Overview

International schools are facing increased scrutiny from parents and caregivers who expect school staff to excel at customer service. To meet these expectations, staff must be able to effectively handle challenging conversations regarding concerns and complaints raised by parents and other key stakeholders.

To ensure your organisation can effectively handle concerns and maintain positive relationships with parents, staff must understand how to efficiently communicate and write credible, succinct and comprehensible responses to complaints.

On our Effective Written Responses to Complaints in International Schools course led by Communications Specialist, Sue Calthorpe, gain techniques to deliver effective written responses to complaints through a combination of expert tutor input, practical case studies and supported exercises.

Leave the day with practical written techniques and a clear plan in mind when handling conversations with parents and replying to complaints.

trainer photo
Sue Calthorpe
Media & Communications Specialist

Susan works with organisations and individuals to improve their written communications skills.

She worked as a regional and national newspaper journalist before setting up a full-service communications company, now established for 30 years.

She works with public and private sector organisations to help with:

  • Effective emails
  • Report writing
  • Briefings and submissions
  • Persuasive and influential writing techniques
  • Promotional writing
  • Effective complaint handling
  • Communicating complex information for non-technical readers.

Her recent clients include Legal & General, HSBC, BRIT, the Law ...

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Learning Outcomes

  • Effectively assess and plan your reply
  • Create credible correspondence moving forward
  • Learn from best practice how to respond to a complaint
  • Develop practical written techniques to elicit information from colleagues
  • Understand what is working and what needs improvement in complaints letter writing

In-House Option

Hello

Agenda

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09:25 - 09:30

Registration

09:30 - 10:00

Trainer’s Welcome and Clarification of Learning Objectives

10:00 - 10:45

Complaints in Education: What is Working and What Needs to Improve

  • Gain an overview of trends and insight into the most common complaints in education
  • Understand the effect complaints have on both staff and the people who depend on the service they provide
10:45 - 11:30

Best and Bad Practice

  • Assess a range of real-life correspondence
  • Identify best practice regarding style, tone, vocabulary, presentation of facts and evidence and receive expert advice
11.30 - 11.45

Morning Break

11:45 - 12:45

Assessing and Planning Your Reply

  • Develop planning tools to create a suitable reply
  • Identify ‘trigger’ points from correspondence to provide better responses
  • Understand how correspondents want their complaint handled and what they expect from the reply
12:45 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 13:45

Reflection Session

  • Trainer will review the day’s learning and the next stages of the course
  • Delegates will have time to ask questions and share views with one another
13:45 - 14.30

Summarising Detail

  • Ensure that your response is delivered efficiently
  • Introduce a six-part grid to help with this process
  • Learn how to summarise complex information into language and structure that can easily be understood
14:30 - 16:00

Creating Credible Correspondence

Create and give feedback on a range of letters to review and refresh personal skills

  • Develop your own best practice
  • Identify areas for improvement
  • Utilise skills developed throughout the day to create letters
16:00 - 16:15

Round Up and Key Takeaways

Pricing

International Schools

Delegate Price
£345