Triggers things that are either said or done, which, when combined with other problems, spark off aggression. So if a person is already feeling frustrated by long waits, poor service, or personal circumstances, there are many triggers that will spark off a sharp reaction! Remember – you cannot know what someone has been through just before his or her encounter with you and therefore the sort of emotional state that person is in as a result of events/circumstances outside your control.

Common triggers

• Being embarrassed

• Losing face

• Feeling insulted

• If they think that people are laughing at them

• If they feel like they are not being listened to or taken seriously

• Being refused service

Remember: Alcohol tends to increase the likelihood that someone will become unpredictable and less controlled and, therefore, customers who have had a drink may be easier to ‘trigger’.

Inhibitors

Not everybody gets violent when they become angry and inhibitors are things that prevent people from completely losing their temper. This is because everyone has inhibitions based on:

• Self-control – most people have built-in control mechanisms which prevent them from turning to violent behaviour

• Personal values – the way in which we have been brought up, the values and beliefs that we have learned

• Fear that the other person will fight back (retaliation) – most of us do not want to be hurt and realise a fight will risk this

• Social or legal consequences – these include being charged with an assault, losing one’s job or licence.

Remember: Alcohol reduces the effect of these natural inhibitions and some people will act and behave in ways that they would not normally dream of doing when they are sober.

Escalation

Anger has a similar effect on people as fear. The body is ‘geared up’ for action. This is why people who are angry can become violent so quickly. The path of escalation can be traced from frustration to violence through four levels:

Frustration > Aggression > Anger > Violence

Level 1

Frustration: Most conflict involves a degree of frustration and this forms the lowest level of arousal. It may not be evident or obvious and the individual can keep it very much under control

Level 2

Aggression: The next level is a deeper level of emotion and will be fairly obvious to an observer. If controlled, it will not be directed specifically at the other party but the individual will be less rational

Level 3

Anger: At the next level, the anger is turned towards the other party. The aggression will be evident through voice level, tone, verbal and non-verbal behaviour

Level 4

Violence: The highest level of arousal occurs when the anger spills over into violence and the other party is physically assaulted by the aggressor

Most aggressors will stay in each level unless something happens that triggers the person into the next level of escalation. To avoid escalation, we need to try and keep the person in the level they are in and preferably to take them down to a lower level. This means:

• Avoiding any comments or behaviour that are likely to trigger the person into the next level

• Employing de-escalation strategies

When dealing with someone in a conflict situation, you cannot be sure what level they are in. They may be having a bad day, or may be worried or frustrated about something that has nothing to do with you. By the time the person meets you, they may already be in level 2 and, if triggered, will escalate into the aggression of level 3 and turn it towards you.

‘Dynamic Risk Assessment’ is a process which helps you assess a situation from a personal safety perspective as it is unfolding.

To complete a Dynamic Risk Assessment, remember: SAFER

Step Back

Assess the threat

Find Help

Evaluate the options

Respond Appropriately

Why is Dynamic Risk Assessment important?

Guests can be unpredictable and on rare occasions, teams can find themselves in situations which are unique and not covered in our risk assessment or assessment of a planned event. These are often the situations where people get hurt because they do not have a way of assessing the risks in the situation they are confronted with, and do not respond appropriately.

How Do You Assess A Threat?

An easy to remember method to assess any threat is the POP method:

Person

Continually assess people to judge whether you may be at risk. If you have met the person before, what do you know about them? Do you know them? Do they have a history of anger or aggression? Are they a known criminal? How do they appear? Are they suffering the effects of drink or drugs? Are they bigger, fitter, younger or stronger than you?

Object

Are there any object either on the person or nearby which could be weaponised? Knives and other edged weapons, syringes. apparently ‘innocent’ articles- bottles or cans, glasses, combs, umbrella, handbags etc.

Place

Assess the situation with regard to where you are – including the time of day, other people around, lighting etc

Noisy, hot, confined environments, dance floors, public areas, isolated areas, staircases, toilets, exit routes

Evaluate the options available

There will always be a variety of ways in which you could deal with any situation. An important rule is not to put yourself in a risky situation unless you have some help available or someone else knows that you are dealing with a difficult situation. Remember that your own safety is your prime consideration.

Your most appropriate option will depend upon the situation itself, the availability of assistance, your experience and what training you have received.

If you are confident that you are able to deal with the situation safely then you should do so – but continue to monitor and assess what is happening in case the situation changes. If you need assistance then you should not try to deal with the situation until help arrives. If the situation is potentially violent and there is a risk of physical assault then you should exit from it as soon as you can do so safely.

Physical intervention (holding, restraining, escorting, physical removal from premises) should only ever be carried out by people who have received appropriate training in how to do it effectively, lawfully and safely, such as badged security.

Invite them to take a seat with you

It’s a lot more difficult to maintain aggressive posture in a sitting position and this in itself may help calm the situation. If they are part of a group it is also very helpful to move them away from the rest of the crowd so they have nobody to perform to or to keep them wound up.

Keep the tone of your voice low and the volume reasonably quiet

When emotions run high, our voice tends to become louder and more high pitched. By actively ensuring your voice stays low and quiet, we send signals to both the other person and our own body that the situation is calm and under control. Allowing our own volume to escalate can also encourage the other person to get louder to be heard. By speaking quietly, we encourage them to do the same.

Stay in Control of Your Body Language

Keep your body and jaw relaxed, and take one step back to show that you are giving them physical and emotional space. Keep your shoulders loose and arms uncrossed and open, palms outward. This will demonstrate that you are not a threat and prevent the situation escalating. Hopefully, if you can build a rapport with the person, they will begin to mirror YOUR non-threatening stance.

Eye Contact

Eye contact is a really powerful form of non verbal communication. Refusing to break eye contact is very intense and could lead to escalation. Refusing to make eye contact can look like you aren't listening and lead to further escalation. Breaking eye contact in an upwards direction looks like rolling your eyes and breaking it downwards is overly submissive. Therefore, after an appropriate time of holding somene's gaze, you should break eye contact to the side (the only exception being if you have something to write on and can use note taking as an excuse to break eye contact).

Maintain Space

Keeping a distance of at least "arm length plus a step" between yourself and the aggressor achieves 2 things. Firstly, staying out of their personal space sends the message that you are not a threat and doesn't trigger their fight or flight response. Secondly, if things do escalate, you are outside the range of a kick, punch or grab without the aggressor having to first take a step forward, giving you time to react.

Listen Actively

Show that you are listening, that you are taking their concerns seriously and that you want to help. By empathising and trying to help, you will build a rapport and help bring the person back to calm.

Do not take it personally!

How others behave is a demonstration of their character and values and nothing at all to do with you. A guest losing their cool is not a reflection of your competency or character. It may not be pleasant to be on the receiving end, but people often say things they don’t mean or act in ways they will later be ashamed of when their emotions get the best of them. If you can bring them back to calm without judgement and turn the situation around for them then I guarantee they will be grateful. If you can’t, that’s no reflection on you and not worth getting upset over.

Be prepared in your mind to switch from a passive approach to being more firm.

If someone is feeling particularly upset, they may not even recognise that they are shouting, invading your space or swearing. A firm but non aggressive “Please stop shouting at me”, “Please step back” or “Please don’t swear at me” can be enough to help them recognise they are behaving unacceptably and wind it back. Whatever you say though, don’t say “calm down!”

Escalate the situation to a manager

The company hierarchy exists for a reason! If any employee finds themselves in a situation where they feel out of their depth or someone is behaving unacceptably towards them, they must be empowered to walk away and find a manager to deal with it. When doing so, make sure the safety and wellbeing of your team are your primary priority - prevent escalation but be firm with the guest: we have a zero tolerance policy on abuse of staff and if a guest breaches that we will be unable to honour the remainder of the booking. Your team must not be expected to continue to serve guests who put their wellbeing at risk,

Every person on your team should memorise the sentence "I can see you're upset and I want to make sure we get this right for you - please take a seat and I will escalate this to a manager"... but must know if they are on the receiving end of poor behavior they are completely empowered to walk away without explanation.

Leave!

If at any point you feel unsafe or that the guest has crossed a line, it’s time to get out of there.

Do not argue or otherwise challenge the guest. If you are able to, a sincere “I can see you’re very upset, please have a seat and I will get a manager to help you” will let you politely leave. But if you are unsafe or the guest is being abusive or aggressive rather than just loud and angry in your direction, simply excuse yourself and immediately get a manager, no explanation needed.

Make sure you and your team have a bank of assertive but non confrontational phrases which you have practiced in a calm and safe environment so you do not struggle for words (or say the wrong thing) in the heat of the moment.

Examples could include:

• Please lower your voice

• Please take a step back

• Please don't swear at me

• I really want to make this right for you but I'm not able to do that while you are shouting at me. Please could we sit and discuss how I can help you?

• I want to sort this out for you so I am going to escalate it to my manager to make sure we get it right.

• I understand why you are so angry, but if you continue to shout and swear, I will have no option but to ask you to leave – which I don’t want to have to do

• We have a zero tolerance policy on abusive behavior towards staff and so will be unable to: continue to serve you/honour the rest of your booking.

• We have a zero tolerance policy on abusive behavior towards staff and so will have to ask you to leave

Remember: If you are in an unsafe situation or someone is behaving unacceptably towards you, you do not need to apologise, excuse yourself or explain. It is also an option to walk away without saying anything and immediately seek assistance from a manager or, if the situation calls for it, call the police.

Maintain Your Exit Routes

If you sense at any time that a situation could become dangerous, you must always ensure you have a clear exit route and/or safe barriers (such as a bar or reception desk) between you and the aggressor. A good example of this could be addressing an issue in a guest room. Going alone, entering the room and letting the door shut could put you at risk. By staying in the corridor or doorway, wedging the door open (or having a colleague holding the door open) and ensuring you always have a clear route to the door, you minimise risk to yourself should a situation escalate.

The same applies anywhere in the hotel. Consider your surroundings and ensure you always have a clear exit and a place to go where you can put a closed door between yourself and a potential aggressor.

As well as clear, safe exit routes for yourself, where possible it is also a good idea to ensure the guest has a clear exit route too. While you know they aren’t at any risk of physical harm from you, the subconscious fight or flight instinct is a strong one and removing someone’s “flight” option in a high stress situation can leave them feeling their only option is “fight”. You never want to find yourself in a situation where an aggressive person’s only exit route is through you!

Ensure someone is always aware of where you are and have a plan to summon assistance quickly when needed.

Refusal to serve

One of the most difficult issues faced by staff in licensed premises is the refusal to serve. This can be necessary for a variety of reasons:

• A belief that the customer is under age

• A belief that the customer is purchasing for someone under age

• A refusal because the person is drunk

• A refusal because of disorderly, inappropriate or bad behaviour

• A credit card refusal for payment.

The common problem in all these situations is the lack of discretion available – once the need to refuse has been recognised, the member of staff has no alternative but to go through with the subsequent action. Some of the measures that will help to reduce the potential conflict might be:

• Ensure you are very clear about the law in relation to licensed premises and age restrictions. You need to be very sure of your ground if the refusal escalates

• Reduce the possibility of triggers through embarrassment or loss of face by taking the person aside or to a quieter part of the bar or restaurant

• Take the ‘personal’ out of the situation. Instead of ‘You don’t look eighteen to me. I’m not serving you unless you show me some ID’ you could say, ‘We have a policy that people who may be under 25 must show a valid ID before they can be served’

• If you are going to refuse someone because they are drunk or engaged in bad behaviour, ensure that it is safe to do so and that you have support from colleagues before you refuse to serve

• If a ‘card refusal’ advises you to seize the credit card – then you should do so, unless you feel that the situation will escalate if you do.

Refusing entry or evicting from premises

The licensee and any person in charge of the licensed premises has a legal duty not to allow anyone who is:

• Drunk

• Violent

• Quarrelsome

• Disorderly

• Or suspected or known to be a drug dealer

to enter or remain on licensed premises.

Trespass – Common Law:

Visitors to premises, including licensed premises, are there with the permission of the owner. If that permission is withdrawn, then they become trespassers

Staff, acting on behalf of the owner, can refuse entry or require a person to leave

Although legally, the minimum force reasonably required can be used if the person fails to leave when requested, this should be avoided by KGH staff and the police called (unless you have sufficient appropriately trained and licensed security staff who can achieve this whilst ensuring the safety of themselves, the public and the individual concerned).

If requested police have a duty to assist a license holder or their staff eject a drunk or disorderly person from the premises, or prevent them from entering.

• You should warn the person, by asking them to stop the offending behaviour and telling them that they will have to leave unless they stop

• If they continue, then they should be asked to leave – encouraging them to do so of their own accord. Do not let yourself be drawn into a debate

• Stay relaxed but assertive. Do not be aggressive or do anything to inflame the situation

• Use open hand gestures to reinforce this

• Allow the customer where possible to save face – for example by stating they can come back another time or by helping them by giving a taxi number

• If they still refuse, the police should be called

• Staff should not be involved in physically removing someone from premises