ICML training courses > Sales and customer service training > Dealing with difficult customers training

Dealing with Difficult Customers Training

Not every customer interaction goes smoothly. Complaints, pushback, and unreasonable demands can leave staff feeling frustrated, drained, or unsure how to respond. When customers won’t take no for an answer—or when their expectations seem impossible to meet—it’s easy for conversations to spiral.

This workshop helps participants build the skills to handle challenging customer behaviour with confidence and professionalism. Through practical tools, real-world examples, and guided practice, participants will learn how to stay calm, set boundaries, and turn difficult moments into constructive outcomes.

Target audience

Ideal for customer-facing staff, team leaders, and anyone who deals with the public—especially in roles where complaints, demands, or difficult conversations are part of the job.

Learning outcomes

Learn how to:

Respond to complaints and resistance with empathy
Set limits and say ‘no’ without escalating tension
Manage customer and own emotional reactions
Use language that defuses conflict and builds trust.
Stay solution-focused, even when the customer isn’t.

Duration

1/2 day or 1 day
Can be tailored to any duration.

Tailored group training – in-house or virtual

Ask us how we will tailor this program to your organisation or team.
Benefits are that we tailor the:

Content to suit your organisation’s needs.
Delivery to reflect your procedures, values, examples and terminology, which encourages participants to apply their new skills in their roles.
Duration to suit the availability of your team members and your budget.

Tailoring is mostly for free and always economical
as costs are based on a per day delivery and not per participant.

Request a quote

Please call 1300 655 098 to ask us how we can tailor a program to your needs. Alternatively, email us at info@icml.com.au or start a ‘chat’ on our website icml.com.au.