Ask anyone who works with the public: whether at the front desks, in restaurants, sales floors and yes in contact centers about customer attitudes and chances are adjectives such as “cranky, impatient, demanding and difficult” will be on their lips. There is anecdotal evidence suggesting that such behaviors are increasing. As one now-former retail salesperson (and contact center agent) told me: “their attitudes have become ‘I bought something from you, now you owe me, you’re at my beck-and-call.'”

There can be a whole range of causes for these difficult customers. They could have had bad previous service experiences such as long waits and unhelpful agents that have set them on edge. Besides, as someone else once told me: “nobody calls the call center because they are happy and satisfied.”

There is also the tight economy and finances and longer commutes leading to stress and edginess, age, “I want it now” from both ends of the spectrum and a typically misplaced sense of entitlement. Or these can be obnoxious if-a-brick-hit-them-feel-sorry-for-the poor-brick people, period. We all know individuals like that. They may even be in our mirrors.

Contact centers get the brunt of this behavior simply because callers feel much less inhibited when dealing with nameless and faceless individuals compared to those they see in-person. Such customers are one of the reasons why turnover is high with job leavers saying “who wants to deal anymore with these @#$%*() four/six/eight hours a day?”

From a business viewpoint there is also the reality that customers are now in control of business conversation, and the customers know it. Companies need these buyers more than they need them. Customers can influence their bottom-line result instantly and globally via social media: in 140 characters or less. Therefore there needs to a very careful handling of these difficult customers to ensure that both them—and the agents—are respected and in doing some kept loyal.

The RCCSP Professional Education Alliance has put together an excellent contact center training course, The Art of Managing Difficult Callers and Affecting Real-Time Customer Recovery. The two-day workshop trains attendees to exhibit the exact traits the caller wants and expects, pinpoint causes of caller frustration and know what to do when a customer cannot be satisfied. They will learn how to be calm, win over and drive callers toward positive outcomes to how manage, recover and maintain their own attitudes and composure. They will be taught how to practice the art of customer recovery and turn dissatisfied customers into a loyal customers. They will be trained on the use of the How to Manage Difficult Caller Personalities desktop reference, the ultimate real-time customer recovery "cheat sheet".

The course is designed to turn the fear of “the difficult caller” into positive expectations. Attendees will walk away with the knowledge, tools and confidence they need to handle any type of customer with skill and professionalism. Activities, exercises, discussions and role-plays are used in the classroom, allowing participants to practice and hone newly-learned techniques. Instruction is enhanced by real-life situations and customer voice files that demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with difficult callers. Participants will learn simple proven strategies for handling the most challenging customer encounters, tactics for managing a variety of caller personalities and customer recovery skills that can be used in real-time customer encounters at the "moment of truth."

The Art of Managing Difficult Callers and Affecting Real-Time Customer Recovery will be given at these venues for the balance of 2011:

--July 27-29 Greenville, S.C. (Westin Poinsett)
--Aug 15-17 Dallas, Texas (The Adolphus) 
--Sept 14-16 Washington, D.C. (Henley Park Hotel)
--Oct. 10-12 Austin, Texas (Omni Austin Downtown)
--Nov 16-18 Orlando, Fla. (Sheraton Suites)

There is also optional in-house, private training. This offers the added benefits of facilitated team interaction; a confidential environment where customer interactions, team synergies, conflicts, and front-line policies can be openly discussed; minimal travel time and costs, accessibility; and cost effectiveness.

“Contact center professionals consistently cite the difficult caller as the most stressful encounter they face on a day-to-day basis,” Nina Kawalek, ceo, RCCSP Professional Education Alliance points out. “At the same time, every difficult incident presents an opportunity for the organization to demonstrate above-and-beyond service and to earn long-term customer loyalty. Done right, real-time customer recovery is a dazzling, jaw-dropping experience for the customer -- one they will never forget, and a story they will relate again and again.”