Complaints handling & difficult customers

Complaints Handling Training

Practical training that gives your people the words, confidence and structure to calm upset customers and resolve complaints properly, on the phone, in writing and face to face.

Pair it with ACXPA’s complaints toolkit, so what your people learn becomes how every complaint is handled.

  • Led by global expert Daniel Ord
  • Book one ticket or train your team
  • Backed by ACXPA’s Complaints Handling Hub
  • 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

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  • City of Casey logo
  • Federal Circuit Court of Australia logo
  • I-MED Radiology logo
  • MECCA logo
  • Taronga Zoo logo
  • Viking Cruises logo
  • Ultra Tune logo

Why complaints handling matters

Want fewer escalations, calmer staff and complaints that stay resolved?

Most people are never taught how to handle a complaint. They learn under pressure, and it shows: escalations, repeat contacts, stressed staff and outcomes that change with whoever picks up.

Great complaints handling needs two things: people with the skills to handle the conversation, and a simple system so every complaint is handled the same way. CX Skills trains the first. ACXPA gives you the second.

Calm the conversation

De-escalate angry and upset customers without inflaming things, and know what to say when the answer is no.

Make customers feel heard

Listening, empathy and ownership, so customers trust you to fix it and don’t need to escalate.

Handle every complaint the same way

Clear steps from first contact to resolution, so the outcome doesn’t depend on who takes the complaint.

Escalate at the right time

Clear thresholds so staff know what they can resolve themselves, and when to hand it on.

Learn from what goes wrong

Log complaints consistently, so you can spot the patterns and fix the causes, not just the symptoms.

Protect your people

Professional boundaries for abusive behaviour, and less stress for the people handling complaints.

Train your people

Is it complaints handling training you need, or customer service training?

They’re often treated as the same thing, but they aren’t. Customer service training builds great service on every contact, and includes some content on complaints. Complaints handling training is built entirely around complaints and difficult customers.

Choose the one that matches the gap you need to close.

Complaints handling training

Managing Difficult Customers

Our dedicated course, built entirely around complaints and difficult customers. There’s no general customer service content: every minute is spent on the conversations that go wrong.

  • 2 × 4 hourslive online
  • Public or privateone ticket or a team
  • $747per person, ex GST
  1. Module 1Considering Human BehaviourHow people interpret difficult situations, and how to choose your own response.
  2. Module 2Classic Difficult SituationsDifficult customers fall into groups. Learn the differences and how to handle each.
  3. Module 3Service Skills RequirementsAdvanced communication techniques your team can use every day.
  4. Module 4Your Solution OptionsMove from listening to solving, with the solution types that come up most.

Best for: anyone who delivers good service but struggles when a customer is angry, upset or abusive, including team leaders who take escalations.

Daniel OrdTrainer: Daniel Ord50,000+ people trained in 40+ countries

Not sure which you need? Ask us for a recommendation

Upcoming live public courses

Want to book a ticket on Managing Difficult Customers?

Public courses run live online over two 4-hour sessions, so you can join from anywhere. Book one ticket or several, and pay by card or request an invoice at checkout.

  • Live with Daniel OrdExpert-led and interactive
  • Certificate includedFor everyone who completes
  • 15% off 3 or moreBooked in one transaction
  • 25% off for membersACXPA member pricing
  • 12Nov2026Managing Difficult CustomersThu 12 and Fri 13 Nov · 12:30–4:30pm AEDT · 2 × 4 hours · Online via ZoomLearn global best-practice skills on how to manage angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence in this 2 x 4-hour November 2026 online course - suitable for all customer-facing employees.$747ex GSTView course
  • 14Jan2027Managing Difficult CustomersThu 14 and Fri 15 Jan · 12:30–4:30pm AEDT · 2 × 4 hours · Online via ZoomLearn global best-practice skills on how to manage angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence in this 2 x 4-hour January 2027 online course - suitable for all customer-facing employees.$747ex GSTView course
  • 8Apr2027Managing Difficult CustomersThu 8 and Fri 9 Apr · 12:30–4:30pm AEST · 2 × 4 hours · Online via ZoomLearn global best-practice skills on how to manage angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence in this 2 x 4-hour April 2027 online course - suitable for all customer-facing employees.$747ex GSTView course
Times shown in Melbourne time (AEST/AEDT).

Public or private

Training one person, or the whole team?

Managing Difficult Customers is the same proven course either way, live and led by Daniel Ord.

Public course

Ideal for one person or a small group. Join a scheduled live online class with people from other organisations.

  • Book one ticket or several
  • Fixed dates, easy online booking
  • Save 15% on 3 or more tickets
  • $747 per person, ex GST
See upcoming dates

Private course

Best when a whole team handles complaints. The same proven course, just for your people.

  • Dates and times that suit your rosters
  • Time to talk through your real complaints
  • Live online, or onsite by arrangement
  • Minimum 5 participants
Talk to us about your team

Equip your organisation · ACXPA Complaints Handling Hub

Want a complaints system your whole team can follow?

Training builds the skill. ACXPA’s Complaints Handling Hub gives you the system behind it: one framework, tools to log and escalate, customer-facing templates, and ready-to-run sessions so your own leaders can train the team.

CX Skills is the official training partner of ACXPA, the professional association for customer experience and contact centre professionals.

The conversation

What your people use in the moment, and the steps every complaint follows.

  • FreeH.E.A.T. Model Cheat SheetOne page for calming an emotional customer: Hear, Empathise, Apologise, Take action.
  • Members7-Step Framework Cheat SheetThe steps every complaint should follow, on a single printable page.
  • BusinessComplaints Handling FrameworkWhat each of the 7 steps means, what good looks like, mistakes to avoid and phrases to use.
  • BusinessFrontline Complaints Handling Training GuideHow to handle complaint conversations calmly and consistently, from first contact to follow-up.

Process & reporting

Log every complaint the same way, escalate consistently and show customers your approach.

  • BusinessComplaints Logging Tool (Excel)A complaints register that captures consistent data and exports it for trend analysis.
  • BusinessEscalation Decision Tool (Excel)Set your own thresholds, so staff assess severity the same way and know when to escalate.
  • MembersWebsite Complaints Page TemplateCustomer-ready copy that sets expectations and reduces repeat contact.
  • MembersCustomer Commitment SignEditable signage that shows customers how you handle complaints.
Train your own team

Your team

Run complaints training yourself, as often as you need, and build the skill at any time.

  • BusinessComplaints Handling Facilitator GuideA ready-to-run session on the 7-step framework, with speaker notes, timings and activities.
  • BusinessH.E.A.T. Training Facilitator GuideA 23-slide session on de-escalating emotionally charged calls, ready to deliver.
  • MembersComplaints Handling (self-paced course)Video lessons, a workbook and a quiz on resolving complaints, with a certificate.
  • MembersHandling Difficult Customers (self-paced course)De-escalation techniques for frustrated customers, with a certificate.

And that’s just the complaints toolkit. Every ACXPA membership also includes:

  • 17self-paced courses with certificates
  • 65+tools, templates and resources
  • 50+hours of live expert access a year
  • 25%off CX Skills live public courses

Who it’s for

Who is complaints handling training for?

Anyone who handles complaints or tough conversations, from new starters to experienced leaders, in organisations of any size.

Customer service teams

Phone, email and chat teams handling enquiries and complaints every day.

Complaints and case teams

Case managers handling formal complaints and escalated cases.

Team leaders

Leaders who take escalations and coach staff through tough calls.

Managers and process owners

Leaders who need a consistent process, escalation rules and reporting.

Frontline and reception

Counter, branch and front desk staff handling tension in person.

Councils and government

Public-facing staff explaining limits, rules and decisions.

Training a council or government team? See public sector customer service training

Self-paced online

Want complaints training anyone can do, any time, for a fraction of the cost?

Start with the Handling Challenging Customers pathway. Your subscription also unlocks the whole self-paced library.

Use it as a lower-cost alternative to live training, or as an addition to it. Every course is short, practical and on demand, with a certificate when it’s done.

  • Low cost per person
  • Perfect for shift work
  • Certificates to evidence learning

From

$9.15

per person a month, ex GST

On the 100-user plan. Individual access is $30 a month.

View the pathwayBrowse the whole library

Pay monthly · No contracts · Cancel anytime

The complaints pathway

  • 12 modules from empathy and listening to conflict and negotiation
  • Abusive customers and advanced difficult customers
  • Short video lessons of around 10 minutes each
  • Workbooks, quizzes and a certificate of completion

Plus the whole library

  • 400+ on-demand courses, and growing
  • 20+ pathways for other roles and skills
  • Customer service, leadership, sales and resilience
  • Accessible anytime, on any device

Why CX Skills

Why learn complaints handling with CX Skills?

We’re not a traditional training company. Our trainers come from operations, so they know what it takes to handle complaints in the real world.

There are proven ways to handle complaints that work in organisations of every size and sector. That’s what we teach.

Built on real operations

Our trainers have run service teams in small and large organisations, so the skills work in practice.

A global expert

Managing Difficult Customers is led by Daniel Ord, who has trained 50,000+ people in 40+ countries.

Practice, not theory

Role plays, real examples and feedback, so the skills are ready for the very next customer.

Official ACXPA training partner

Training backed by ACXPA’s complaints framework, tools and member community.

Your situations, discussed

There’s always time to talk through the complaints your people deal with every day.

An option for every budget

Single tickets, private team training and self-paced learning, live online or onsite.

Reviews

What participants say

Verified reviews from people who’ve completed Managing Difficult Customers, our dedicated course.

4.9

374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses

Read every review
4.9

Managing Difficult Customers · 50 reviews

5.0

On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified

View all testimonials

FAQs

Complaints handling training FAQs

Choosing a course, delivery, pricing and the ACXPA toolkit.

Still have questions? Get in touch
What is complaints handling training?
It teaches people how to receive, manage and resolve complaints well: calming emotional customers, listening with empathy, explaining decisions, saying no without blowback and knowing when to escalate.

The best results come when people also have a consistent process to follow, so every complaint is handled the same way.
Isn’t customer service training the same as complaints handling training?
No, although they’re often confused. Customer service training builds great service on every contact, and our customer service courses include some content on complaints and difficult customers.

Complaints handling training is built entirely around complaints and difficult customers. Managing Difficult Customers is our dedicated course, and it doesn’t cover general customer service.
What’s the difference between a complaint and a difficult customer?
A complaint is about the issue: the customer is unhappy and wants it put right. A difficult customer is about behaviour, such as anger, frustration or abuse.

They often arrive together, which is why our training covers both the conversation and the steps to resolve the complaint.
Which course should we choose?
If people already deliver good service but struggle when a customer is angry, upset or abusive, choose Managing Difficult Customers. It’s built entirely for that.

If they need the service foundations too, choose the customer service course for their role, such as phone or frontline. Each includes some content on complaints. Still unsure? Talk to us.
Can I book just one person?
Yes. Public courses are sold per ticket, so you can book one ticket or several. Save 15% when you book three or more in one transaction, or 25% as an ACXPA member (the discounts don’t combine).
How much does complaints handling training cost?
Managing Difficult Customers is $747 per person (ex GST) for 2 × 4 hours of live training. Save 15% when you book three or more tickets, or 25% as an ACXPA member.

Private team training (minimum 5 participants) is priced once we understand what you need. Self-paced learning starts at $9.15 per person a month.
Is the training online or onsite?
Managing Difficult Customers runs live online via Zoom, for public and private courses. Daniel Ord is based in Germany, so onsite delivery is possible by arrangement, with travel costs quoted.
Is there training for team leaders who handle escalations?
Yes. Managing Difficult Customers suits team leaders who take escalations and coach staff through tough calls.

ACXPA Business Membership also includes two ready-to-run facilitator guides, so leaders can run complaints and de-escalation sessions with their own teams.
Does it cover abusive customers?
Yes. Participants learn to recognise abusive behaviour, set professional boundaries and respond calmly and consistently, including when to warn, when to escalate and when to end the conversation.
Do you provide scripts?
No. People learn a repeatable approach and language they can use naturally, in their own words. ACXPA members also get templates, including customer-ready copy for your website complaints page.
Can you help us set up a complaints process, not just train staff?
Yes, through ACXPA. The Complaints Handling Hub includes a 7-step framework, an escalation decision tool, a complaints logging tool and customer-facing templates.

They’re designed to work alongside your existing systems and policies.
Is there a self-paced option?
Yes. The Handling Challenging Customers pathway has 12 short video modules with workbooks, quizzes and a certificate.

It’s a lower-cost alternative to live training, or an addition to it. ACXPA members also get self-paced courses on difficult customers and complaints handling.

Talk to us

Want help choosing the right complaints training?

Book a call to talk it through, or send us a message and we’ll get back to you.

Book a call

Prefer the phone? Call +61 3 9008 7287 (Mon–Fri, 8:30–17:30 Melbourne time) or email hello@cxskills.com.au.

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Ready to take the heat out of complaints?

Book a ticket on a public course, train your whole team privately, or start self-paced today.