US federal

De-escalation for customer-facing staff

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 8 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
30 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At hire + annually
Last reviewed
8 Oct 2026
Practice
What would you do?

Pharmacy tech Luis: customer's prescription isn't ready after 40 minutes, voice rising, others watching

Try it: this is one of 15 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 30 minutes
  • 2 video slots (you add the videos)
  • Flashcards, accordion, sorting activity, scenario and quizzes
  • 10-question final check, 80% to pass

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 9 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, open-ended slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 1.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 80.1.1Explain why customer aggression happens and how your response can escalate or calm itbest practiceLesson 1: Why it matters
LO 80.2.1Recognise the stages of escalation and the warning signs that a situation may turn violentOSHA workplace violence guidanceLesson 2: Know the signs
LO 80.3.1Use verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques and keep a safe positionbest practice (CPI-style principles)Lesson 3: What to do (and not do)
LO 80.4.1Apply techniques to realistic counter, phone and floor situationsbest practiceLesson 4: Practice
LO 80.5.1Know when to disengage, get help and report an incident + your infoemployer plan; CA 6401.9Lesson 5: Get help & report

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 8 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 30 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why it matters

2 pages

5 min
Before you beginNoteList
The 10-second choiceKey factImageFlashcardsQuizVideo
2

Know the signs

2 pages

5 min
Escalation curveTimelineFlashcards
Red flags for violenceAccordionSorting activityMulti-select quiz
3

What to do (and not do)

3 pages

7 min
Your safety firstChecklist
The LEAP-style approachProcessVideo
Words that help vs hurtSorting activityQuiz
4

Practice

2 pages

5 min
Pharmacy counterScenario
Late-night transit kioskScenarioQuiz
5

Get help & report

2 pages

4 min
Our proceduresTableYour infoYour infoYour info
After an incidentAccordionYour infoNoteQuiz
6

Final assessment

Assessment

4 min
Final check10 questions80% to passCompletion page

Live deck and surveys

9 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

TitleTitle
Word cloudWhat do customers get angry about most here?
PollHow often do you deal with an aggressive customer?
QuizBest first response to shouting?
QuizWhich phrase escalates?
Content · customiseOur code word + alarm
Open-endedWhat line works for you when someone's upset?
QuizCustomer blocks your exit and threatens you - what now?
Q&AQ&A, then closing
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Which techniques have you used since the course? multiple choice
  6. How realistic were the practice scenarios for your job? 5 stars
  7. What situation with customers would you like more practice on? short text
  8. When a customer becomes aggressive, I know a colleague or manager will back me up. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our code word / panic alarm and incident report process? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

8 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Code word{{CODE_WORD}}
  • Alarm locations{{ALARM_LOCATIONS}}
  • Security or manager contact{{SECURITY_OR_MANAGER_CONTACT}}
  • Incident report process{{INCIDENT_REPORT_PROCESS}}
  • EAP contact{{EAP_CONTACT}}
  • What front-line staff are allowed to offer{{REFUND_OR_SERVICE_RECOVERY_OPTIONS}}
Show all 8 fields
  • Workplace violence prevention plan{{WORKPLACE_VIOLENCE_PREVENTION_PLAN}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run de-escalation for customer-facing staff training online?

The course itself is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session. Whether online delivery meets your local rules depends on the law that applies to you, so check the rules that apply to you or ask your own counsel.

How often is this training needed?

At hire + annually.

Who needs this training?

Retail, hospitality, call-centre, transit, library, healthcare front desk and public-service staff; variant: supervisors who step in.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when. Check the retention period that applies to you in the rules that apply to you.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply. Keep anything your own law requires you to cover.

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Last reviewed: 8 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck