CompleteKit_RachelBrewer

Rachel H. Brewer - Nia Crerar - Guy McCrary - Davey Hatcher

FACILITATOR’S TRAINING KITCommunication Studies 473, Section 001

DAVID WEBER, PH.D.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Having the Difficult

Conversation

2016

HOW TO HANDLE ANGRY CUSTOMERS: FACILITATOR’S TRAINING GUIDE RACHEL BREWER, NIA CRERAR, GUY MCCRARY, & DAVEY HATCHER

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON | Communication Studies Department

Page 1 of 12 University of North Carolina Wilmington | Communication Studies Department

Thanks to Myra Golden Seminars, LLC

HANDLING ANGRY CUSTOMERS INTRODUCTION FOR TRAINERS

After the brief informational session on the psychology of anger, redirecting techniques, and role-play activity, your employees will effectively handle unhappy clients in a tactful and appropriate manner. Employees will understand the psychology behind anger and therefore will know how best to act in each situation. They will learn the most common mistakes to avoid. Finally, they will practice appropriate techniques to address a situation concerning an unhappy customer. By the end of the training, your people will have proven strategy to effectively deal with having difficult conversations with customers.

Course Outline:

Introduction of trainers The psychology of anger 4 Things to never do with a customer Provoking versus supportive language Say “NO” using the U.S.A. method Role-play practice

TRAINING LENGTH:

Actual classroom training time consists of 30 minutes. Trainers will provide refreshments for the employees. Trainers will arrive 30 minutes prior to training seminar to set up the room, load all documents, and prepare the refreshment table.



COURSE OUTLINE TIMELINE OF EVENTS

MODULE NUMBER MODULE TIME ESTIMATED TIME

MODULE 1: Introduction 1-2 minutes

MODULE 2: The Psychology of Anger 2-3 minutes

MODULE 3: 4 Things to Never Do with a Customer

1-2 minutes

MODULE 4: Provoking versus Supportive Language

1-2 minutes

MODULE 5: The U.S.A. Method 2-3 minutes

MODULE 6: Role-Play Activity 10-15 minutes

MODULE 7: Debrief 3-4 minutes

Note to Trainer:

Actual classroom training time consists of 30-35 minutes. The introduction will consist of 1-2 minutes. The lecturette will last for 10-12 minutes. Role-play activities will last for 10-15 minutes. A short debrief will last 2-3 minutes.



MODULE 1 INTRODUCTION

SUGGESTED TIME: 1-2 Minutes POWERPOINTS: PPT 1 MATERIALS NEEDED: Workbook, PowerPoint, Refreshments WORKBOOK PAGE: Not applicable

Before beginning class:

Create and personalize a PowerPoint slideshow including all of your information. Create and print handouts for participants to take notes one. Provide a copy to all

participants. Buy refreshments for class. Create simple business card with important information from the slideshow.

Welcome and Overview

Take a few moments to introduce the trainers. Cover any housekeeping rules such as electronic device use, break times, ect.

Welcome the employees and explain why they are attending this seminar. Tie your opening to the organization’s customer service goals.

TRAINING OVERVIEW

The trainer will now provide an overview of today’s seminar. Use the statement bellow as a guide.

Use PPT 1 for the introduction and PPT 2 for the second half of the introduction.

Today you will gain strategies, tactics, and insights for dealing with angry or unhappy customers. Later today, you will learn about Campus Recreation’s MEET, GREET, SEEK, and EXCEED guide to customer service. You will learn how to recognize situations and how to handle them accordingly. You will learn about common mistakes to avoid and by the end of this training, you will have a strategic plan for redirecting aggressive behavior and providing excellent customer service.



MODULE 2 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ANGER

SUGGESTED TIME: 2-3 Minutes POWERPOINTS: PPT 2 MATERIALS NEEDED: Lecturette located at end of Module 2 WORKBOOK PAGE: Pg. 2 of 6

DESCRIPTION:

This module explains the psychology of anger and how to recognize people’s rational, or lack of rational, behind their decisions and choice of words.

ACTIVITIES

Give a lecturette on the Psychology of Anger using the following notes Participants can take notes in their workbook page #

LECTURETTE

Anger precludes rationality Angry customers are not rational Wrapped up in the emotion of the moment

o Everything you say is filtered through their emotions Anger is an emotion and experienced in the right side of the brain

o Rationalizing, problem solving, listening, and negotiating are all left-brain activities

Anger must be acknowledged When people communicate, they expect a person(s) to respond or react. This response and reaction are called the communication chain Failure to respond leaves the communication chain unlinked

o Ex: go into work and say “hello, how are you?” to a coworker and they don’t respond you might feel awkward or embarrassed

If customer expresses anger and we fail to respond, the communication chain is broken

o They may speak louder to make his/her point You can say:

o “Clearly you’re upset and I want you to know that getting to the bottom of this is just as important to me as it is to you.”



Anger diffusion If you don’t diffuse the anger before problem solving, your customer will not be

listening When anger is diffused, they are calm and able to rationalize Create calm before starting the problem solving process

Ventilation is crucial An erupting volcano: A volcano erupts and then subsides Customer must experience and express their anger through venting Never say: “Calm down!”



MODULE 3 4 THINGS TO NEVER DO WITH A CUSTOMER


DESCRIPTION:

This module explains 4 things to never do with an upset customer. Knowledge of these 4 points will help participants avoid any unnecessary aggression from customers.

ACTIVITIES

Give a lecturette on the 4 Things to Never Do with a Customer using the following notes

Participants can take notes in their workbook page #

LECTURETTE

Do not reduce choices with an upset customer Help customers feel as though they have choices It’s important for customers to feel as though they have some control Give them options and let them make choices, even if it is something small Reducing choices leads to encouraged aggression

Do not belabor a point with an upset customer No matter how right you are, do not repeatedly say your point over and over

again, or more than necessary Don’t badger your customer because they customer will think that you think they

are dumb Instead enter into a constructive dialogue with your customer.

Do not rebut issues Find points that you agree on Ex: if customer says black, don’t say white EX: “We want to get to the bottom of this just as much as you do.”



Try not to cause a sense of helplessness Unhappy customers want their problems solved Will become angry if they feel you aren’t working hard enough or there are no

options Ensure your words, tone, and sense of urgency all convey that you are there to

help Avoid: “This is all I can do.” and “There’s nothing else I can do.”



MODULE 4 PROVOKING VERSUS SUPPORTIVE LANGUAGE


DESCRIPTION:

This module explains how to use “I” language instead of “you” language. By distinguishing between the two, a participant can either diffuse a situation or not instigate further aggression.

ACTIVITIES

Give a lecturette on provoking versus supportive language using the following notes


LECTURETTE

YOU language can sound accusatory and might instigate further aggression. By using “I” language you deflect the blame from the customer.

Example of provoking language: Ma’am, there’s no point in going through all of this with me. You’ll just have to tell the story again to our manager. Example of supportive language: Ms. Jones, I don’t think I can help with this. I really need to get you over to our assistant director Mr. Loso, where he can better assist you. Can you hold while I get him on the line?



MODULE 5 THE U.S.A. METHOD


DESCRIPTION:

This module explains how to use the U.S.A. method to say ‘no’ to a customer without directly saying ‘no’. This also

ACTIVITIES

Give a lecturette on provoking versus supportive language using the following notes


LECTURETTE

The one word every single customer “hates” to hear is “NO”. Another way to say “no” is to not say the word “no” at all. Using this approach, you can say “no” to a customer without causing resentment or worse, losing the customer. Understanding Statement

Never say ‘no’ to a customer without first demonstrating that you understand fully their request or question. It is very important that the customer feel you understand the inconvenience they have experienced. If they don't feel you understand what they are feeling, they may become more difficult.

Situation

Explain the situation. That is, explain exactly why you will have to refuse the customer’s request.

Action When you have to say no, you still have to offer an option. In the Action step you tell the customer what you ‘can’ do.



EXAMPLE: Understanding Statement: “I respect your need to speak with someone in authority.” Situation: “My supervisor is counting on me to do my job and resolve problems our customers encounter. Will you please give me an opportunity to try to solve the problem before we go any further?” Action: "If after speaking with me, you are still unhappy, I’ll immediately connect you with my supervisor. How does that sound?”



MODULE 6 ROLE-PLAY ACTIVITY

SUGGESTED TIME: 10-15 Minutes POWERPOINTS: PPT 6 MATERIALS NEEDED: Scenario Cards WORKBOOK PAGE: Not applicable

DESCRIPTION:

This module explains the rules and the scenarios of the role-playing game. This puts into practice the material covered in modules 1-5.

ACTIVITIES

Introduce the role play activity o Groups of 3-4 (preferably 3) o 2 people will act out the scenario o Other(s) will watch and evaluate o Will call on groups to report what they’ve seen

Pass out scenario cards

SCENARIOS & POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Scenario 1: Patron is upset that they are denied access to the Rec Center

because they forgot their one card.

Scenario 2: Patron is upset because they lent their one card to a friend and

confiscated. They must come claim their card from the front desk before closing.

Scenario 3: Patron is upset because they were attempting to use a friend’s one

card and were not aware that this is not allowed.

Scenario 4: Patron comes in upset demanding to speak with management.

Scenario 5: Customer is upset because their previous complaint was not

resolved and they feel ignored.

Scenario 6: A patron who does not understand a policy continues to argue even

though you have already explained the rules twice.



MODULE 7 DEBRIEF

SUGGESTED TIME: 3-4 Minutes POWERPOINTS: PPT 7-9 MATERIALS NEEDED: Unhappy Customer Info Cards WORKBOOK PAGE: Not applicable

DESCRIPTION: This module concludes the training session and asks the participants to think about how they could apply the concepts they have learned to the job. The final module concludes all of the concepts covered through group discussion. GOALS: We designed this training session to help employees: Give participants the skills to handle unhappy clients Put into practice the concepts for understanding anger and effective word choice

ACTIVITIES Wrap up the training, add any closing remarks, and allow for feedback from the audience. Have employees talk in groups of three or four, [PPT 7] In their groups, they must talk about…

1. What they learned today 2. How they could apply it to the job

Call on a couple of random groups to answer one or both questions Give a quick overview of what we just learned, [PPT 8] Hand out “Dealing with Unhappy Customers” informative business card, [PPT 9]

4/14/2016

1

HAVING THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONRACHEL H. BREWER - NIA CRERAR - GUY MCCRARY - DAVEY HATCHER

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”~ Bill Gates

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ANGER

Anger Preludes Rationality

Anger Must be Acknowledged

Anger must be Diffused

Ventilation is Crucial

4/14/2016

2

4 THINGS TO NEVER DO WITH A CUSTOMER

Do not reduce choices

Do not belabor a point

Do not rebut issues

Avoid causing a sense of helplessness

PROVOKING VERSUS SUPPORTIVE LANGUAGE

Provoking language sends the message:

You are certain you are right

You’re unwilling to see the customer’s position

Challenges the customer to back up what he says

Has harsh, confrontational tone

Tends to blame the customer

4/14/2016

3

SAY “NO” USING THE U.S.A. METHOD

Und

erst

andi

ng

Stat

emen

t • Demonstrate that you understand their request

• May become more difficult if they think you don’t understand their inconvenience

Situ

atio

n • Explain • The ‘why’ behind

the ‘NO’ Act

ion • Offer alternatives

• What you ‘CAN’ do

LETS PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE

Role-playing Activity

Groups of 3-4

2 people will act out scenario

Others will watch and evaluate

4/14/2016

4

THINK AND REFLECT

What did you learn?

How could you apply it?

Psychology behind anger• Angry people are not

rational• Must acknowledge the

anger• Must be calm before

problem solving• They must vent

Never: • Reduce choices• Continually repeat

yourself• Focus on

disagreements• Cause helplessness

I vs. You• You is negative• I deflects blame• ‘You’ provokes and ‘I’

diffuses

U.S.A. • Understanding

Statement• Situation • Action

A LOOK BACK

4/14/2016

5

THANK YOU.

Having the Difficult

Conversation

2016

HOW TO HANDLE ANGRY CUSTOMERS: WORKBOOK

NAME: ________________________________________________

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON | Communication Studies Department

Page 1 of 5 University of North Carolina Wilmington

Communication Studies Department

HANDLING ANGRY CUSTOMERS INTRODUCTION FOR PARTICIPANTS

Today you will gain strategies, tactics, and insights for dealing with angry or unhappy customers. Later today, you will learn about Campus Recreation’s MEET, GREET, SEEK, and EXCEED guide to customer service. You will learn how to recognize situations and how to handle them accordingly. You will learn about common mistakes to avoid and by the end of this training, you will have a strategic plan for redirecting aggressive behavior and providing excellent customer service.

Course Outline:

Introductions The psychology of anger 4 Things to never do with a customer Provoking versus supportive language Say “NO” using the U.S.A. method Role-play practice Think and Reflect

NOTE:

Actual classroom training time consists of 30-35 minutes. Trainers will provide refreshments for you to snack on throughout the training. Trainers ask that you please put away all electronic devices for the duration of the training session. Please refrain from leaving the classroom unless an emergency. Please use the restroom before or after the facilitation if able.

Thank you.



THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ANGER NOTES

NOTES:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Anger Preludes Rationality

Anger Must be Acknowledged

Anger must be Diffused

Ventilation is Crucial



4 THINGS TO NEVER DO NOTES

DO NOT __________________________________________________

DO NOT __________________________________________________

DO NOT __________________________________________________

AVOID CAUSING ___________________________________________

NOTES:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________



PROVOKING VS. SUPPORTIVE NOTES

Provoking language sends the message:

You are _________________ you are right You’re unwilling to see the customer’s position Challenges the customer to back up what he says Has harsh, confrontational tone Tends to _________________ the customer

NOTES:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Example of provoking language:

Ma’am, there’s no point in going through all of this with me. You’ll just have to tell the story again to our manager.

Example of supportive language:

Ms. Jones, I don’t think I can help with this. I really need to get you over to our assistant director Mr. Loso, where he can better assist you. Can you hold while I get him on the line?



THE U.S.A. METHOD NOTES

NOTES:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

EXAMPLE: Understanding Statement:

“I respect your need to speak with someone in authority.” Situation:

“My supervisor is counting on me to do my job and resolve problems our customers encounter. Will you please give me an opportunity to try to solve the problem before we go any further?”

Action: "If after speaking with me, you are still unhappy, I’ll immediately connect you with my supervisor. How does that sound?”

U__

____

____

____

____

___ • Demonstrate

that you understand their request

• May become more difficult if they think you don’t understand their inconvenience

Situation • Explain

• The '__________' behind the ‘NO’

Action • Offer

____________

•What you ‘_________’ do

Documents

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