Handling Challenging Calls
COURSE
Topic Area
Course Length
6 hoursCourse Level
Course Preview
Audience
Customer service representatives
Contact-centre agents
Helpdesk and support teams
Anyone handling difficult callers
What Is a Challenging Call?
Identify the calls you find most difficult.
Positive Telephone Skills
Plan, prepare and build rapport at the start.
Behaviour and Triggers
What lies behind challenging behaviour.
The Abusive Caller
Defuse anger and set limits.
The Persistent Caller
Handle repeated questions and refusal to listen.
The Talkative Caller
Balance empathy with call control.
The Expert
Manage callers who think they know more.
The Emotional Caller
Empathy, underlying issues and crisis response.
Practice Sessions and Action Planning
Live practice and applying the skills at work.
Course Outline
Learning Outcomes
- Define what is meant by a challenging call
- Identify steps they can take to minimise the risks of calls becoming challenging
- Identify what triggers, and what lies behind, challenging behaviour on the phone
- List five types of challenging caller behaviour, and how to respond to them effectively
- Plan how they will manage challenging calls in future
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Capital Training is an LPI Gold Standard Accredited Learning Provider, recognised for delivering high-quality, impactful training. With over 30 years’ experience, we support organisations across the UK and beyond with trusted, professional development solutions.
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Enhancing Decision Making Skills in the Workplace
Make faster, clearer, better-judged calls at work. You will leave with practical frameworks to cut through bias, weigh options confidently and justify every decision you make.
Driving Successful Changes
Gain the mindset, confidence and practical tools to lead your team through change — engaging people, overcoming resistance, and embedding new ways of working that last.
Developing a Coaching Approach
Shift from directing to enabling. Learn core coaching skills and models that empower your people to take ownership, solve problems and grow in confidence.
Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
Sharpen how you think — combine structured analysis with creative techniques to tackle complex problems, make confident decisions and generate practical solutions you can apply straight away.
Creative Problem Solving
Master a structured six-step approach to creative problem solving and decision making, giving you the tools and confidence to crack problems quickly and choose the best solution.
Creating Psychologically Safe Working Environments
Learn how to build trust, encourage open communication and create a team culture where people feel safe to speak up, challenge and grow.
Delegation Techniques
Gain the confidence and practical tools to delegate effectively, freeing your time, developing your people and driving stronger team performance and organisational growth.
Stakeholder Management: Influence, Engagement and Control
Develop advanced stakeholder management skills to navigate complex environments, influence without authority, and sustain effective engagement across the full project or change lifecycle.
Stakeholder Management Essentials
Build the skills to identify, analyse, and engage stakeholders effectively, driving better outcomes across projects, change initiatives, and operational delivery.
How to be Assertive
Develop the confidence to communicate clearly, set boundaries, and handle challenging interactions professionally while maintaining empathy and positive relationships.
