Handling distressed callers presents significant psychosocial hazards across industries. Employees in customer service, call centres, complaints departments and other outward-facing roles often engage with individuals experiencing distress. Without proper procedures and training in place, these interactions can impact both employee well-being and workplace safety.
Why Distressed Callers Are Problematic
- Emotional Strain on Employees: Repeated exposure to intense conversations with distressed individuals can cause emotional fatigue, stress, and even burnout.
- Vicarious Trauma: Bystander feelings, becoming overly involved, taking responsibility, or feeling the same way as the caller on their behalf
- Risk of Miscommunication: Employees rely solely on tone and words without visual cues, increasing the chances of misunderstanding a caller’s emotional state and escalating the situation.
- Cognitive Overload: Navigating high-pressure conversations while managing multiple tasks can lead to mental exhaustion and decreased performance over time.
- Lack of recovery time: the call takers are often expected to move onto the next call without adequate time to debrief or process difficult callers
- Unclear processes: Unsure where to direct distressed callers and fearful of ‘over’ or ‘under’ reacting in situations of risk or harm
- Secondary Impact on Teams: High turnover, absenteeism, and diminished morale can occur if these challenges aren’t managed properly.
Strategies for Managing the Risk
Successful management involves:
- Active Listening: Employees should be trained to listen attentively and without judgment, helping callers feel heard and supported.
- Provide authentic empathy: Assist with helping the caller feel validated and heard
- Clear, Calm Communication: Using concise, reassuring language helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps the conversation constructive.
- Recognizing Signs of Distress: Knowing when a caller may require additional support enables employees to act appropriately and seek help if necessary.
- Confidence in assessment and referral: Clear processes to identify levels of risk and refer where appropriate including documentation
- Boundary Setting and Self-Care: Encouraging employees to set boundaries and take breaks can reduce emotional fatigue and support long-term well-being.
- Debrief and support mechanisms: Formal and informal processes to ensure the worker has ongoing support after
Proactively managing distressed callers as a psychosocial hazard not only protects employees but also creates safer and more effective workplaces. Prioritising support mechanisms ensure teams feel prepared to manage these challenges while maintaining their own mental health.
Training for Managing Distressed Callers
To support those in public-facing roles, our Managing Distressed Callers Training Package offers comprehensive training designed to equip participants with the skills to manage such challenging interactions effectively.
Who is it for?
This training is ideal for people in roles where they are likely to encounter distressed individuals, including customer service representatives, call centres, healthcare workers, social service providers, and others in outward-facing customer-centric roles that involve communication over the phone.
What does it offer?
Participants will learn to identify warning signs of distress, assess the severity and immediacy of the situation, and implement appropriate response strategies. The training includes:
- Identifying signs and symptoms of distress.
- Assessing distress levels (low, moderate, high risk).
- Utilising tailored distress response plans.
- Understanding referral pathways
- Understanding effective well-being debriefing processes post-call.
Delivery Mode and Length:
- Delivery Mode: Online and Face-to-Face
- Duration: 4 hours
Delivery Outcomes:
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
- Recognise signs of distress.
- Determine the risk level of distress.
- Implement appropriate response plans based on their role and organisation.
- Conduct effective debriefing processes to ensure their own well-being after dealing with distressed callers.
Equip your team with the essential skills to manage distressed callers effectively and compassionately.
Contact us for more details.