
Live online public course with Simon Blair
Phone Customer Service FoundationsThursday 11 and Friday 12 February 2027
Six hours of live training that gives your team a proven structure for every call, plus the confidence to handle difficult customers, with more practice so the skills stick.
Two live 3-hour sessions with Simon Blair, plus a certificate. Book one ticket or several for your team.
- 5.0/5 from verified reviews
- ACXPA certified course
- Built from 50,000+ assessed calls
- Certificate included
Trusted by leading organisationsHundreds of businesses, from local councils to national brands, have chosen CX Skills to upskill their teams. See who we’ve trained
What’s in it for you
Immediate impact, with skills that stick
Your team can use the Session 1 skills on real calls straight away, and the gap before Session 2 lets them try the skills and come back with questions.
Session 2 is a full session on difficult customers, with more role plays, coaching and feedback, so complaints are handled calmly and escalate less.
- Consistent structure on every call
- More confident handling of complaints
- Fewer escalations and repeat contacts

Know what customers want
What customers want and need from a call, based on decades of research.
Start every call well
Ownership, intent and clear expectations that build trust from the first words.
Find the need fast
Three discovery techniques that uncover what the customer actually needs.
Explain clearly
Present information simply, with checks for questions and understanding.
Close with confidence
Final checks and clear next steps that avoid clunky finishes and repeat calls.
Handle difficult callers
A simple two-step method to calm frustrated customers and de-escalate.
The course
Two sessions: great calls, then difficult customers
Phone Customer Service Foundations runs over two live 3-hour sessions. Session 1 covers the call framework, and Session 2 is all about handling frustrated and difficult customers.
Role plays, live demonstrations, group work and expert feedback run through both sessions, aligned to the standards ACXPA uses to assess customer service.
Onsite, it can run as a half-day workshop.
- 2 × 3 hoursOr a half day onsite
- Online or onsitePublic online; private either way
- Public or privateOne ticket or your whole team
- CertificateFor everyone who completes
What’s covered: nine modules over two sessions
Session 1 builds the call framework. Session 2 builds confidence with difficult customers.
The Psychology of Customers
What customers want and need, and why great service matters.
- What customers want and need
- Why service drives results
- The “why” behind the skills
How to Engage
A strong first impression at the start of every call.
- Ownership and intent
- Managing expectations
- Building trust early
Better Needs Discovery
Techniques used by the FBI to find the real need, fast.
- Uncovering root causes
- Confirming the need
- Efficient conversations
How to Educate
Proactively inform customers, with checks along the way.
- Checks for understanding
- Checks for comfort
- Clear solutions
How to Close
Avoid awkward endings with a simple, warm close.
- Strong final checks
- Thanks and gratitude
- A warm farewell
The Psychology of Complaints
The types of difficult customers, and what they need.
- Types of difficult customers
- How emotions affect the brain
- What complainants need
Empathy and Intent
Meet emotional and practical needs with a two-step response.
- Validating with empathy
- Taking ownership
- The two-step method
Handling the Most Difficult Customers
Calm heightened emotions and respond to inappropriate behaviour.
- Vocal techniques
- Staying professional
- Responding to poor behaviour
Group Practice
Put it all together in fun, practical role plays.
- Realistic scenarios
- Service and complaint skills
- Feedback from the trainer
Training a whole team? Talk to us about a private course
Compare phone courses
Compare the three phone courses
All three courses teach the same proven framework. Essentials is a fast 3-hour version, Foundations adds practice and difficult customers, and PRO goes further again for teams who want to master the phone.
| Compare | Public or privatePhone Customer ServiceEssentials | This coursePhone Customer ServiceFoundations | Private onlyPhone Customer ServicePRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 1 × 3-hour sessionlive online or onsite | 2 × 3-hour sessionsor a half day onsite | 3 × 3-hour sessionsor a full day onsite |
| Price | $315per person, ex GST | $485per person, ex GST | $645per person, ex GST |
| Availability | Public or private | Public or private | Private only |
| Best for | New starters, or a fast refresh for experienced staff. | Anyone who wants skills to stick through practice. | Teams who want to master phone service. |
| Includes |
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| Link | View Essentials | You’re on this page | View PRO |
Not sure which course suits your team? Ask for a recommendation
Getting sign-off?
Everything your manager needs, in one PDF
Download a two-page fact sheet for Phone Customer Service Foundations: outcomes, modules, format, price and options, plus how it compares with our other phone courses.
Course fact sheet (PDF)
Outcomes, modules, format, price and how to book, ready to forward or attach to an approval.
Download the fact sheetPrefer to talk it through?
Not sure which course or format suits your team? Get in touch and we’ll help you choose.
Talk to usWho it’s for
Who is phone customer service training for?
Anyone who speaks with customers on the phone, from new starters to experienced staff who want sharper skills.
Customer service teams
Phone-based support and account management in any industry.
Reception and office staff
Managing incoming calls for businesses, practices and service desks.
Call centre agents
Inbound enquiries, complaints and support calls in contact centres of any size.
Small business teams
Anyone taking customer calls who wants to sound more professional.
Healthcare and professional services
Patient and client calls that need care, clarity and discretion.
Retail and ecommerce support
Product enquiries, orders and complaints handled by phone.
Looking for the full range of phone training? See all phone customer service courses
Reviews
What participants say
Verified reviews from people who’ve completed our phone customer service courses, including Foundations.
374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses
Read every reviewPhone customer service courses · 73 reviews
On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified
Pricing
Pricing and payment options
Six hours of live training with Simon Blair and a certificate, for $485 per person ex GST. Book one ticket or your whole team, and pay by card or invoice at checkout.
Places are limited to keep the sessions interactive, so book early to secure your place.
- Save 15% when you book 3 or more tickets in one transaction
- ACXPA members pay $363.75 per person, a 25% saving (see below)
- Card or invoice: choose how to pay at checkout
- Certificate for everyone who completes
- Training a whole team? Private courses run live online or onsite for groups of 5 or more

Official ACXPA training partner
Want to save $121.25 on this course? ACXPA members pay $363.75, not $485, plus a year of self-paced courses, tools and live expert support
- 50+hours of live expert access a year
- 65+tools, templates and resources
- 18calculators
- 25%off CX Skills live public courses
ACXPA members save 25% on this course and every CX Skills live public course.
ACXPA membership is a practitioner-built toolkit for anyone who looks after customers on the phone: self-paced courses, a complaints framework, coaching tools and live expert access every fortnight, for a full year.
What your phone team gets, all year round
- Self-paced courses on phone skills, service excellence, difficult customers and complaints, each with a workbook, quiz and certificate, plus one-minute refreshers for team huddles
- The ACXPA Global Contact Centre CX Standards: the phone behaviours ACXPA uses to assess customer service calls
- The Complaints Handling Hub: a 7-step framework, staff cheat sheets and logging tools
- The Customer Service Health Check: see where your service stands across 17 dimensions, with a full diagnostic and action plan
- Coaching tools, including the Agent Performance Matrix, which plots each person on quality versus productivity
- Live expert access: monthly Roundtables and a fortnightly Open Mic with ACXPA’s founder
FAQs
Phone Customer Service Foundations FAQs
Format, pricing, content and who the course suits.
Who should attend?
What’s covered?
When are the sessions?
What if I can’t make these dates?
How is it different from Essentials and PRO?
How much does it cost?
How is it delivered?
Can it be tailored for our team?
Will the course definitely go ahead?
Do participants receive a certificate?
Is the course ACXPA certified?
Is there a lower-cost or self-paced option?
An ACXPA membership is another option: members save 25% on live public courses and get 12 months of tools, templates and live sessions.
Can I get something to share with my manager?
How do I book?
Talk to us
Questions about training your team?
Book a call to talk it through, or send us a message and we’ll get back to you.
Book a callDownload the fact sheet
Prefer the phone? Call +61 3 9008 7287 (Mon–Fri, 8:30–17:30 Melbourne time) or email hello@cxskills.com.au.
Ready to book your place?
Secure your tickets for 11 and 12 February, or talk to us about a private course for your team.




















