Live online · 2 × 4 hours · with Daniel Ord
Managing Difficult Customers Training
De-escalation and conflict training that gives your team a proven way to handle angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence, on the phone, in writing and face to face.
Designed and delivered by global expert Daniel Ord. Book a ticket on a live online public course, or train your whole team privately.
- Led by global expert Daniel Ord
- Live online: join from anywhere
- 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 your team
What your team will do differently
Most people are never taught how to handle an upset or unreasonable customer. They work it out under pressure, and it shows: stress, escalations and inconsistent outcomes.
This course gives your team a clear, repeatable approach, so they stay calm, set boundaries professionally and resolve issues without inflaming the situation.
- Fewer escalations and complaints
- Calmer, more confident staff under pressure
- Better protected staff wellbeing
Stay calm under pressure
Pause, choose a response and stay in control when emotions run high.
Know what they’re dealing with
Tell the abusive, irritating and unhappy customer apart, and handle each well.
Listen so customers feel heard
Listening, reconfirming and the right level of empathy for the situation.
Say no without blowback
How to say YES, say NO, explain WHY and offer a conditional YES.
Set clear boundaries
Handle abusive behaviour professionally and escalate at the right time.
Protect wellbeing
Less stress, less burnout and more confidence for the people on the front line.
The course
One proven course, built by a global expert
Managing Difficult Customers is one complete course: four modules over two live 4-hour sessions, with plenty of practice so people are ready to use the skills straight away.
It works for any channel, and it’s the same proven format whether you book a public ticket or train your whole team privately.
Daniel has spent decades helping service teams around the world, so the examples feel familiar whatever your industry, and there’s always time for questions about your own situations.
- 2 × 4 hoursTwo live sessions on separate days
- Live onlineVia Zoom, join from anywhere
- Public or privateOne ticket or your whole team
- CertificateFor everyone who completes
What’s covered: four modules
Each module builds on the last, from understanding behaviour to choosing the right solution.
Considering Human Behaviour
How people interpret difficult situations, and how to choose your own response.
- What it means to choose, and to pause
- Behaviours incompatible with service
- Why empathy is hard, and still worth it
Classic Difficult Situations
Difficult customers fall into groups. Learn the differences and how to handle each.
- The abusive customer
- The irritating customer
- The unhappy customer
Service Skills Requirements
Advanced communication techniques your team can use every day.
- What listening actually sounds like
- Reconfirming the enquiry
- The five levels of empathy
Your Solution Options
Move from listening to solving, with the solution types that come up most.
- How to say YES, and how to say NO
- Explaining WHY, and the creative YES
- When and how to escalate
Three ways to train
Book a ticket for one person, bring the course to your whole team, or learn at your own pace.
Public course
Join a scheduled live online class
- 2 × 4-hour live online sessions
- Fixed dates, easy to plan ahead
- Book one ticket or several
- Save 15% when you book 3 or more
Private team training
Your team only, live online
- The same course, just for your team
- Time to talk through your real challenges
- Live online, on dates that suit you
- Minimum 5 participants
Self-paced online
Short video lessons, any time
- From $9.15 per person a month
- 400+ practical lessons and quizzes
- Manager dashboards, custom pathways
- Certificates for every course
Not sure it’s the right fit for your team? Talk to us
Getting sign-off?
Everything your manager needs, in one PDF
Download a two-page fact sheet with the outcomes, modules, format, price and options, ready to forward or attach to an approval.
Managing Difficult Customers fact sheet
2 × 4 hours live online with Daniel Ord, $747 per person. Public or private.
Download the PDFPrefer to talk it through?
Not sure it suits your team? Get in touch and we’ll help you choose.
Talk to usUpcoming live public courses
Book a Managing Difficult Customers course
Public courses run live online over two 4-hour sessions, so your team can join from anywhere. Pay by card or request an invoice at checkout.
Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November 2026
- Session 1 Thu 12 Nov · 12:30–4:30pm AEDT
- Session 2 Fri 13 Nov · 12:30–4:30pm AEDT
Online via Zoom · Bookings close Wed 11 Nov, 6:30pm
More dates
- 14Jan2027Thu 14 and Fri 15 Jan 202712:30–4:30pm AEDT · both sessions · Online via Zoom$747ex GSTBook tickets
- 8Apr2027Thu 8 and Fri 9 Apr 202712:30–4:30pm AEST · both sessions · Online via Zoom$747ex GSTBook tickets
Who it’s for
Who is Managing Difficult Customers training for?
Anyone who deals with customers when conversations turn emotional, from new starters to experienced leaders.
Customer service teams
Phone, email and chat teams handling enquiries and complaints.
Team leaders
Coaching staff through high-emotion calls and escalations.
Complaints teams
Case managers handling formal complaints and escalated cases.
Reception and front desk
Face-to-face roles managing walk-ins and tension in person.
Billing and collections
Hard conversations about money, payments and policy.
Government and utilities
Public-facing staff explaining limits, rules and decisions.
Looking for broader customer service training? Browse all customer service courses
Official ACXPA training partner
Want to save 25% with an ACXPA membership?
CX Skills is the official training partner of ACXPA, which defines the Global Contact Centre CX Standards and publishes the Australian Call Centre Rankings.
ACXPA members also get free complaints and de-escalation resources, including the 7-Step Complaints Handling Framework and the H.E.A.T. Model cheat sheet.
- Free complaints and de-escalation resources for members
- ACXPA members save 25% on every live public course
- Tools, templates and live sessions to keep skills growing
ACXPA membership
Want to save $186.75 on this course?ACXPA members pay $560.25, not $747, plus a year of self-paced courses, tools and live expert support
ACXPA membership is a practitioner-built, vendor-neutral toolkit for anyone who deals with upset or difficult customers, and you don’t need to book a course to use it.
Members get the Complaints Handling Hub, self-paced courses on difficult customers, complaints, assertiveness and managing stress, and live access to experienced practitioners every fortnight.
- 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
Handle every complaint the same way
The 7-Step Complaints Handling Framework, staff cheat sheets and logging tools in the Complaints Handling Hub.
Built to reduce escalations and restore customer trust.
Sharpen your skills, any time
Self-paced courses on difficult customers, complaints, being assertive and managing stress, each with a workbook, quiz and certificate.
Plus one-minute refreshers that work well in a team huddle.
Live expert access
A relaxed, off-the-record Open Mic on Zoom every second Tuesday with ACXPA’s founder and CEO.
Plus monthly CX and Call Centre Roundtables, kept in a searchable library.
Plus member tools for tough conversations
See where your service stands
The Customer Service Health Check rates you across 17 dimensions, with a full diagnostic and action plan for members.
480 Customer Response Templates
Written replies your team can adapt, included with Business Membership.
Spot who needs coaching
The Agent Performance Matrix plots each person on quality versus productivity, so coaching goes where it helps most.
An ACXPA Individual Membership is $197 ex GST a year, and Business Membership starts at $497 for a team of five, under $100 per person.
Every member gets 25% off CX Skills live public courses: five people on this $747 course save $933.75, far more than a Business Membership costs.
Why learn with Daniel
Why teams choose Daniel Ord
Daniel has spent decades helping organisations around the world lift service, and his courses are some of our most highly rated.
Every session is live and interactive, with real examples, practice and plenty of room for questions.
A global perspective
50,000+ people trained across 40+ countries, so your team learns what works worldwide.
A proven format
A course refined over many years and delivered the same way every time, so the results are consistent.
Practice, not theory
Real examples, exercises and discussion, so skills are ready to use on the very next customer.
Your challenges, discussed
There’s always time to talk through the situations your team faces every day.
Engaging online
Two half-day sessions that keep people involved and fit around rosters and service levels.
Recognised credentials
CCXP, ICMI Certified Associate and Net Promoter Certified, and a regular keynote speaker worldwide.
Reviews
What participants say
Verified reviews from people who’ve completed Managing Difficult Customers with Daniel.
374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses
Read every reviewManaging Difficult Customers · 50 reviews
On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified
FAQs
Managing Difficult Customers training FAQs
Delivery, pricing, content and who the course suits.
Who should attend this course?
What topics are covered?
Does it help with abusive or unsafe behaviour?
Does the course provide scripts?
How is the course delivered?
Can Daniel deliver the course onsite?
Can the course be customised for our team?
How much does it cost?
Will the course definitely go ahead?
What’s included?
What do participants need?
Is there a lower-cost or self-paced option?
An ACXPA membership is another option. Members save 25% on live public courses and get the Complaints Handling Hub, with guides, a framework, logging and escalation tools to improve complaints handling across your business.
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 take the heat out of difficult conversations?
Book a ticket on a public course, train your whole team privately, or start self-paced today.