Supervisor Foundations · Lesson 7.8
CUSTOMER ABUSE TOWARD EMPLOYEES
Customer service has limits.
Employees should not be expected to tolerate:
- threats
- sexual harassment
- discriminatory abuse
- degrading insults
- physical intimidation
- violence
A supervisor has responsibility for customers AND employees.
Poor
Customer: “I can say whatever I want because I’m paying.”
Supervisor to employee: “Just tolerate it. The customer comes first.”
Better
“I want to help resolve the service issue, but threats and abusive language toward staff are not acceptable.”
Depending on the situation, the supervisor may need to:
- step into the interaction
- set a boundary
- move the employee away
- call security
- escalate
- end the interaction if necessary and authorized
WORKPLACE EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE 1 — HOTEL
Guest repeatedly makes sexual comments toward a front-desk employee.
The supervisor intervenes.
EXAMPLE 2 — RESTAURANT
Customer threatens to hit a server.
The issue is no longer an ordinary service complaint.
EXAMPLE 3 — RETAIL
Customer uses discriminatory insults because an employee cannot provide a refund.
The supervisor can address the legitimate refund question while setting a boundary around abusive behavior.
EXAMPLE 4 — OFFICE
Client repeatedly humiliates a junior employee during calls.
The supervisor should not treat abuse as a normal cost of doing business.
Remember
Payment does not purchase permission to abuse workers.
Workplace action
Know your organization’s process for handling threatening or abusive customers.
Quick Check
Which statement is most accurate?