How do you train new staff to handle difficult callers?

1 Identify common scenarios

One of the first steps to train new staff is to identify the common types of difficult callers and the scenarios they might encounter. For example, you might have callers who are unhappy with a product or service, who want a refund or compensation, who have a complaint or feedback, or who have a personal issue or problem. You can use real or simulated calls, case studies, or role plays to expose your staff to these scenarios and help them understand the caller's perspective, emotions, and expectations.

2 Teach communication skills

Another essential step is to teach your staff the communication skills they need to handle difficult callers. These skills include active listening, empathy, assertiveness, clarity, and politeness. You can demonstrate these skills by using the appropriate tone of voice, words, and phrases, and by avoiding common mistakes such as interrupting, arguing, blaming, or being defensive. You can also provide your staff with scripts, guidelines, or templates to help them structure their responses and follow the best practices of phone etiquette.

3 Provide problem-solving tools

In addition to communication skills, your staff also need problem-solving tools to deal with difficult callers. These tools include asking open-ended questions, summarizing the caller's issue, offering solutions or alternatives, confirming the caller's agreement, and following up on the outcome. You can train your staff to use these tools by giving them scenarios that require them to apply their problem-solving skills and by providing feedback and coaching on their performance.

4 Encourage positive attitude

One of the most important factors that can influence how your staff handle difficult callers is their attitude. You can encourage your staff to adopt a positive attitude by reminding them of the benefits of dealing with difficult callers, such as improving customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, learning from feedback, and developing their own skills and confidence. You can also help your staff cope with stress and frustration by providing them with support, recognition, and rewards.

5 Review and improve

The final step to train new staff is to review and improve their performance on a regular basis. You can use different methods to monitor and evaluate how your staff handle difficult callers, such as listening to recorded calls, conducting surveys, or asking for feedback from customers or peers. You can also use these methods to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your staff and to provide them with constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?