Phone Customer Service · Essentials · 3 hours

Phone Customer Service Essentials

A 3-hour live course that gives your team a proven structure for every call, so they sound confident, stay in control and resolve more at the first contact.

Book a ticket on a live online public course, or train your whole team privately, online or onsite.

  • 4.8/5 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

  • Australia Post logo
  • 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

What’s in it for you

Designed for immediate impact, from the very next call

Every technique is demonstrated and practised in the session, so your team can use it on their very next call. No theory to translate and no waiting for results.

For you, that means happier customers, fewer escalations and repeat calls, and a team that sounds confident and consistent.

  • Stronger starts and finishes to every call
  • Clearer answers customers understand first time
  • Calmer handling of difficult callers
Customer service team member on a phone call with a customer

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

One focused session, built from 50,000+ assessed calls

Phone Customer Service Essentials is a single 3-hour live session covering five modules, with demonstrations and practice throughout.

It follows the same framework as Foundations and PRO, and it’s aligned to the standards ACXPA uses to assess customer service.

Your team leaves with a clear structure they can use on the very next call, whether they work in a contact centre, at reception or in the office.

  • 1 × 3 hoursOne live session
  • Online or onsitePublic online; private either way
  • Public or privateOne ticket or your whole team
  • CertificateFor everyone who completes

What’s covered: five modules

Demonstrations and practice across five modules, all in one 3-hour session.

Module 1

The Psychology of Customer Service

What customers want and need, based on decades of research.

  • What drives customer expectations
  • The five core competencies
  • Why every call matters
Module 2

How to Engage

Strong first impressions that build trust and control.

  • Ownership and intent
  • Setting expectations
  • Realistic call practice
Module 3

How to Educate and Inform

Uncover needs quickly, then explain clearly.

  • Three discovery techniques
  • Presenting information clearly
  • Checks for understanding
Module 4

How to Close

End every call professionally, with no clunky finishes.

  • Final checks
  • Clear next steps
  • A warm farewell
Module 5

Energy, Empathy and Objections

Sound fresh and confident, and calm difficult callers.

  • Tone and language
  • The two-step method
  • De-escalating issues

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

  • Live online via Zoom
  • Fixed dates, easy to plan ahead
  • Book one ticket or several
  • Save 15% when you book 3 or more
See upcoming dates

Private team training

Your team only, as-is or tailored

  • Live online or onsite, on your dates
  • Examples drawn from your own calls
  • Essentials, Foundations or PRO
  • Minimum 5 participants
Talk to us about your team

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
Explore self-paced

Want more practice time? See Phone Customer Service Foundations

Compare phone courses

Need more depth? Compare the three phone courses

All three courses teach the same proven framework. Foundations adds more practice and a full session on difficult customers, and PRO goes further again for teams who want to master the phone.

CompareThis coursePhone Customer ServiceEssentialsPublic or privatePhone Customer ServiceFoundationsPrivate onlyPhone Customer ServicePRO
Length1 × 3-hour sessionlive online or onsite2 × 3-hour sessionsor a half day onsite3 × 3-hour sessionsor a full day onsite
Price$315per person, ex GST$485per person, ex GST$645per person, ex GST
AvailabilityPublic or privatePublic or privatePrivate only
Best forNew starters, or a fast refresh for experienced staff.Anyone who wants skills to stick through practice.Teams who want to master phone service.
Includes
  • Rapport and first impressions
  • A clear structure for every call
  • Questioning and active listening
  • Professional, positive language
  • Everything in Essentials
  • More role plays with live coaching
  • Handling difficult customers
  • Fewer repeat contacts
  • Everything in Foundations
  • Advanced call control
  • De-escalation and service recovery
  • Consistent, measurable call quality
LinkYou’re on this pageView FoundationsView 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 Essentials: 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 sheet

Prefer to talk it through?

Not sure which course or format suits your team? Get in touch and we’ll help you choose.

Talk to us

Upcoming live public courses

Book a Phone Customer Service Essentials course

Public courses run live online via Zoom in one 3-hour session. Book one ticket or several, and pay by card or request an invoice at checkout.

  • Live, expert-ledPractice with live coaching
  • Certificate includedFor everyone who completes
  • 15% off 3 or moreBooked in one transaction
  • 25% off for membersACXPA member pricing
Next available8Oct2026

Thu 8 Oct 2026

9:30am–12:30pm AEDT · 3 hours · Online via Zoom

Bookings close Wed 7 Oct, 6:30pm

$315per person, ex GSTBook tickets15% off 3 or more tickets 4.9/5 · 374 reviews

More dates

Times shown in Melbourne time (AEST/AEDT).

Who 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

ACXPA certified

Want your calls to meet the standard ACXPA uses to assess customer service?

CX Skills is the official training partner of ACXPA, which sets the standards used to assess customer service and publishes the Australian Call Centre Rankings.

Our phone customer service courses are ACXPA certified, so your team learns the behaviours that phone service is actually measured on.

  • ACXPA certified phone customer service courses
  • Built on the standards used to assess customer service
  • ACXPA members save 25% on every live public course

ACXPA membership

Want to save $78.75 on this course?ACXPA members pay $236.25, not $315, plus a year of self-paced courses, tools and live expert support

ACXPA membership is a practitioner-built, vendor-neutral toolkit for anyone who looks after customers on the phone, and you don’t need to book a course to use it.

Members get self-paced courses on phone skills and difficult customers, a complaints framework your whole team can follow, the standards ACXPA uses to assess customer service calls, and live access to contact centre leaders 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

Plus member tools built for phone teams

See where your service stands

The Customer Service Health Check rates you across 17 dimensions, with a full diagnostic and action plan for members.

The standard your calls are judged on

The ACXPA Global Contact Centre CX Standards: the phone behaviours ACXPA uses to assess customer service calls.

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: one ticket on this course saves $78.75, and five tickets save $393.75.

Reviews

What participants say

Verified reviews from people who’ve completed Phone Customer Service Essentials.

4.9

374 verified reviews across all CX Skills courses

Read every review
4.8

Phone Customer Service Essentials · 30 reviews

5.0

On Google · 39 reviews
Independently verified

View all testimonials

FAQs

Phone Customer Service Essentials FAQs

Format, pricing, content and who the course suits.

Still have questions? Get in touch
Who should attend?
Anyone who speaks with customers on the phone: call centre agents, reception and office staff, customer service teams, healthcare and professional services, retail and ecommerce support, and small business teams. It suits new starters, experienced staff who need a refresh, and people who’ve never had formal training.
What’s covered?
Five modules in one 3-hour session: The Psychology of Customer Service, How to Engage, How to Educate and Inform, How to Close, and Energy, Empathy and Objections.
How is it different from Foundations and PRO?
All three teach the same framework. Essentials covers it in one 3-hour session. Foundations runs over 2 × 3 hours with more practice and a full session on difficult customers, and PRO runs over 3 × 3 hours (or a full day onsite) for teams who want to master the phone. PRO is private only.
How much does it cost?
Public courses are $315 per person (ex GST). Save 15% when you book three or more people in the same transaction, and ACXPA members save 25%. Private training is quoted for your team.
How is it delivered?
Public courses run live online via Zoom. Private courses can be live online or onsite at your workplace anywhere in Australia, New Zealand or the Asia Pacific (travel costs apply).
Can it be tailored for our team?
Yes. Private courses can use examples, scenarios and role plays drawn from your own calls, systems and customers.
Will the course definitely go ahead?
Public courses need a minimum number of participants to run, so we reserve the right to reschedule or cancel a date if too few people book. It rarely happens, and if it does we’ll let you know as early as possible and you can move to another date or get a full refund.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. Everyone who completes the course receives a digital certificate of completion.
Is the course ACXPA certified?
Yes. Phone Customer Service Essentials is ACXPA certified and built on the standards ACXPA uses to assess customer service.
Is there a lower-cost or self-paced option?
Yes. Our self-paced library is a much cheaper way to build phone skills at your own pace, from $9.15 per person a month, with short courses and 1-minute videos your team can fit around their shifts.

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?
Yes. Download the fact sheet (PDF) for the outcomes, modules, format and price in one short document. Public courses can also be paid by invoice at checkout.
How do I book?
Choose a date in the upcoming dates and book online by card or invoice. For private training, talk to us or call us on +61 3 9008 7287.

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.

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Ready to lift every customer call?

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