Customer Service Excellence & Soft Skills in a Digital World

Intermediate

9:00am - 5:00pm (2-Days)

Pre-requisite: No

INTRODUCTION

"Consistent and empathetic service builds trust and enhances the customer experience."

In the digital era, customers and stakeholders expect fast, consistent, and professional service across multiple channels such as counters, phone, email, and WhatsApp.

Common challenges arise when messages are unclear, expectations are not managed, complaints are not properly resolved, or situations become emotionally charged.

This course is designed practically to strengthen a service mindset and key interpersonal skills including clear and empathetic communication, active listening, expectation management, complaint handling, de-escalation techniques, escalation procedures, and disciplined follow-up until issues are resolved.

The program emphasises role play and real-case simulations, supported by scripts and templates that can be applied immediately after training.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Customer service teams
Frontline staff at counters or service desks
Contact centre or call centre teams
Sales and service teams
Internal service functions such as HR, finance, and administration that handle requests, complaints, or escalations

COURSE OBJECTIVE

This course equips participants with the skills to deliver professional and consistent service across physical and digital channels by developing a strong service mindset and interpersonal skills. Participants will be able to apply active listening, ask precise questions, communicate clearly with empathy, and manage customer expectations to reduce misunderstandings and repeated follow-ups. They will also learn to handle complaints and difficult customers calmly using de-escalation techniques, apply structured escalation, documentation, and follow-up procedures to resolve issues effectively, and produce a Service Playbook Pack comprising scripts, templates, and trackers for immediate workplace application.

LEARNING OUTCOME

Demonstrate a service mindset and professional behaviour, including tone, language, and emotional control, even under pressure.
Apply active listening and questioning techniques to accurately understand customer needs.
Communicate information clearly and set expectations, including steps, timelines, and responsibilities, to reduce conflicts and misunderstandings.
Handle complaints and difficult customers using de-escalation techniques and appropriate service language.
Implement structured resolution and escalation processes, including disciplined follow-up until issues are fully resolved.
Produce a Service Playbook Pack containing standard scripts, response templates, and a Complaint Tracker for immediate use.

By the end of the course, participants will :

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

Face-to-face, hands-on training focused on practical exercises
Intensive role play and simulations of real service situations
Communication drills (scripts, tone, response structure) with immediate feedback
Workshop to create templates for WhatsApp, email, phone, escalation, and complaint tracking
Deliverable package (scripts, templates, tracker) ready for immediate workplace use

COURSE CONTENT

Module 1: Service Mindset & Professional Behaviour

Objective: To develop a professional service mindset by understanding what excellent service looks and feels like to customers, maintaining professionalism under pressure, and ensuring consistent behaviour across all service channels. Adopting a reader-first mindset and writing to be understood

Characteristics of excellent service: what customers see and feel
First impressions, tone of voice, and body language
Professionalism under pressure
Consistency across service channels

Module 2: Communication Skills for Service (Clarity + Empathy)

Objective: To strengthen participants’ communication skills for clear, empathetic, and professional interactions that build trust and manage customer expectations effectively.

Active listening and confirming understanding
Asking the right questions (open vs closed)
Clear explanation and expectation management
Hands-on practice: upgrading weak responses to professional replies

Module 3: Complaint Handling & Difficult Customers (De-escalation Skills)

Objective: To equip participants with the skills to manage complaints and challenging customers calmly and effectively using structured de-escalation techniques.

Reasons why customers escalate (emotional triggers)
De-escalation techniques: calm tone, control flow, appropriate language
What to say and what to avoid
Role play: angry customers, repeated complaints, unreasonable requests

Module 4: Problem Resolution, Escalation & Follow-up Discipline

Objective: To teach structured approaches for resolving service issues, escalating appropriately, and following up to ensure closure and accountability.

Problem resolution framework: listen → clarify → propose → agree → follow up
Escalation rules: when and how to escalate professionally
Closing the loop: follow-up, confirmation, and documentation
Hands-on: build a simple complaint tracker and follow-up message templates

Module 5: Service Recovery Fundamentals (Turning Problems into Trust)

Objective: To provide participants with strategies to recover service failures, rebuild customer trust, and apply disciplined follow-up to prevent recurrence.

Principles of service recovery and “win-back” approach
Consistent closure language and disciplined follow-up
Scenario exercises: service recovery responses

Module 6: Masterclass on Complex Complaints (Scenarios & Boundary Setting)

Objective: To develop participants’ ability to manage layered and recurring complaints professionally, establish boundaries, and apply appropriate recovery options.

Handling layered complaints: policy constraints and customer emotions
Repeated customers and recurring issues
Setting professional boundaries and offering recovery options
Multi-round role play with trainer feedback

Module 7: Advanced De-escalation & Conflict Control (High-Emotion Cases)

Objective: To strengthen participants’ skills in managing high-stress interactions, maintaining calm authority, and resolving conflicts professionally.

Controlling conversations in stressful situations
Applying “calm authority” and empathetic language
Managing accusations, threats, and unreasonable requests professionally
Drill-based role play: high-pressure scenarios

Module 8: Digital Service Excellence (WhatsApp, Email & Phone Etiquette)

Objective: To equip participants with techniques for consistent, professional, and clear communication across digital channels while maintaining service standards.

WhatsApp responses: concise, clear, professional (including action and timeline)
Email templates: structure, tone control, clear next steps
Phone etiquette: openings, listening, explanations, and closures
Workshop: develop a “standard response scripts pack”

Module 9: Real-World Simulation (End-to-End Complaint Handling Across Channels)

Objective: To provide hands-on experience in handling complaints end-to-end across multiple channels, including escalation, documentation, and professional service recovery.

Inputs: complaints received via WhatsApp, email, or phone + constraints (policy/time) and escalation requirements

Group Outputs:

WhatsApp scripts and follow-up messages
Response and closure emails
Internal escalation notes and updates
Resolution plan and documentation in complaint tracker
Professional service recovery closing statements

Module 10: Group Presentation & Finalization of Package

Objective: To consolidate learning by presenting solutions, receiving feedback, and finalizing a comprehensive Service Playbook Pack for immediate workplace use.

5–7 minute group presentations
Trainer feedback: professionalism, clarity, tone, and quality of service recovery
Final deliverable: ready-to-use Service Playbook Pack