Managing Difficult Customers Course
$497 AUD ex GST per person (Discounts Available) teaching global best-practice skills to manage difficult customers.
The Gold Standard in Managing Difficult Customer Situations
The Managing Difficult Customers course is designed to equip employees with the skills and confidence to handle tough customer interactions professionally and effectively.
Whether dealing with external clients or internal stakeholders, employees are increasingly facing heightened frustrations, rising stress levels, and more demanding customer expectations.
With the ongoing pressures of cost-of-living increases, financial stress, long wait times, and rising customer expectations, customers are more impatient and demanding than ever.
Employees, in turn, are struggling to cope—leading to burnout, disengagement, and poor customer experiences.
But here’s the problem:
Most employees have never received proper training on handling difficult customers.
They’re often left to figure it out on their own – leading to stress, conflict, and poor outcomes for both the customer and your business.
Reactive responses often make things worse – Without structured training, employees may escalate situations instead of resolving them, leading to frustrated customers and increased pressure on staff.
Many employees take these interactions personally, which affects their confidence, mental well-being, and performance.
That’s Where This Course Comes In
The Managing Difficult Customers course is laser-focused on equipping employees with the specialised skills and confidence to handle any difficult customer interaction with proven, practical strategies.
Not general customer service or sales training – This course is exclusively dedicated to handling difficult customers.
Taught by a global expert – Live, interactive training facilitated by Daniel Ord, one of the world’s leading CX trainers with decades of experience transforming customer experiences for clients across the world.
Immediate impact – Employees walk away with real-world techniques they can apply instantly to de-escalate conflict, maintain professionalism, and stay in control.
If your employees are struggling with angry, upset, or unreasonable customers, this course is the gold standard in transforming stressful interactions into professional, controlled conversations.
Why Businesses Trust Us For Their Managing Difficult Customers Training
Dealing with difficult customers is a skill – one that can be mastered with the right training.
Our Managing Difficult Customers course, led by the globally renowned Daniel Ord, consistently receives outstanding feedback.
With an impressive 4.9 out of 5 rating from verified participants, it’s clear that this training delivers real impact.
But don’t just take our word for it – read the reviews below to see how this course has helped professionals just like you! 🚀
The Managing Difficult Customers course has helped employees across various industries improve their ability to handle challenging customer interactions with confidence and professionalism.
Below is a selection of recent testimonials from participants and managers who have experienced the transformation firsthand.
View all our reviews or view a list of businesses that have trusted CX Skills with their training.
Managing Difficult Customers Course Fast Facts
This high-impact training course is designed to equip your employees with the skills, confidence, and techniques needed to handle challenging customer interactions professionally and effectively. See why this course is a must-have for your team:
Designed for Live Online Learning – Interactive & Engaging
We understand that online training can sometimes feel less effective than in-person sessions. However, when done right, it’s just as engaging and impactful – if not more!
The Managing Difficult Customers course has been purpose-built for live virtual delivery, ensuring employees stay actively involved through real-time discussions, interactive exercises, and expert coaching.
Live, interactive training: Delivered via Zoom or Teams, employees engage in real-time discussions, breakout exercises, and hands-on activities.
Engaging & practical approach: Employees take part in dynamic discussions, expert-led coaching, and real-world case studies – this isn’t a passive webinar, but an interactive learning experience designed to drive real results.
Structured for better retention: Two 4-hour sessions allow employees to absorb key concepts without the fatigue of a full-day workshop.
Train from anywhere: Whether in the office, at home, or across different locations, employees can join seamlessly with no travel required.
Global best practices: Learn cutting-edge techniques from a world-leading expert with international experience.
Delivered exclusively online: Taught by one of the world’s leading customer service trainers, Daniel Ord. Originally from the US and based in Singapore for over 20 years, Daniel has extensive experience training Australian organisations and delivering global best practices.
Designed for maximum engagement and real-world application, this training ensures employees walk away with practical skills they can apply immediately to manage difficult customer interactions more effectively.
The BEST course I've ever done!
In all my years of customer service, and we are now in the 4th decade of customer service, I have never done a course that answered so many questions I didn’t know I even needed an answer to.
Without a shadow of doubt, hands down, dead set – this was the BEST course I have ever taken about how to do my job. EVER.
Meeting Daniel and drinking up his enthusiasm for his work has re-sparked my desire for my job. I now have the tools and the understanding that I never had before, or if I had been given the tools, they were not explained very well, because now I get it. I get it, I never did before.
The TED talk, which I watched a couple of times over already, was perfection and I think everyone should watch it. Brilliant. I could go on.
The four of us from Dulux think this was amazing and to quote one of us, “Daniel is in the right profession.” Thank you.
Who Should Attend?
The public Managing Difficult Customers course is designed to equip employees with the skills and confidence to manage any difficult situation when dealing with customers or colleagues, regardless of the industry, products, or services.
As such, it’s suitable for anyone who regularly interacts with internal or external customers, whether over the phone or in-person. Typical roles that will benefit from this course include:
- Receptionists & Front Desk Employees
- Customer Service Representatives (face-to-face & phone-based)
- Retail & Hospitality Staff
- Contact Centre Agents (sales, service & support roles)
- Administration & Office Staff
- Personal Assistants & Executive Assistants
- Healthcare Professionals & Support Staff (reception, nurses, allied health, etc.)
- Education Staff & Teachers
- Small Business Owners & Operators
- Sales & Account Management Professionals
- Complaints & Escalations Teams
- Billing & Collections Teams (handling overdue accounts & disputes)
- Public Sector & Government Employees (who interact with the public)
- Team Leaders & Supervisors
- Managers & Senior Leaders (who need to handle internal & external conflicts)
- Security & Concierge Staff (dealing with frustrated visitors or customers)
- Real Estate & Property Managers (handling tenant & owner complaints)
- Legal & Financial Services Representatives (dealing with emotionally charged situations)
- Trades & Field Service Workers (who interact directly with customers on-site)
Regardless of industry or job title, if your employees deal with customers, clients, or stakeholders in any capacity, this course will provide them with the essential skills to handle difficult interactions with confidence and professionalism.
Please note this entire course is specifically focused on dealing with difficult customers and situations.
If you also need to learn more generic customer service skills, check out our customer service training programs (which can include a short module on managing difficult customers).
If you need to help your employees build their resilience skills, please refer to our Workplace Mental Health courses.
Made me excited about my least favourite responsibility in my role at work
Dan was so friendly, informative, knowledgeable and engaging as an instructor and very funny to boot. He made a scary and daunting part of my role at work interesting & funny.
I’m excited to put his suggested approaches into action and see what kind of results I get with customers. And I have a heightened enthusiasm for trying to help our customers as best I can.
Very appreciative that my employer enrolled me in the course and would love the opportunity to do another and maybe even get to meet Dan in person!
Cannot recommend this course any more highly for any professionals who deal with customers.
What Your Employees Will Learn:
The Managing Difficult Customers training course equips employees with the skills to confidently handle challenging interactions by identifying different types of difficult customers and applying the right solutions.
This isn’t just a collection of generic phrases or surface-level tips – it’s a comprehensive, high-quality program developed and refined over decades.
Delivered over 2 x 4-hour live online sessions, this course provides deep, practical learning from a genuine industry expert who makes a lasting impact on your employees.
From mastering negotiation techniques to saying NO! professionally and effectively, this training helps employees manage difficult situations with grace, confidence, and professionalism.
Like all CX Skills courses, this online program is highly interactive, featuring workshop exercises, quizzes, role-plays, videos, real-world examples, and more. This ensures engagement and enables employees to absorb and apply their learnings immediately.
With an average rating of 4.9/5, it’s easy to see why this is one of our most popular courses – just take a look at the customer reviews and testimonials!
Four Powerful Customer Complaint Handling Modules Delivered via 2 x 4-Hour Sessions
The Managing Difficult Customers course comprises four key modules delivered over two 4-hour sessions on separate days that will equip your employees with the skills to handle difficult customers.
Module 1. Considering Human Behaviour
We open the workshop by helping your employees consider their own behaviours.
Your employees will learn about the different ways people can interpret difficult situations based on their own internal belief systems – it’s a powerful introduction that sets the scene for the entire course!
Your employees will learn:
- What it means to choose.
- Behaviour choices that are incompatible with Customer Service.
- What it means to pause.
- Why empathy isn’t as easy as it seems, but it remains a worthwhile goal.
We’re often told this module is a game-changer for your employees, and many former students still contact us about the impact this had on their professional and personal lives!
Module 2. Classifying the Classic Types of Difficult Situations
Difficult customers can often be grouped into different ‘buckets’ so in this module, your employees will learn the differences between the different types of difficult customers and how to handle them, including:
- The Abusive Customer
- The Irritating Customer
- The Unhappy Customer
- The eye-opening differences in how to approach each of these situations.
Module 3. Service Skills Requirements
While the basics of communication will always have their place when dealing with customers, in this module, we deep-dive into communication techniques, teaching your employees advanced patterns & techniques they can readily use every day.
Specifically, your employees will be taught some of the leading global practices on service, including:
- The changing face of global service – and how that manifests in the life as a customer service employee.
- What listening actually sounds like.
- The role of enquiry reconfirmation.
- The five levels of empathy, including when they apply and when they don’t.
- What humanity sounds like.
- What you must do when interacting with someone who is upset.
Module 4. Understanding Your Solution Options
In this final module, we transition from the classic ‘Listen’ phase to the ‘Solution’ phase of the conversation.
While there are many solution types in Customer Service, these six have been chosen because they come up often in dealing with difficult situations:
- How to Say YES – and how that ties into the ‘Extra Mile’.
- How to say NO – and when you have to.
- How to explain WHY – and why being ready helps.
- How to provide a Conditional or Creative YES.
- How and when to Escalate – and how to turn escalations into learnings.
There’ll be plenty of time for some practice so your employees can test out the process in a safe and welcoming environment and be prepared to put their new skills into action immediately following the course with real customers.
About Your Trainer, Daniel Ord
The trainer for the Managing Difficult Customers training course is Daniel Ord from OmniTouch International, who is recognised as one of the leading customer experience and contact centre trainers in the world.
Daniel has trained over 50,000 participants across over 40 countries and is regularly featured in leading customer management publications and presenting keynote speeches across the world.
Credentials-wise, Dan is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), an International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) Certified Associate, a Call Centre Industry Advisory Council Training Partner (CIAC) and is Net Promoter Certified.
Daniel is consistently regarded as the best trainer in the industry with his incredible subject matter expertise, excellent storytelling with real-world examples, a great sense of humour and a clear passion for the industry and helping people achieve success.
So it's not surprising to note that despite all the numerous industry accolades and recognition, it's the Customer Testimonials Daniel is most proud of and you can read a selection of his recent testimonials below.
Managing Difficult Situations Workshop - Exceptional!
I recently had the privilege of attending Daniel Ord’s workshop on “Managing Difficult Situations”, and it was nothing short of outstanding. Daniel’s expertise and passion for the subject matter truly shine through in his teaching style, making it a transformative experience for all participants.
From the moment the workshop began, Daniel’s enthusiasm was infectious. He has an exceptional ability to convey complex concepts in an understandable and relatable way. I left the workshop with a profound understanding of how to navigate challenging scenarios, both in my professional and personal life.
What truly sets Daniel apart is his commitment to engagement. Throughout the session, he encouraged active participation and created an inclusive atmosphere where questions and discussions were not just welcome but encouraged. It’s evident that he genuinely cares about each participant’s learning journey.
The real-world examples and practical strategies shared during the workshop were invaluable. Daniel’s ability to connect theory to practical application made the content highly relevant and actionable.
The workshop was impeccably organized, and Daniel’s presentation skills were top-notch. He kept the audience engaged and motivated throughout, making the entire experience enjoyable and enlightening.
In conclusion, I cannot recommend Daniel Ord’s workshops enough. If you’re looking to enhance your skills in managing difficult situations, he is the go-to expert. Thank you, Daniel, for an enriching and eye-opening workshop. I eagerly look forward to attending more of your sessions in the future.
If you’re considering attending one of Daniel’s workshops, don’t hesitate – you won’t be disappointed!
Private Training Options – Tailored for Your Business
While our public courses are highly effective, some businesses prefer private training for a more exclusive and focused learning environment.
With a private course, your employees have the opportunity to discuss their specific customer challenges, share common difficult situations, and explore how to apply the techniques learned in a way that’s most relevant to your business.
A private course allows you to:
- Schedule training at a time that suits your business.
- Keep training exclusive to your team for a more open and relevant discussion.
- Encourage employees to share their real-world customer interactions and challenges.
- Focus on application by relating course learnings to common customer types and scenarios your employees face.
While this course follows a structured and proven framework, private training allows for deeper discussions tailored to your team’s experiences.
📩 Contact us today to discuss pricing and availability for private training.
Compare Public versus Private Course Benefits
Feature | Public Course | Private Course |
---|---|---|
Who Attends | Open to all companies and individuals | Your team only |
Learning Environment | Hear different perspectives and insights from others in various industries. | Training is exclusive to your team for more open and relevant conversations. |
Dates & Times | Fixed schedule making it easy to plan ahead | Fully flexible to suit your needs |
Delivery Method | Live online | Live online or onsite |
Cost | $497 per person | More Cost-effective for larger groups |
Best For | Businesses needing a hassle-free, ready-made training solution with fixed dates | Companies wanting a customised training program tailored to their team’s needs |
Minimum Numbers | No minimum - book a single employee or the whole team! | Minimum of 4 participants |
View Upcoming Public Courses > | Learn More About Private Training > |
Most valuable training I have attended
Daniel is an excellent trainer, the training was engaging, informative and provided practical skills to put into place. The course was run at a great pace and for the first time, I did not feel brain drained at the end of the training (like has been my experience with other organisations). It wasn’t information overload, it was thought provoking, practical and down to earth.
This was the most valuable training I have ever done. I have 31 years in customer service and was not sure how much value I would get out of the course. From the first session the information was powerful, thought provoking and It created a huge paradigm shift in how I view ‘abusive customers’.
While a lot of the skills I already have gained over the years, I have still walked away with some new, some refined skills.
Would highly recommend this to anyone dealing with customers or considering a career in customer service.
Thank you so much.
Why Choose CX Skills?
At CX Skills, we focus on what we do best - delivering expert-led training in customer service, customer experience (CX), contact centres, workforce optimisation (WFM/WFO), and workplace wellness. Unlike generic training providers, our courses are developed and facilitated by industry professionals with real-world experience who know what it takes to succeed.
We’re the official training partner of the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association (ACXPA), and we’re a small business, proudly Australian-owned and operated.
Trusted by hundreds of businesses and backed by outstanding customer testimonials, CX Skills ensures your team receives training that is practical, engaging, and designed for real-world success.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials
Our customers love what we do! Here’s a sample of what they have to say, or you can read all our customer reviews here >
Some of the Organisations We've Trained
We’re proud to have worked with a diverse range of organisations across multiple industries, sizes, and sectors. 👉 See the full list of our customers here >
Pricing and Payment Options
The Managing Difficult Customers Training course is $497 per person ex GST for eight hours of live facilitated learning (2 x 4-hour sessions).
The course is delivered live by global CX training expert Daniel Ord as well as a course workbook (delivered electronically).
Available Discounts
- Save 15% when booking for three or more staff in the same transaction (note: the discount will be applied on the final checkout page, and no other discounts apply).
- ACXPA Members instantly save 25% off all CX Skills courses, plus membership includes 15 self-paced training courses and a host of other benefits. Learn More >
- Do you want to train your whole team or multiple employees? Contact us for volume discounts and availability.
View the upcoming available public courses at the bottom of this page.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to equip your team with the skills to handle difficult customer interactions confidently. Secure your spot today!
Do you have questions about this Managing Difficult Customers course?
Want to train your whole team or talk to us about a customised training program?
Speak to us live on +61 3 9008 7287 between 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Melbourne/Sydney, Australia (AEST or AEDT) Monday to Friday or send us an online message anytime >
Purchase Tickets to a Public Managing Difficult Course:
Select your preferred date from the courses below – click to see the exact times and to secure your ticket(s).
Tickets can be purchased instantly with a credit card, or you can request an invoice at checkout.
April 2025 Managing Difficult Customers
Online via Zoom Price: $497.00 AUD ex GSTLearn global best-practice skills on how to manage angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence in this 2 x 4-hour April 2025 online course - suitable for all customer-facing employees.
September 2025 Managing Difficult Customers
Online via Zoom Price: $497.00 AUD ex GSTLearn global best-practice skills on how to manage angry, upset and difficult customers with confidence in this 2 x 4-hour September 2025 online course - suitable for all customer-facing employees.
💡 Save 25% Instantly on This Course – and Every CX Skills Course!
Want to get an instant 25% discount on this course and all future training?
As a member of the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association (ACXPA), you’ll unlock exclusive discounts, expert resources, and professional development opportunities to enhance customer interactions and service quality.
📢 Annual Memberships start from just $35 per employee – making it a smart investment whether you're upskilling yourself or training your team.
🚀 Learn More & Save 25% Before You Enrol >