Unreasonable and persistent Complainants Yvonne Lehmbach Customer Services Manager January 2014

Aims To understand the difference between justified and unreasonable complaints Identify unreasonable persistent complainants quickly; To take control; To provide you with some techniques

Objectives: Gain understanding (when) Exploring reasons (why) Some tips (early detection) Some effective & supportive skills for you Awareness of support available for you

Definition 1. Local Government Ombudsman) “…For us, unreasonable persistent complainants are those who, because of the frequency or nature of their contact with an authority, hinder the authority’s consideration of their or other people’s complaints”. 2. Corporate definition and Adult Social Services

Be alert Be objective when listening Ensure access to service provision Take control – your are in charge Handling such calls effectively frees up your time Seek support early from your Complaint Team

Some warning signs High number of contacts or communication; s are very frequent and lengthy, without structure and often send in the early hours; The same issue is raised again and again, often with some minor changes to the substantive matter; ‘Never ending’; Excessive details; Excessive use of bold/underlining/highlights;

Some warning signs- continued May make contact at the same time; Gets hold of unpublished contact details; Demands immediate response/action; Escalates their complaints to senior staff early on; Copies a high number of people into their concerns, such as elected members and other organisations; Will solely focus on what has not been done and forgets about positive resolutions achieved; Does not accept the outcome.

Some reasons why these types of behaviour may develop A previous poor experience/service delivery ; They feel unfairly treated; Learning disability; Mental ill health, i.e. obsessive behaviour traits; Depression or anxiety; Loneliness; Attention seeking ;

Reasons, continued Change in circumstances, i.e. retirement or bereavement; They have nothing to lose; Being angry at someone else helps to distract from oneself; Want to win – power; Compensation (rarely).

Techniques which may help you to take ‘control’

Handling long term conflict Ongoing conflict or disputes are tiring and it may be useful to recall all the positives: As the customer is known you can plan for your action; Make use or organisational and your interpersonal resources; Check how you can plan for positive outcome; Make use of your influencing & negotiation skills; Look forward.

During the contact Active listening; Ask clarifying questions; Keep to specific and pull them back; Ignore irrelevant comments; Arrange to call back; Repeat what you can/can’t and will/won’t do; Agree to disagree Broken record whilst looking forward

Repeat what you can/can’t and will/won’t do Agree to disagree Be assertive Remain calm During the contact, continue

Ending the contact Stick to the main issues-don’t get side trapped Bring client back to here and now Before I go let me summarise what I will do Excuse me can I just say..... I am sorry to interrupt you as I have another appointment in X amount of time Offer to call back at your convenience

After such contact Accurate record keeping, including behaviour, language and lengths of time; these details and agreed action to relevant staff & client asap; Ensure contact has been made, ie ask staff to copy you in; Ensure you do what you have promised! Look after yourself.

Remember You are not to blame for their behaviour Do not internalise Let of steam You can’t satisfy everybody

Remember, continued Sometimes people are happier to remain in dispute You do not have to tolerate abusive or offensive behaviour Seek support from manager of complaints staff Review why you found this customer particularly difficult

Some supportive skills Remain customer focussed Don’t fall into the trap of blaming other colleagues Be open and honest – don’t cover up or hide Listen without judging Ask clarifying questions

Some supportive skills, continued Use your negotiation skills; If you don’t know say so and feed back later; Talk to them from adult to adult- be assertive; Let them save face/ feel valued;

Some tips to prevent the communication from breaking down Acknowledge their (negative) emotions; Be aware that disagreement may cover emotions, events and understanding of self; Be aware of your own bias; Tell them that you want to help; Check your understanding and summarise their concerns

continue Uses positive statements; let me see what I can do and I am aware that you...; Apply the ‘Let me stop you there’ technique, i.e. let’s go back to what I can do today; Have an alternative proposal of how to offer support, ie let me forward you to our complaints team; Inform customer of consequences if they using offensive language.

Organisational support Complaints procedure, ie issues warning; Restrict access: who, why and how; Case conference; Ensure all staff ‘sing from the same hymn-sheet’; Expect FOIs and DPAs request; Employee Assistance Programme; Make use of CSU’s support; Legal action, ie Public Order Act; Protection from Harassment Act.