What will you learn in the Complaints Management course?

You learn how to handle customer complaints professionally and turn them into an opportunity. We cover listening and questioning techniques, dealing with different types of complainants, responding to unjustified complaints and devising win-win solutions. You also learn how to set up a sound complaints handling policy within your organisation.

Who is this complaints management course intended for?

The course is suitable for anyone who deals with complaints in their work. Think of customer service or helpdesk staff, sales staff, account managers and staff working on a complaints line. Managers who want to improve complaints handling within their team are also very welcome.

Do I need any prior knowledge for the course?

No, specific prior knowledge is not required. It is useful, however, if you have work experience in a role involving customer contact, so that you can bring your own practical examples to the course.

Do I receive a certificate on completion?

Yes, on completing the course you will receive a Learnit certificate of participation. This certificate shows that you have attended the Complaints Management course.

How large is the group during the course?

We work with a maximum group size of eight participants. This leaves plenty of room to bring in your own cases, practise in role plays and receive personal feedback from the trainer.

Can I also take the course in-company?

Yes, this course is also available as an in-company programme. In that case we tailor the content to the situation within your organisation and use examples from your own practice. Contact us for the options and a tailored quotation.

Why is good complaints handling important?

A well-handled complaint strengthens your customer's trust and gives you valuable information for improving your product or service. A satisfied customer also stays with you longer, and retaining a customer costs less than winning a new one. Complaints are, in effect, free advice.

How do you deal with an aggressive or emotional complainant?

Start by listening without immediately becoming defensive. Acknowledge the emotion, summarise what you hear and ask calm questions to get to the heart of the matter. Only once the emotion subsides can you work towards solutions. During the course you practise these conversations in a safe setting, so that you are no longer caught off guard in practice.

How do you respond to an unjustified complaint?

An unjustified complaint calls for tact. You take the customer seriously and calmly explain why, in your view, the complaint is not valid, without diminishing the customer. Often there is another signal behind the complaint, for example unclear communication or an expectation that was never voiced. During the course you learn to hold these conversations without damaging the relationship.

What is a good complaints handling policy?

A good complaints handling policy makes clear how your organisation deals with complaints: who picks up the complaint, within what period the customer receives a reply and how lessons learned are fed back to the team. It ensures consistency towards the customer and helps your organisation to improve structurally on the basis of the signals it receives.

How do you close a complaint conversation on a positive note?

At the end of the conversation, summarise what has been discussed and which agreements have been made. Be specific about what is going to happen, by whom and when. Thank the customer for taking the trouble to report the complaint and check whether he or she feels heard. This way the conversation ends on a constructive note, even if the solution still takes time.

What does the Complaints Management course cost?

You will find the current price at the top right of this course page, together with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.

Complaints Management: the value of complaints course

Name: Complaints Management: the Value of Complaints
Price: 1250.0 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 8.8 (8 reviews)

A complaint is more than a nuisance. It is a free tip from your customer. Those who handle complaints well win back trust and improve the product or service at the same time.

Description

Complaints are often seen as a nuisance, whereas in fact they keep your organisation sharp. A customer who takes the trouble to complain gives you the chance to put something right. Retaining a customer is also cheaper than acquiring a new one, so every complaint you resolve well delivers an immediate return.

In this course you work with practical examples from your own job. You learn how to respond to different types of complainants, from the aggressive customer to the emotional or the unreasonable one. You practise listening and questioning techniques to get to the heart of the complaint quickly, and you learn how to reject an unjustified complaint without damaging the relationship.

As well as conducting the conversation itself, you also look at the longer term. How do you set up the complaints process in your organisation? Which policies help to prevent recurrence and make good use of the signals you receive? You go home with concrete tools.

Topics

Different types of complaints and complainants
Listening techniques: active listening and summarising
Questioning techniques to get to the heart of the matter
Dealing with emotion, dissatisfaction and unreasonable behaviour
Setting boundaries without rejecting the customer
Responding to an unjustified complaint
Acknowledging your own mistakes and communicating about them
Devising win-win solutions
Making clear agreements and ending the conversation on a positive note
Drawing up a complaints handling policy for your team or organisation

Result

After the course you will get to the heart of a complaint more quickly through targeted questioning and listening techniques. You conduct constructive conversations with different types of complainants, indicate your limits in a courteous way and know how to respond to unreasonable or unjustified complaints. You will also have the building blocks to set up a workable complaints policy within your own organisation, allowing you to make structurally better use of complaints.

Target audience

This course is intended for anyone who deals with complaints in their work. Think of customer service or helpdesk staff, sales staff, account managers, complaints line staff and managers who want to get a better grip on complaints handling within their department or organisation.

Teaching method

The course is practical and interactive. You work with your own cases, practise in role plays and receive direct feedback from the trainer and your fellow participants. Beforehand, the trainer maps out your personal learning objectives in an intake, so that the programme matches your situation. The group is small, with a maximum of eight participants, so there is room to really practise.

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is needed for this course. Work experience in a role involving customer contact is an advantage, as it allows you to bring in examples from your own practice.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

Request a quote

Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.

Number of days:

2 days

Course times:

from 10 am to 5 pm

Study load:

14 hours

Education level:

This training is suitable for all levels.

Exemptions:

Exemptions do not apply to this course.

Preparation time:

No preparation time applies to this course.

Certificate:

At the end of the course, a certificate is issued as proof of participation.

The best training for you

At Learnit you will always find a course that takes you further. From (technical) IT skills to communication or personal leadership. You can also choose the training format that suits you best: a classroom course, a tailor-made course at your own office, an online course or an e-learning. We have the right course and the right format for everyone. Because learning in the way that suits you best delivers the best results.

Moving forward together

Taking a training course at Learnit means learning together. Together with your experienced trainer, together with your course group or together with your colleagues. And whether you take the training at home, at your office or at one of our training locations, we are always available to help you. To share our knowledge with you in a way that is genuinely useful to you. Getting further together through personal attention and understanding each other well; that is what we believe in.

Apply it directly in your work

Learning theory from a book that you can then hardly use in your work? Not at Learnit! Whichever training you take with us, you can put it to use at your workplace straight away. Because of the unique learning objectives you set together with the trainer at the start of the training. Because of the alternation between theory and (interactive) practical assignments. And by bringing the challenges you face in your daily work along to the training.