The Art of Turning Customer Complaints into Opportunities
Let’s be real. No one likes customer complaints. But the truth is that they are inevitable. Even in the most expertly run organization, there will always be dissatisfied customers who would complain.
However, what makes all the difference is how employees in different organizations deal with these complaints.
In some organizations, employees avoid complaints, ignore them and sometimes become hostile towards those who complain. As a result:
-The customers leave
-The issues that caused the complaints keep resurfacing driving even more customers away
-The complaints spread through word-of-mouth and the internet, and damage the organization’s credibility
-The organization loses valuable feedback that could drive product or process improvements
These outcomes are damaging. In forward thinking organizations, employees prevent them and turn complaints into opportunities, because of their uncommon approach to handling complaints.
And here’s what they do: With great complaint handling skills and the right mindset, they don’t flinch when a complaint comes, rather, they appreciate it; de-escalate it; resolve it with speed and empathy; close the loop with follow-up; and communicate the complaint details to the appropriate unit for product or process improvements.
It is the ability to do these things that this training equips participants with.
Training Objectives
After completing this training, participants will:
- Have a mindset shift
- Be able to de-escalate customer complaints
- Be able to handle complaints and resolve customers’ problems with empathy and speed
- Know the importance of closing the loop on feedback and so learn not just to fix the issues but to always show customers they have made changes thanks to their feedback
- Be able to tie customer complaints to product or process improvement, and innovation
Training Outline
Session 1: Customer Complaints Fundamentals
-Why customers complain
-What customers complain about
-Learning from statistics
Session 2: Complaint Handling Scenarios
-Following a strict company policy
-Using the audience
-Impressing others
-Dealing with an angry customer
-Slow speaker
-Blaming others
-Blaming the customer
Session 3: The Mindset Shift
-People's attitude towards customer complaints
-Ingredients of mindset shift
-From complaint to catalyst
-The correct attitude towards complaints and handling complaints
Session 4: Listening Skills
-Types of listening
-Advantages and disadvantages of each listening type
-Understanding active listening
-Applying active listening to handling complaints
-The technique
-Example
-Practice: Active listening case 1
-Practice: Active listening case 2
-Listening skills: Take away
Session 5: Assertive Communication
-Understanding assertiveness
-APA Model
-Assertive, Passive, and Aggressive Behaviour: Understanding the Differences
-How to be assertive
-Constructing effective assertive sentences for handling complaints
-Practice: Assertive case
-Tips on assertiveness
Session 6: Body Language
-Critical postures and gestures to observe when handling complaints
-How not to appear defensive and confrontational
-Ideal postures for making customers feel calm and cared for
-Non-verbal assertiveness
-Practice: Non-verbal signals
-Case study
Session 7: Closing the Loop
-The importance of follow up
-Data-driven follow up
-Acknowledging your customer
Session 8: Using Customer Complaints as a Strategy
-How far does the feedback go?
-Feeding the complaints-to-strategy pipeline
-Systematizing complaints translation into opportunity
-Making complaint management a growth driver
Session 9: A Summary of Guidelines
-Customer complaints: Problem or Opportunity
-Key handling skills
-Closing the loop on feedback
-Beyond support task
Session 10: A Personal Action Plan
-Starting Point
-Where I Want to Go
-How I Will Get There
-Summary
Training Information
This training is delivered in three different modes - classroom, virtual, and e-learning.
Please choose the mode that best suits your employees and register accordingly.
Classroom: Face-to-face participation in our training facility.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
Venue: 43 Coker Road, Ilupeju, Lagos.
Duration: 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Fee per Participant: ₦75,000.
Early-bird Discount: Pay ₦48,750 if you pay on or before Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
Virtual: Remote participation from any location via Zoom.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
Venue: Not applicable
Duration: 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Fee per Participant: ₦50,000.
Early-bird Discount: Pay ₦33,800 if you pay on or before Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
E-learning: Remote self-paced participation from any location via our LMS.
Date: Any convenient date
Venue: Not applicable
Duration: Average of 1 week at 1 hr a day.
Fee per Participant: ₦30,000.
Early-bird Discount: Pay ₦19,500 if you pay on or before Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
How To Register
Make payment into our bank account and notify us through email (bime@pls.com.ng) or WhatsApp (07043596831).
Bank Account Information: GTBank | 0159084910 | Paradigm Learning Services
Want To Contact Us?
You could call us on 08164459492 or chat with us on WhatsApp through 07043596831.