"Dealing with Conflict On the Telephone"

[XTR]

I've been given the chance to go on a course about dealing with conflict on the telephone. Anyone been on something like this before? Any good?

Dealing with Conflict On the Telephone

Draft Programme


· Introduction

· Definition of ‘what is a difficult call’ which could cause conflict on the telephone

· Types of difficult telephone calls which can cause conflict

· Definition of ‘what is an offensive call’ which could cause conflict on the telephone

· Forms of discrimination

· Good practice

· Developing your questioning and listening skills

· Basic principles

· Key skills in dealing with aggression and emotion

· Dealing with abusive and aggressive telephone calls

· The Law

· ‘What would you do’, scenario based learning

· Summary and review

· Close

[joshwa]

It sounds quite interesting, I've been on a few customer services courses and some of them dealt with basic conflict resolution, but nothing as in depth as this one - looks good though - I think I'll suggest it to management here.

[tiggerai]

I just get my mum to deal with it... she's damn scary on the phone.

[0iD]

Get grief, hang up, job done

[Dougal]

Buzby?

I think the best way to deal with telephone calls from Irate customers is to listen to what the problem is, see it from their POV and contact the relevant departments of the company myself to see what can and cannot be done, then go back to the customer with more information.

[nichomach]

...Which works while you are dealing with a customer who still has the capability to listen reasonably, or where the answer that you're able to give falls broadly in line with what they want to hear...especially the latter. If not, all bets are off.

[shiato storm]

always a shame that its a nice sounding person i end up shouting at from orange when they cock up. time after time. In my mind the represent the company and as such should be prepared to deal with irate customers. if they cannot take the responsibility to see a customer's point of view on a matter then really they shouldn't be working there.

[shelley bda]

It's harder to shout at someone when they are being nice,

The people at orange are always nice and i very often end up having converstions about general stuff, was one the phone for nearly an hour once while this girl was telling me all about her life and asking about mine weird

I don't believe in shouting down the phone,shouting is a waste of time and energy, it's the tone of your voice that's important, assertive but still being polite

[nichomach]

I try to be courteous with people even when I'm making a complaint; letting off steam might make you feel better but in general I've found that it's best to do that by beating the living...errrr...daylights out of some random bots and then being the essence of polite and restrained calm on the phone. Flies, honey, vinegar, likelihood of successful capture, etc...

[nichomach]

...was one the phone for nearly an hour once while this girl was telling me all about her life and asking about mine...

Yeeeeeeees....I think those are called "stalkers"...

[Dougal]

Women stalking women?

[nichomach]

Your point being what?

[Apex]

always a shame that its a nice sounding person i end up shouting at from orange when they cock up. time after time. In my mind the represent the company and as such should be prepared to deal with irate customers. if they cannot take the responsibility to see a customer's point of view on a matter then really they shouldn't be working there.

The problem you see is that in the dept i work in, the rules for what we can and can not do change very quickly.

Esp in the retentions section we have so much to deal with it ofterns happens where you forget the simplist things or the wrong button gets pressed in error, after all we are human.

Now that corse looks like something some of us here could do with, not that we are bad at doing it just that me myself am not comfy with having to deal with complaints seen as thats not part of this departments role.

o btw if you got irate at me and swore at me i simple whould hang up on you and write in your notes that you where abusive, because at the end of the day YOU called us and we are in control of the call.

[Rhyth]

Assuming you can help them and if they want you to help them, which is your intention then they must either calm down or conduct themselves in a less aggressive manner otherwise you will end the conversation. I find letting them know you would like to help them but they are preventing this helps. Then listening and establishing some facts regarding the problem and then explaining the first step needed towards the there goal (for example re-connecting their phone or processing a warranty claim) which must be done.

One step at a time is my method My experiences are face to face at store level. If all fails I find executing a powerful slap on the desk resulting in stunned silence then pointing to the door, if you pull it off it's most effective but I'm glad to say I've only had to resort to this twice in five years both times to drunk people

[shelley bda]

Yeeeeeeees....I think those are called "stalkers"...

Ooh blimey, Jon would love that if i had a woman stalking me

Having lenghty conversations with random people on the phone happens often with me i don't know why!! People very often say that i sound friendly and open on the phone though so maybe that's why?

[Mike Fishcake]

The course sounds interesting. I got sent on a "dealing with customers" course a while ago. Didn't think I'd learn anything from it, but I did learn several things which I use almost daily now. If you're given the opportunity, go for it. Plus, when you use the approaches, it makes you think about it, realise what's happening, and not take it personally.