Customer service & experience

Handle an urgent customer complaint

Business insurance Marc DUBOIS ACOR method

Practical example

YOUR SITUATION

A liability certificate is blocked. The booth cannot be set up.

It is 9:00 AM. You are a business customer service advisor at an insurance company. Marc DUBOIS, a customer for one month, is on-site at VivaTech with TECHCORP DRONE. In this scenario, the organizer will not allow him to set up his booth or equipment until he provides his professional liability insurance certificate. He calls urgently: the event is crucial to his business. His policy is not active because his file is incomplete.

YOUR COUNTERPART

Marc DUBOIS

CEO

TECHCORP DRONE · 25 employees
Mindset
Frustrated, rushed, demanding
Primary expectation
A clear point of contact and timeline

YOUR MISSION

Take ownership of the urgent issue, de-escalate the tension, and find a satisfactory outcome while following the required process.

Your room to maneuver

Under the rules of this scenario, the certificate cannot be issued until the file has been approved and the policy activated. Required documents include certified proof of revenue or the relevant tax filing, plus a valid French company registration extract (Kbis). The Kbis received was more than three months old when it was sent. A reminder was sent one week after the customer signed up.

YOUR FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONVERSATION AND REVIEW

The ACOR method

Four steps for handling the complaint while preserving the relationship.

  1. A

    Acknowledge and de-escalate

    Acknowledge the emotion and the impact of the situation.

  2. C

    Understand and acknowledge

    Clarify the facts, consequences, and priority.

  3. O

    Clarify and guide

    Clarify the facts, rules, and available options.

  4. R

    Resolve and re-engage

    Agree on a clear resolution and specific commitments, then follow through.

Difficulty Intermediate

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Fictional practice example · Preparation sheet