Complaints by phone
A customer with a complaint wants to know what will happen next. A call that explains it clearly and without defensiveness often saves a second phone call.
This page describes training: practising a call with an AI client. DIRI AI does not evaluate employees, and the outcome of a call is not a basis for decisions about people.
The situation: a customer reports a defect or an error
The customer calls with a specific problem and expects someone to tell them what will happen. Sometimes they are calm, sometimes upset. You have to establish the facts and explain the process.
- The customer asks for a replacement, a refund or a discount, and each solution has a different procedure.
- The customer does not have all the details, for example the order number.
- The customer wants an answer right away, but finding out will take several days.
Typical mistakes
With complaints, what helps most is clarity and honesty about what can be promised.
- Defending the company before the customer describes the problem.
- Promising an outcome that cannot yet be confirmed.
- No summary of the established facts back to the customer.
- An unclear description of the next procedure and the deadline.
- Passing the customer on without explaining why and to whom.
How you practise it in DIRI AI
The AI client plays a customer with a complaint and reacts to what you actually say. You describe the complaints procedure in the scenario according to your company's rules.
- Write your own scenario: the type of complaint, what you may promise and what the procedure is.
- Set the difficulty and the client type, for example upset or impatient.
- Practise listening, summarising the facts and explaining the next procedure with a deadline.
- In the report after the call you will see quoted moments and one recommended change.
- Repeat the call with a different wording of the procedure explanation.
A sample from practice
A customer is complaining about a faulty appliance and expects you to tell them what happens next.
- You
- Good afternoon, thank you for getting in touch. Please tell me exactly what happened, and I will write it down.
- AI client
- I bought the device last month and after a week it stopped working. I want a new one, or my money back.
- You
- I understand. Let me summarise: bought last month, not working after a week, and you are asking for a replacement or a refund. Have I got that right? And do you have the order number?
- AI client
- Yes, exactly. The order number is in my e-mail, hold on.
- You
- Thank you. I will register the complaint and let you know how it will be handled within five working days. I cannot promise the exact solution now, but you will receive a written statement.
- AI client
- All right, but make sure it does not get lost.
This example is fictional. It is not a transcript of a real call and not a sample of an evaluation output.
Frequently asked questions
Does DIRI AI know our complaints rules?
No. You describe the rules in your own scenario. The practice is about how you conduct the call, not about a legal assessment of a complaint. Legal deadlines and procedure should be checked with the responsible person in your company.
How is this different from de-escalating a call in support?
De-escalation focuses on handling emotions. Complaints focus on establishing the facts and clearly explaining the procedure. The two often overlap, and you can train both situations.
Can written complaints be practised too?
No. DIRI AI is voice practice for phone calls.
Is practice suitable for evaluating staff?
No. It is for training. The score is neither designed nor validated for decisions about employees.
Can I train in other languages?
Yes, in Czech, Slovak, Polish, German and English. Scores for calls outside Czech are marked as preliminary.
Practise handling a complaint
Try one call with a customer making a complaint and see where the explanation of the procedure was unclear. Free plan: one voice call a day, up to 5 minutes.