If you work in stores and shopping malls, you will most likely deal with angry customers daily. It can be somewhat challenging, but it is what it is. There are differences among enraged clients. While some maintain their composure and voice their displeasure in a cool, collected manner, others snap, yell, and might even hit you, leading to store employee confrontation.
Although everyone is aware of the saying that customers are always right, it’s easy to lose sight of this and allow feelings to take control in heated situations.
On the other hand, this is a bad idea because it’s never a smart idea to argue with a customer, as it can hurt your brand by causing store employee confrontation. But you can retaliate in self–defense if a customer hits you hard. However, situations like this can be very tricky.
Shopper’s Store Employee Confrontation
In a widely shared video on the internet, two men were seen fighting in a mall. One of the men was a shopper, and the other was a worker in the store. You can see in the footage that the customer rammed the staff with his shopping cart.
The customer then retreated and left the situation, but the employee wiggled out of someone who was trying to hold him back and ran to the customer to attack him. As a result of the attack, the customer slumped on the floor. The question now is: Was this store employee confrontation an act of self-defense?
Well, according to UgoLord the lawyer, there is a fine line between self-defense and retaliation, and even if it is a case of standing your ground, it still does not allow you to retaliate against the person who attacked you. So in the eyes of the law, it would make both men guilty of battery.
Store Employee Confrontation
He said if the employee had retaliated right away, it would have been self-defense because the customer’s actions could have caused physical harm to him. However, since the customer retreated and left the scene, the employee was no longer continuously in danger of being hurt. So he was not supposed to attack the customer again in a store employee confrontation.
The Law on Self-Defense
In California, the self-defense statutes state that you have the right to defend yourself, a family member, and even another person from an aggressor. You have zero duty to retreat inside or outside your home (castle). No “stand your ground” law has passed legislative enactment in California.
To successfully argue self-defense in California, the defendant must prove that:
They reasonably believed that they or another person was in imminent danger of being harmed, killed, or suffering great bodily injury
They reasonably believed that the imminent use of force was necessary to defend against that danger
They only used the right amount of force that was reasonably necessary to defend against the harm
The other party was the initial aggressor
Both parties in the store employee confrontation video cannot claim self-defense since one is the aggressor and the other one retaliated when there was no imminent danger. If you started the fight (you were the “aggressor”), you can assert self-defense only if:
you made a good-faith effort to stop fighting and indicated this to the other person, or
you initially attacked with non-deadly force, and the other person responded with deadly force.
Battery, Penal Code 242 PC
The battery is the unlawful touching of another person. California’s self-defense laws allow you to act in self-defense if you believe you are in imminent danger, even if you do not fear imminent bodily harm. Per California law, a prosecutor must prove the following to convict a person of simple battery:
The defendant willfully and unlawfully touched someone in a harmful or offensive manner, and
The defendant did not act in self-defense or defense of someone else
Ways to Handle an Angry Customer and Avoid Store Employee Confrontation
While angry consumers are an inevitable aspect of operating a business, most of us would want to prevent a store-employee confrontation. But as with any issue, it is best to address it as soon as possible. To prevent a fight between your workers and consumers, you need to do the following:
Keep Calm and Avoid Store Employee Confrontation
It may seem easy, but it is one of the most crucial ways to handle furious clients. People feel like fighting when they’re upset. Arguing with people, especially your clients, is first and foremost rude. As you are aware, “the customer is always right.”
So if you keep arguing with your customer, you will only make things worse, regardless of how right you are. Always keep in mind that, when it comes to your customers, you really cannot win. But if you keep calm and compose yourself, the customer will relax too. If not, it will lead to a fight, just like the two people in the video.
Pay Attention Without Defending
Humans are naturally inclined to defend themselves from accusations. Resist this desire. Allow your client to finish telling his or her side of the story without interrupting. Simply listen and try to understand their position.
Also, your customers are explaining their problems, so try to do only what is necessary. Give them your undivided attention, maintain eye contact, and make gestures to demonstrate that you’re prepared to assist and are listening. This is all in a bid to avoid store-employee confrontation.
Identify the Store Employee ConfrontationIssue and Respond Immediately
Customers in a rage don’t have a lot of patience. They want quick solutions to their problems; therefore, you must respond promptly to any complaints you receive, whether they come in person, over the phone, or online.
You could jeopardize your reputation if you don’t reply right away. A customer can share their experiences with friends, family, coworkers, or even strangers through online reviews if they feel neglected.
Show Remorse and Accountability
Sometimes an apology is all that’s needed to soothe irate clients. Give them the impression that you sincerely apologize for their issue. Avoid comments like “That’s not a big deal” or “Well, I don’t know why you’re so upset.”
Accept responsibility for the situation and assure them that you will make every effort to put an end to it. Describe your plan of action and the estimated time it will take. This will demonstrate to them how much you appreciate them.
Remember that winning the argument or fighting is not the solution. The objective is to make every effort to ensure that your client receives what they require and avoid store employee confrontation. That does not obligate you to disobey corporate policy or comply with irrational demands. Simply identify the issue and consider the various ways you may address it.
