Serving Difficult Clients

Serving Difficult Clients - This is a three day class

Register for this class at least 21 days in advance. This class is Guaranteed to Run. However, if there are no registrations within 21 days of the class, the class may be rescheduled. Register by clicking on the "Register for Class" button above. Note: If you want to make sure the class runs or you have a seat for yourself make your purchase at least 3-4 weeks in advance. However, if this class is showing up here it means there are still seats available. Only 8-11 seats are available for the class depending on training room designated. Call Nereda Haque at 360-584-8614 or 1-855-SMART50 if you have any questions.


Date & Time: See class dates in the "Register for Class" menu listed above. See also the classes listed below and the time each class begins and ends. This is a three day class.

Location - Bellevue: SmartPath LLC 2018 156th Ave NE, Bellevue 98007 (Right next to Redmond) See turn by turn directions at the end of this page.


You will receive

A certificate of training in Customer Service - Serving Difficult Clients

Class materials

Free coffee, tea, hot chocolate

Expert Instruction


This class involves both presentations and group exercises covering:

1. Angry customer types

2. Angry customer behavior

Presentation and group exercise covering:

1. Thwarted or threatened

2. Exceptional levels of stress

3. Your reactions

4. Learned behavior (getting their way)

5. Inflexibility (on both sides)


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. Lifetime Value

2. Ripple Effect

3. Unreported Incident Effect


Group Discussion covering:

1. Differences between Public and Private sector

2. Impact on State Employees


Presentation and group exercise covering:

1. Telling the customer he or she is wrong.

2. Arguing with a customer

3. Telling a customer to calm down.

4. Failing to apologize to customers

5. Escalating voice

6. Not allowing the customer to vent. Proclaiming to the customer: This is all I can do


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. 2 kinds of angry customers: Aggressive and Passive

2. Verbal and non-Verbal clues


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. Bulldozers

2. Snipers

3. Expert

4. Balloon

5. Complainer

6. Indecisive


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. Nonverbal messages

2. Status and identity

3. Face-saving

4. Building a good relationship

5. Indirect routes and creative thinking

6. Roles and functions


Presentation and group activity covering:

1. Active listening

2. Defusing conflict

3. Dealing with emotions

4. Finding pathways to Yes

5. Controlling conversations

6. Turning negatives into opportunities

7. Taking ownership of outcomes


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. Communicate

2. Confess

3. Conciliate

4. Close


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. When to say “NO”.

2. USA Method: Understanding statement, Situation, Action

3. Pair a “Yes” with that No


Presentation and group discussion covering:

1. Take care of yourself

2. Don't take it personally

3. Remember you are good at your job

4. Record their complaint or concern

5. Ask a supervisor to join you and be part of the transaction

6. Learn stress management techniques

7. Debrief the situation with someone else when the customer leaves

8. Recognize and accept you will work with customers who have bad days

9. Consider what you could do differently next time


Presentation and group exercise covering:

1. Use proactive strategies to reduce difficult customer incidents.

2. Take a more positive approach to angry or upset customers.

3. Stay more energized and motivated

4. Make it easy to contact you

5. Bring customer service “in-house”

6. Customers are not “Hot Potatoes”

7. Review messaging systems

8. Create relationships

9. Show who you are


Learning Objectives

Participants will discuss and define the meaning of conflict and develop a better understanding of conflict’s impact on customer service.

Participants will develop lists of words related to conflict.

Participants discuss and identify angry customer types and behavior and will increase ability to identify angry customers in order to develop more effective strategies to deal with issues.

Participants will increase understanding of issues underlying customer discontent and will have worked as a group to identify specific issues causing anger in their customers.

Participants will develop customer and support analyst reactions and appropriate responses.

Participants will understand how customer dissatisfaction impacts profitability in private sector and will have worked as a group to identify impact on public sector.

Ultimately, participants will understand that effective dealing with angry customers is and opportunity to increase value to employer and increase job satisfaction.

Participants will have learned what actions can cause / increase customer anger and specific techniques to avoid these actions.

Participants will develop understanding of customer issues and empathy for customer situation.

Participants will receive feedback on their issue resolution skills.

Participants will learn to avoid causing customer anger caused by bad perception or stereotyping customers, as well as specific techniques to resolve issues caused by poor perception / stereotyping.

Participants will learn how to identify angry customer types and develop strategies for dealing with each type.

Participants will develop understanding of angry customer motivation and empathy for customer’s situation.

Participants will learn to identify when conflict is caused by cultural / values / communications differences and strategies for resolving differences.

Participants will learn specific skills to use when dealing with difficult customers and practice using these techniques.

Participants will learn specific strategies for delivering bad news to customers.

Participants will learn why, when, and how to say no and how to use the “USA” method for saying “no”.

Participants will learn specific strategies for resolving conflict and will build increased confidence in their ability to deal with difficult customers.

Participants will have increased understanding or their value and importance to the organization and to customers.

Participants will learn how to turn difficult customers into “raving fans” through the use of proactive techniques and general strategies.

Participants will receive feedback on their ability handling difficult customers and skill at turning a difficult situation into a win for themselves, the company, and the customer.

Directions to SmartPath LLC, 2018 156Th Ave NE, Suite 100, Bellevue WA 98007.

Coming from the West

Take 520E towards Redmond

Take Exit 148th Ave South

Turn left onto NE 20th St

Left on 156th AVE NE

Turn right into first driveway

Go straight up the hill and follow the signs to 2018. It’s the Regus building on the left. There is lots of free parking to the right and in front of the building.