The Complaint About a Missed Session
You are a program officer at a community recreation centre. A parent phones, angry that her son's after-school basketball session was cancelled last week. She says she received no message, drove 25 minutes, and her son was upset. You check the records: the session was cancelled because the coach was ill, and a text was sent to the contact number on file at 2:15 pm for a 4:00 pm session. The number on file is the father's old mobile, which was never updated. The parent is now demanding a full refund for the term and says she will post a negative review online. The term has four sessions remaining.
1. Explain how you would handle this complaint using a client-service communication process, including what you would say in the first two minutes.
Read the worked answer
I would use a structured complaint-handling process: listen, acknowledge, clarify, act, follow up.
First two minutes - my approach:
- Let her speak without interruption, then say: "Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry your son was upset and that you drove all that way for nothing. That's a frustrating experience, and I want to fix it."
- Acknowledge the impact rather than defending the centre first.
- Ask a clarifying question: "Can you confirm the best mobile number for you and your son?"
Then:
- Explain calmly what happened: the session was cancelled due to coach illness and a text was sent to the number on file, which appears to be out of date.
- Avoid blaming her; frame it as a records issue we can correct now.
- Update the contact details on the spot and confirm them back to her.
- Explain the refund policy honestly: a single cancelled session is usually credited or rescheduled, not a full-term refund, but I will escalate her request.
- Offer a concrete remedy, such as a make-up session or a credit, and a written follow-up.
Tone: calm, empathetic, and solution-focused. I would not argue about the review, and I would not promise a refund I cannot authorise.
2. Recommend improvements to the centre's communication system to prevent this recurring, and explain how you would respond to the threat of a negative online review.
Read the worked answer
System improvements:
- Contact verification: Confirm mobile numbers and emails at enrolment and at the start of each term, with a signed check.
- Multi-channel notification: Send cancellations by SMS, email, and app push, plus a notice on the centre's website and social media.
- Earlier notice: Set a minimum notice period, such as by 12:00 pm for a 4:00 pm session, and a backup coach roster.
- Delivery confirmation: Use a system that flags undelivered messages so staff can phone those families.
- Record keeping: Log all cancellations, who was notified, and when.
Responding to the review threat:
- Stay professional and do not become defensive or threaten her in return.
- Say: "I understand you're upset. I'd rather resolve this with you directly, and I'll follow up in writing today."
- Escalate the refund request to my supervisor and respond within the promised timeframe.
- If a review is posted, respond publicly and calmly, acknowledging the issue, stating what was done, and inviting offline contact, without disclosing private details.
The judgement is to treat the complaint as useful feedback and fix the system, while managing the relationship respectfully.