Aggressive Person

Risk: Potential risk to other clients in the business, Physical trauma

Likelihood: Unlikely

Impact: High

Strategy: Remain calm, keep your distance 

Whilst the vast majority of customers are polite and friendly to deal with, violent outbursts that occur inside a store or small business can result in physical injury to staff, customers, the offender and/or damage to stock or fixtures. 

Refer to the “Aggressive People Description” Document (attached below) for quick reference and use by staff. 

PREVENTION

Educating staff about conflict resolution can be a useful investment in avoiding customer complaints and potential risks such as those outlined above. Staff should be skilled to differentiate between assertive, aggressive and potentially violent customers. 

In all instances of dealing with aggressive people, the main priority is to ensure the safety of yourself, your staff and your customers. Every situation is different and as such there is no one, absolute set of procedures in dealing with aggressive people. Following some basic steps however, may assist staff to respond to such situations.

Basic Security Tips

1. Assess the situation and remain calm at all times.

2. If store security officers are employed, ensure staff are aware of when and how to contact them.

3. If it appears that the safety of staff or customers is at risk, the police should be immediately telephoned on 000.

4. Do not respond to the customers bad behaviour in the same manner.

5. Remain respectful. Try to restore a sense of justice for the person. Explain what options are available and encourage  them to try one of these.

6. Patience is usually a good strategy and this can be achieved by not only listening to the person but by acknowledging their problem or situation:

   • Staff members should not take insults personally – they are being delivered by a person who appears unreasonable and may relate to business policies and procedures as opposed to the employee personally

   • Listening can be useful to allow the person to ‘let off steam’ 

   • Remember that over a period of time anger can diminish

7. Other staff not involved in the incident should not become an audience, however they should monitor the situation for any possible escalation.

8. If the person is not able to be calmed and they continue to be offensive or obnoxious, politely request the person to leave the store.

9. If having been politely requested to leave a store, a person refuses, contact the police and await their arrival. Do not engage in any further unnecessary dialogue.

Violent Offenders

1. Do not enter the persons physical space as this can escalate the situation.

2. Discretely remove any items that could potentially be used as weapons. 

3. Counter areas or display stands can be discreetly used to create natural barriers and distance between staff members and the other person.

4. Employees are entitled to protect themselves from violence. The amount of force used however to repel the violence, must be reasonable and proportionate to the harm that is being sought to be avoided. Excessive force is not justified and can result in a counter claim of criminal assault or civil litigation.

Document to attach:

 - Aggressive person description form