of interaction partners; developing communication strategies with them;
  • A better ability to establish collaboration relationships with complicated communication partners;
  • Better understanding of one's strong suits in communication and how to develop them in everyday.

Duration: 1 day, 6 hours.

Interactive, flexible form of work with the aim of using the gained knowledge in practice: training is developed by presenting participants with theory, case studies, discussions and practical tasks for individual and group work. Video training elements are integrated in the seminar.

Programme:

1. Introduction:

  • Agenda, matters of organization;
  • Expectations of participants.

2. "Golden rules" of effective communication:

  • What we expect in communication and what is expected of us by others: internal and external clients, management;
  • Rational and emotional aspects of communication. How they affect the quality and productivity of communication.

3. Different people, different channels of perceiving information:

  • Verbal and nonverbal communication;
  • Various types of people;
  • The impact of character on style of communication.

4. "Difficult” client:

  • Various types of complicated clients;
  • Direct and indirect factors that provoke conflicts;
  • The ability to recognize the potential of a "difficult" client in the conversation partner and to transform destructive energy into cooperation.

5. Strategies for solving conflicts:

  • Conversation techniques;
  • The potential of emotional intelligence in establishing a constructive dialogue;
  • Regaining inner peace in the conditions of intensive interaction.

6. Conclusion of the seminar:

  • Conclusions of participants, ideas for continued work with oneself and one's colleagues;
  • Individual action plan – concrete actions that will be implemented based on conclusions of the seminar;
  • Feedback.

Venue: TRIVIUMS training centre, Blaumaņa 11/13 - 12, IV, Riga

Participation fees include handouts, coffee breaks and lunch.

For company training, the programme can be adapted for the specifics and needs of the company.

Feedback
  • Main conclusions from the training or 3 things you will definitely use from now on:

    • Have to get oneself into a positive frame of mind. Must understand that the customer is not angry, but scared instead – have to make them feel safe. 
    • Have to maintain an internal feeling of peace in any situation. Maintain positivism, as you attract what you yourself are. 
    • I’ll read additional material, will use breathing exercises and try to put myself in the position of the customer better. 
    • Pyramid – no, I am not the aggressor, no, I am not the rescuer, no, I am not the victim. The customer is always right on a rational level. Distinguish five positive characteristics in an “angry and irrational” customer.
    • Change the means of non-verbal communication. Identify customers’ feelings, and believing that everything is all right with me. 
    • Everything is OK with me, and everyone else is OK. One has to be able to accept one’s own shortcomings as well as those of others. Active and empathetic listening. Reflection of feelings technique.
    • Positive self-programming. Hamburger principle. Correct sentence structure.
    • Change in attitude about things. Positive thinking. Understanding problems.
    • Everything turns out well for me now.
    • Developing a positive within me. Seeing good/positive things. Asking the customer questions with more gentle phrases - unfortunately, I understand, etc.
    • Positive attitude towards myself/others. A structure for how to ask questions. Maintaining cooperation with customers.


    What did you like best in this seminar?

    • Brief, specific and useful suggestions which can be used in a practical way. 
    • Everything was wonderful – very valuable exercises for creating phrases. 
    • Dynamism, small group -> great opportunity to express one’s viewpoint. Other people’s experience in customer service.
    • Finding out about different experience in a variety of companies. Coming to realizations which helped me understand customers’ behaviour and actions better.
    • I liked the way the course was organized and the topics which were discussed. A lot of great phrases and suggestions which I will be able to use every day. I will definitely practice the relaxation technique with exhaling/inhaling and the self-exhilaration pose. I am great -> confident about myself.
    • The free atmosphere, the clarity about issues and realizations, which I can understand, identify and change about myself/my work/a difficult customer.
    • Everything was interesting and I wasn’t bored for a moment. 
    • Many examples from life, stories, tales used for comparison.
    • The competence of the presenter. The information gained.
    • The fact that each of us has confidence within ourselves.
    • I liked the fact that it was positive and had practical examples.
    • I found out ways to give myself a positive attitude during my working day. The opportunity to “switch off” from work.