Top tables
Licensees give tips on customer service. This month - a customer touches a member of staff in an inappropriate way. How do you handle the situation?
Nigel Anstead
Licensee, the White Horse, Bedford, Bedfordshire
We wouldn't tolerate any form of inappropriate behaviour or language. So far, this problem has not arisen. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and needs to be dealt with seriously, but I wouldn't contact the police in the first instance - I think that would be overkill.
Action to take:
? Speak to the member of staff privately to find out exactly what has happened.
? Take the customer outside for a private chat to defuse the situation and make it clear this type of behaviour will not be tolerated. I would expect the customer to apologise to the staff member while I was present. I wouldn't want my employee to feel intimidated by the offender.
? If the customer is new to the pub, I would be inclined to say that I wouldn't want them to return. If the customer is a regular and seems suitably apologetic, I would leave it there, but if their reaction is poor I would bar them.
Carlos Maidana
Licensee, the Grouse & Ale, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
There are various reasons why this might happen: a customer has drunk too much, they have interpreted signals wrongly or are just behaving completely inappropriately. Our first priority and loyalty will always be with the member of staff. All staff receive detailed training on how to react and defuse situations when customers become rowdy, but if this type
of situation still arises we would always support the staff member.
? Speak to the member of staff to establish what has happened.
? Discreetly take the customer to the office, explain that a complaint has been made and ask them to leave the premises. We wouldn't expect them to pay their bill - the priority is to remove them as quickly as possible.
? Should the member of staff decide to press charges, they would be sure to receive our full support.
Wayne Massey
Licensee, the Crown Inn, Hyde Lea, Staffordshire
We keep a very close eye on what's going
on in the pub - we take a firm, no-nonsense approach to inappropriate behaviour of any
kind here.
? Check out the complaint with the member of staff involved: it's important to get your facts straight.
? The customer would immediately be escorted politely but firmly from the premises.
? Make it clear to the customer that they are barred - this is not the type of clientele we want to encourage.
