CLIENT STORY
Training a Public Utility Workforce to Navigate Conflict with Confidence
At Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), difficult conversations come with the job—whether in the field, on the phone, or face-to-face with customers.
CAICR partnered with WSSC in 2024 and 2025 to bring conflict communication training to every corner of the organization, equipping staff with the tools to de-escalate tension and respond with purpose.
Client Snapshot
Team size trained
316
[286 techs and civilians, 31 police and security]
Departments
Customer Service,
Utility Services,
Security, Police
Roles
Call center agents, billing specialists, field staff, security personnel, supervisors.
The Challenge
Across departments, WSSC staff routinely face high-stress interactions—from field crews handling service shutoffs to customer service and call center agents speaking with distressed or frustrated customers to police officers responding to escalating interactions. By working with CAICR, leaders saw an opportunity to offer practical conflict communication skills to staff to support de-escalation, achieve objectives in challenging interactions, improve decision making and job satisfaction, and build confidence in communicating with the public.
The Approach
CAICR, which delivers Insight Policing: Conflict Resolution for Law Enforcement across the country, initially collaborated with WSSC’s police department. Training their police and security guards demonstrated that CAICR’s conflict communication skills, which are grounded in targeted curiosity and the science behind conflict decision making, had a major impact on customer interactions.
Officers and guards reported that their ability to control escalating encounters without force and find solutions that gained voluntary compliance greatly improved. When officers were being called to assist other WSSC staff with angry or disruptive customers the idea came up to offer training to all WSSC employees.
CAICR customized their conflict communication training, Engaging Conflict through Curiosity: Insight Conflict Resolution Skills for Professionals, for staff across the organization. Using scenarios developed from interviews with WSSC staff of actual work-based conflict in areas from customer service to field operations, and designing sessions that brought staff from a variety of departments together, the training helped participants recognize conflict in the moment, build emotional awareness to reduce escalation, and apply practical conflict communication skills grounded in targeted curiosity across a multitude of situations relevant to their jobs.
Key components included:
​
-
Experiential, active learning designed for adult learners
-
Customized roleplay scenarios drawn from the experiences of WSSC staff
-
Mixed-group trainings to foster shared language and interdepartmental learning
-
Emphasis on targeted curiosity to deescalate tense interactions and facilitate effective decision-making
-
Tools for engaging effectively in both in-person and remote conflict, from the field to the phones
1. Training built a shared skill set for de-escalation across the organization
Whether in the field, in the office, or on the phones, WSSC employees face emotionally charged situations. Field staff may be met with hostility during shutoffs, while call customer service and center agents often speak with distressed or angry customers. Engaging Conflict through Curiosity gave staff practical ways to stay grounded,reduce escalation, and offer solutions for customers that worked.
Write your title here. Click to edit and add your own text.
This is a paragraph area where you can add your own text. Just click “Edit Text” or double click here to add your own content and make changes to the font. It's a great place to tell a story about your business and let users know more about you.
Training built a shared skill set for de-escalation across the organization
Whether in the field, in the office, or on the phones, WSSC employees face emotionally charged situations. Field staff may be met with hostility during shutoffs, while call customer service and center agents often speak with distressed or angry customers.
Engaging Conflict through Curiosity gave staff practical ways to stay grounded,reduce escalation, and offer solutions for customers that worked.
List Title
The Challenge
Across departments, WSSC staff routinely face high-stress interactions—from field crews handling service shutoffs to customer service and call center agents speaking with distressed or frustrated customers to police officers responding to escalating interactions. By working with CAICR, leaders saw an opportunity to offer practical conflict communication skills to staff to support de-escalation, achieve objectives in challenging interactions, improve decision making and job satisfaction, and build confidence in communicating with the public.
Alexa Young, CA
“Testimonials provide a sense of what it's like to work with you or use your products. Change the text and add your own."
Morgan James, NY
"A great testimonial can boost your brand’s image. Click to edit and add your own."
Lisa Driver, MI
“Have customers review you and share what they had to say. Click to edit and add their testimonial.”
Add a title here. Make it bold and impactful. Click to edit.
At Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), difficult conversations come with the job—whether in the field, on the phone, or face-to-face with customers.
CAICR partnered with WSSC in 2024 and 2025 to bring conflict communication training to every corner of the organization, equipping staff with the tools to de-escalate tension and respond with purpose.
This is a paragraph area where you can add your own text. Just click “Edit Text” or double click here to add your own content and make changes to the font. It's a great place to tell a story about your business and let users know more about you.
Add your own content here. Click to edit.
1) Training built a shared skill set for de-escalation across the organization
Whether in the field, in the office, or on the phones, WSSC employees face emotionally charged situations. Field staff may be met with hostility during shutoffs, while call customer service and center agents often speak with distressed or angry customers.
Engaging Conflict through Curiosity gave staff practical ways to stay grounded,reduce escalation, and offer solutions for customers that worked.
Whether in the field, in the office, or on the phones, WSSC employees face emotionally charged situations. Field staff may be met with hostility during shutoffs, while call customer service and center agents often speak with distressed or angry customers.
Engaging Conflict through Curiosity gave staff practical ways to stay grounded,reduce escalation, and offer solutions for customers that worked.