Practical Skills for Dealing with Difficult Customers
Strengthening Teams to Manage Difficult Customer Interactions Safely & Effectively. Online or Onsite. Australia-wide.
Equip your team to handle tough conversations and challenging customers without burnout.
Practical skills for staff in contact centres, aged care, disability services, education, legal, healthcare, and more
Most Requested Customer Care Workshops
Core Features
Customised to your organisation and industry
Tailored content that speaks directly to your people and challenges.Practical, interactive, and skills-focused- Hands-on learning designed for real behaviour change.
Built on real-world scenarios - Training grounded in situations your teams actually face.
Led by experienced psychologist facilitators
Expert insight backed by evidence-based practice.Free resources to embed learning post-training
Tools and materials that turn training into lasting impact.Trusted by thousands - Over 1,000 five-star reviews from organisations worldwide.
Managing Challenging Customers
Frontline and customer-facing staff often manage people in crisis, distress or frustration, and it’s not always easy. This practical, evidence-based workshop gives your team the tools to navigate challenging interactions with confidence, clarity, and care. Participants will build skills in de-escalation, emotional regulation, and boundary-setting, while also learning how to protect their own wellbeing and recognise the signs of vicarious trauma.
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By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
✅ Understand Customer Behaviour
Recognise the emotional drivers behind challenging behaviours and learn how to respond without escalating conflict. Understand different customer types and what triggers frustration, aggression, or disengagement.✅ Develop Practical De-escalation Skills
Practise real-world techniques through role plays and scenarios to calm angry or distressed customers. Use effective language, set boundaries confidently, and apply solution-focused communication strategies.✅ Manage Emotional Impact and Vicarious Trauma
Understand the personal toll of repeated exposure to emotionally charged situations. Identify signs of stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma — and apply tools to build and sustain resilience.✅ Apply Self-Reflection and Resilience Techniques
Reflect on your own triggers, communication style, and coping mechanisms. Create a practical action plan to respond more effectively and maintain professionalism under pressure.✅ Utilise a Toolbox of Strategies and Resources
Leave with ready-to-use techniques, resource sheets, and communication frameworks that can be applied immediately in client-facing or frontline roles.
Trauma-Informed Customer Care Workshop
Working with customers who have experienced trauma requires empathy, skill, and boundaries. Our Trauma-Informed Customer Care Training equips your team to respond with compassion and safeguard their own wellbeing. Through practical strategies and real-world scenarios, staff learn how to recognise signs of trauma, provide appropriate support, and protect themselves from the risks of vicarious trauma.
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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this program, participants will:
✅ Understand Trauma and Its Impact
Define trauma, recognise its different forms, and understand how it affects behaviour, mental health, and workplace interactions.✅ Apply Trauma-Informed Principles
Learn the core principles of trauma-informed care and how to apply them effectively in customer service and workplace settings.✅ Recognise Trauma Responses
Identify signs of trauma in customers or clients and respond with empathy, sensitivity, and confidence.✅ Develop Communication and De-escalation Skills
Use communication strategies that create safety and respect, and learn techniques to de-escalate tense or challenging situations.✅ Integrate Trauma-Informed Practices
Create practical strategies to embed trauma-informed approaches into daily interactions, policies, and organisational practices.✅ Build Resilience and Practice Self-Care
Develop self-care strategies to maintain wellbeing, prevent burnout, and strengthen resilience when supporting others.
Handling Angry Customers
Angry customer interactions can be highly stressful and emotionally demanding for customer-facing staff. Without the right skills and support, these situations can escalate quickly, leading to increased stress, burnout, and negative customer outcomes. This training provides practical strategies for handling angry and aggressive customers calmly, safely, and professionally.
Participants will learn how to recognise early warning signs of anger, manage their own emotional responses, and apply proven de-escalation techniques to defuse tension. This workshop is suitable for frontline staff, call centre teams, and anyone who regularly deals with frustrated or upset customers.
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By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
Recognise common triggers and behaviours associated with angry and aggressive customers
Understand the emotional drivers behind customer anger and frustration
Remain calm, professional, and in control during high-pressure customer interactions
Use de-escalation techniques to reduce tension and prevent conflict from escalating
Apply active listening and empathy to acknowledge customer concerns without over-promising
Communicate clearly and assertively while setting appropriate boundaries
Respond effectively to verbal aggression, complaints, and emotionally charged situations
Know when and how to escalate issues to supervisors or follow organisational procedures
Protect their own mental wellbeing when dealing with repeated or intense customer anger
Accidental Counselling Skills
This interactive workshop is designed for employees who find themselves in unexpected counselling roles. Perfect for customer service, aged care, disability services, education, and health professionals, the session equips participants with practical strategies and skills to support clients, customers or colleagues in distress.
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This Workshop focuses on providing practical, hands-on tools and techniques to confidently manage and support clients or colleagues in distress. By the end of the training, your people will:
Understand Key Counselling Principles: Grasp the fundamentals of effective counselling, including active listening, empathy, and support strategies. Recognise common scenarios where accidental counselling occurs and learn how to address them appropriately.
Develop Practical Skills: Engage in interactive activities and role plays to practice managing distressing situations relevant to your specific role. Enhance communication skills to better connect with and support individuals in need.
Apply Self-Reflection: Reflect on their own strengths and areas for improvement in handling counselling situations. Create a personal action plan to apply the workshop's teachings in daily interactions.
Utilise a Toolbox of Resources:Gain access to practical strategies, handouts, and additional resources to support ongoing development
FEATURES
Customised to suit your organisations learning objectives, preferred duration and budget
Psychologist Facilitators
Suitable for: employees in customer service, aged care, disability services, education, and healthcare or any employees needing skills to support clients, customers or colleagues in distress.
Customer Conflict Management Training
Customer Conflict Management Training equips employees with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to handle challenging situations professionally, protect their own wellbeing, and maintain positive customer relationships.
This training focuses on understanding the root causes of conflict, recognising customer behaviours, and applying proven communication and de-escalation techniques. Participants learn to manage emotionally charged situations calmly, maintain control, and turn potentially negative encounters into opportunities for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
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After completing this training, participants will be able to:
Identify the types and causes of customer conflict
Respond calmly and professionally to frustrated or angry customers
Use active listening, empathy, and assertive communication to de-escalate situations
Apply structured conflict resolution techniques to resolve complaints efficiently
Escalate issues appropriately following organisational policies
Maintain positive relationships and customer satisfaction even in difficult situations
Protect their own mental wellbeing while handling challenging customer interactions
Why Training for Managing Difficult Customers Is Essential
Training employees to manage difficult and challenging customer interactions is essential for organisations with customer-facing roles. Managing difficult customers training equips staff with practical skills to handle conflict, reduce stress, and deliver consistent customer service — even in high-pressure situations.
Prevents Employee Burnout
Customer-facing roles often involve handling angry, frustrated, or demanding customers. Dealing with difficult customers training provides practical techniques for setting boundaries, de-escalating situations, and managing emotional responses — helping prevent burnout and emotional fatigue.
Builds Emotional Resilience in Customer Service Staff
High-stress customer interactions are unavoidable. Customer conflict management and de-escalation training helps employees develop emotional resilience, remain calm under pressure, and protect their mental wellbeing while handling challenging customers professionally.
Supports Australian WHS Compliance
Under Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation, employers have a responsibility to manage psychosocial risks, including stress and exposure to aggressive or difficult customer behaviour. Training for managing difficult customers in Australia supports WHS compliance by reducing psychological harm in customer-facing role
Training improves Customer Satisfaction
Employees trained in customer communication skills, active listening, and complaint handling are better equipped to manage customer concerns effectively. This leads to faster resolution, reduced conflict, and improved customer satisfaction — even when customers are upset or unhappy.
Boosts Employee Engagement and Retention
When organisations invest in customer service training and employee wellbeing, staff feel supported and confident in their roles. This results in higher engagement, improved performance, and stronger employee retention in frontline and customer service teams. to manage difficult and challenging customer interactions is essential for organisations with customer-facing roles. Managing difficult customers training equips staff with practical skills to handle conflict, reduce stress, and deliver consistent customer service — even in high-pressure situations.
Prevents Employee Burnout
Customer-facing roles often involve handling angry, frustrated, or demanding customers. Dealing with difficult customers training provides practical techniques for setting boundaries, de-escalating situations, and managing emotional responses — helping prevent burnout and emotional fatigue.
Builds Emotional Resilience in Customer Service Staff
High-stress customer interactions are unavoidable. Customer conflict management and de-escalation training helps employees develop emotional resilience, remain calm under pressure, and protect their mental wellbeing while handling challenging customers professionally.
Supports Australian WHS Compliance
Under Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation, employers have a responsibility to manage psychosocial risks, including stress and exposure to aggressive or difficult customer behaviour. Training for managing difficult customers in Australia supports WHS compliance by reducing psychological harm in customer-facing roles.
Here’s how the process works
Complete the form – Tell us a bit about your business and what you’re looking for.
Free discovery session – We’ll have a chat to discuss your goals, challenges, and training needs.
Receive a tailored proposal – We’ll craft a customised plan based on what we’ve learned.
Onsite or online delivery – We’ll come to you or conduct the workshop virtually—whatever works best for your team.