There is an increasing concern in today’s workforce over customers who are perceived to be rude, distrustful, and at times overly aggressive and potentially dangerous. Often these attitudes are the result of some internal or external factors and are really, yet too often, inaccurate assumptions due to cultural or style differences can lead to misperception and conflict.

This course focuses on learning how to distinguish between someone who is truly a difficult customer verses someone who is perceived as difficult as a result of issues around misperception or cultural differences. You will identify their own definitions of conflict and determine what makes a customer difficult for them.

This course will explore styles and behaviors of difficult people and those areas that are most critical to being effective with customers or co-workers: communication styles, value differences, and needs or job constraints. You will receive information, have opportunities to increase personal awareness, and learn tools that can be used to improve effectiveness with clients.

Performance Objectives: Upon completion of this course you should be able to:

• Determine why clients can be perceived as difficult.
• Understand how both perception and stereo types impact interpersonal effectiveness.
• Learn styles and behaviors of difficult people.
• Identify how to determine when a customer is difficult or when the difficulty is a result of differences in values and communication.

Competencies covered in this course: Communication, Customer Service

Intended Audience: Public sector employees