Dealing with Irate Callers

Transcription

1 Dealing with Irate Callers Workshop facilitated by: Mike Aoki President, Reflective Keynotes Inc With special guest: Brian Maltman, Executive Director, General Insurance OmbudService

2 Dealing with Irate Callers Excerpts from the 1-day workshop

3 To Get the Most Benefit From This Session Actively participate Share ideas View this course as a buffet

4 What Causes Irate Callers?

5 What is the Impact of Irate Callers On. Agents? Team Leaders? Ops Managers? Director/VP?

6 Why Are Irate Callers a Challenge? Some callers view their situation as fight or flight

7 Fight or Flight Reactions How would you react to a perceived threat?

8 Have You Ever Had a Caller 1. Be unable to comprehend directions? 2. Become angry with you? 3. Ignore the obvious? 4. Tell you every problem they have ever had? From the book, "Conflict Unraveled: Fixing Problems at Work and in Families" by Andra Medea (

9 Have You Ever Had a Caller 5. Act like they are not listening to you? 6. Continue to argue though you have already agreed with them? They are in fight or flight mode 7. Been so irate, that you felt irate too?

10 Levels of Conversation During a Conflict 1. Facts 2. Feelings 3. Ego/Identity For many irate callers, feelings and ego matter more than facts From the book, "Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most" by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen

11 Task focused Task Vs. Relationship Focus on relationship first! Relationship focused

12 Relationship Building: Help Your Caller Calm Down Team Huddle Exercise At your table, brainstorm ideas on how to calm an irate caller

13 Do Callers Sense Pushback From Agents? Team Huddle Exercise Raise your right hand

14 Do Callers Sense Pushback From Agents? Let your caller vent without interrupting! Callers view interrupting as pushback

15 Do Callers Sense Pushback From Agents? Avoid jargon Keep it simple Callers view jargon & complexity as pushback

16 Dealing with Extremely Challenging Situations 1. Abusive language 2. Threats of violence 3. Suicide threats

17 General Insurance OmbudService Brian Maltman Executive Director The General Insurance OmbudService is an independent organization, created in 2002, with the sole purpose of helping Canadian consumers resolve disputes or concerns with their home, auto or business insurers.

18 Greater Toronto Area Contact Centre Association Friday, April 4, :00 am Breakfast Meeting 100 Milverton Drive Mississauga, Ontario Brian Maltman, Executive Director, GIO

19 1 Caller s abusive language and behaviour Script: I can tell you re upset and I want to help you. However to assist you I must ask you to stop using that language. Would you prefer to call back later or should we continue now? Protocol: Document the discussion fully in I-Sight including the warning given to the consumer. If the consumer does not withdraw or stop the abusive language or behavior, terminate the call.

20 2. Caller s threat of violence Situation 1. If the threat is given and the caller immediately hangs up with no opportunity to for the CSO to give a warning, whether the threat is against the building, third party or to the personal safety of life of the GIO representative, reverse track the phone number or other information, advise the Manager of Complaints, and advise police. If police ask what we want them to do, the GIO representative has discretion to advise police using their best judgement.

21 2. Caller s threat of violence Situation 2. Where the threat is given and the caller is still on the phone: Script: Sir (or Mam), at GIO we take threats very seriously, and our company protocols require us to stop dealing with you. This call must be terminated. Good Day.

22 2. Caller s threat of violence Situation 2. Where the threat is given and the caller is still on the phone: Protocol: Whether the threat is against the building, third party or to the personal safety of life of the GIO representative, reverse track the phone number or other information, advise the Manager of Complaints, and advise police, including that a retraction of the threat was given. If police ask what we want them to do, the GIO representative has discretion to advise police using their best judgement.

23 2. Caller s threat of violence Situation 3. If a caller calls back and speaks to a CSO, the caller will be told that the Manager of Complaints will call him/her back. If the caller refuses to provide contact information, then s/he will be advised that there will be no further contact and the call terminated. Discussion with the Manager of Complaints will be limited to: a) GIO has strict protocols to deal with threats, including ceasing any further contact, b) Threatening calls are excluded by GIO s Terms of Reference for Dispute Resolution, from participating in GIO s dispute resolution process.

24 Risk Management You should consult your company s legal department to help establish policies and procedures for dealing with these kind of extreme issues

25 Dealing with Irate Callers

26 Beware of Assumptions

27 Passive Listening: Beware of Assumptions Rest Healing Peaceful Dreaming Sheets Pillow Blanket Night Bed Relax Snoring Quiet Team Huddle Exercise Did you also write, Sleep on your list?

28 Active Listening Skills What activities will help us retain information? 1. Take notes to avoid assumptions 2. Acknowledge your customer s feelings 3. Paraphrase to confirm information

29 Problem Solving & Negotiation Skills 1. Different people place different values on items 2. Perception of fairness 3. Intention (win/win?) 4. Additional resources ($, more candies) 5. Fear of loss is a big motivator Team Huddle Exercise

30 How to Use Today s Session to Help Your Agents 1. Use the exercises from today at team huddles and meetings 2. Use Voice of the Customer feedback to improve processes, policies and procedures 3. Establish policies for dealing with extremely challenging situations

31 Action Planning Guide Plus, one more key idea in a moment! What are the most important ideas you learned today?

32 Be a Role Model The Parking Lot Story