Introduction:

In today's competitive and customer-driven market environment, how an organization handles complaints can significantly influence its reputation, customer loyalty, and overall success. Complaint handling is no longer a reactive support function—it is a proactive strategy that reflects an organization's commitment to service excellence, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.

The "Complaint Handling Management" training program, designed and delivered by Global Horizon Training Center, provides participants with the tools, techniques, and mindset required to effectively manage customer complaints across various channels and touchpoints. This program focuses on turning dissatisfaction into loyalty by equipping professionals with world-class customer service strategies, emotional intelligence techniques, and systematic problem-solving methods.

Objectives:

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of complaint handling as a strategic business function.

• Identify the root causes of complaints and implement corrective and preventive actions.

• Apply communication and behavioral techniques to manage customer emotions and expectations.

• Design and implement an effective and customer-friendly complaint handling process.

• Use complaint data for service improvement and innovation.

• Increase customer retention and trust through professional response strategies.

• Foster a culture of ownership, empathy, and continuous service improvement.

Course Methodology:

The course uses a combination of interactive methods, including:

• Case studies and real-world scenarios

• Role-playing and simulation exercises

• Group discussions and breakout activities

• Instructor-led presentations with visual aids

• Templates, toolkits, and complaint forms

• Self-assessments and reflection exercises

• Feedback sessions and improvement planning

Organizational Impact:

Upon successful completion of this program, organizations will benefit from:

• A professional and consistent approach to handling complaints across departments.

• Enhanced brand reputation and customer trust.

• Reduced recurrence of complaints through root cause analysis.

• Higher customer retention and reduced churn.

• Improved employee confidence and morale in dealing with customer issues.

• Data-driven improvements in services, products, and internal processes.

Target Audience:

This program is ideal for:

• Customer service and support professionals

• Frontline employees and call center agents

• Quality assurance and complaint management officers

• Service delivery and operations managers

• Public relations and communications staff

• Any professional involved in customer interaction, retention, or after-sales support

Outlines:

Day 1: Foundations of Complaint Handling

• Introduction to Complaint Management and Customer Experience

• Types and sources of customer complaints

• The psychology of complaining: customer expectations and emotions

• The role of empathy and active listening

• Standards, regulations, and best practices in complaint handling (ISO 10002)

Day 2: Building a Complaint Handling Framework

• Designing a complaint management process and workflow

• Setting service level agreements (SLAs) and response time standards

• Categorization and prioritization of complaints

• Tools and systems for recording, tracking, and reporting

• Complaint handling policy and communication channels (in-person, phone, email, online)

Day 3: Communication and Emotional Intelligence

• Handling difficult customers with professionalism

• De-escalation techniques and managing aggressive behavior

• Non-verbal communication and tone management

• Emotional intelligence for complaint resolution

• Case study roleplays: practice difficult conversations

Day 4: Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action

• Identifying systemic issues behind complaints

• Using tools like 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, and Pareto Analysis

• Developing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)

• Cross-department collaboration and escalation procedures

• Documenting and reporting outcomes

Day 5: Turning Complaints into Opportunities

• Using complaint data for continuous improvement

• Learning from feedback: metrics, KPIs, and dashboards

• Building a customer-focused culture across teams

• Post-complaint follow-up and customer recovery strategies

• Final workshop: Designing your organization’s complaint handling improvement plan