2. 2
Managing customer’s expectations
When customer’s visit the premises or site where you are
working, they will already have preconceived ideas of what to
expect regarding:
● What services, goods, facilities or entertainment
will be provided
● How they should be treated by members of staff,
including the security team.
Problems may occur, however, when someone you are dealing
with has misguided or unrealistic expectations.
Part of providing good customer service is being able to
understand and then manage customers’ expectations.
NEXT
3. 3
Proactive service delivery
For example…
To try to prevent incidents of conflict with people in the
workplace, we need to employ PROACTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY
strategies where we can.
Proactive service delivery is identifying where common
differences between people’s expectations and the actual
experience come about, and seeing what can be done to
reduce incidents where conflict may occur from happening
in the first place.
NEXT
4. 4
Possible point of conflict
Some people may object to being asked to show proof
of age before entering a venue or site that sells alcohol.
COMMON POINT OF CONFLICT
Display clear signs on the approach to
the entrance explaining the condition
and the reason for it. Further politely
explain this to people if they ask for
the reason at the entrance.
PROACTIVE SOLUTION
NEXT
5. 5
Possible point of conflict
Some people become frustrated if they have to wait in
a queue for something.
COMMON POINT OF CONFLICT
Send a member of the security team along the
queue to apologise for and explain the reason for
the delay to people, let them know how long they
are likely to wait, and reassure them that they will
be served as soon as is practicably possible.
People become more frustrated when they do
not understand the reason for the delay.
PROACTIVE SOLUTION
NEXT
6. 6
Dealing with emotive conflict situations
● Be positive and productive in your attitude
● Be professional, welcoming, helpful, smart and polite
● Try to remain calm and rational at all times when handling
complaints or disputes
● Be well-informed about the various
aspects of your work
● Keep up-to-date with procedures and rules
● Have a good basic understanding of the
aspects of civil and criminal law
● Know where everything of interest on the
site is.
When dealing with emotive conflict situations (complaints):
NEXT
7. 7
At the same time, having happy or satisfied
customers tends to decrease the numbers of
problems for the security staff that work there.
Customers
Customers in particular need to be handled
properly because they are the reason that we
are there in the first place.
Satisfied customers continue to visit and
recommend the venue or site to others,
helping the management to reach its sales
targets or satisfaction levels, improving
its future prospects.
NEXT
8. 8
Active listening
It is vital that we listen carefully to what is being said to us.
We cannot deal with a problem if we do not fully understand
what the problem is.
Try not to pre-judge what they are saying
Let them finish explaining their side before
deciding how to resolve the situation
Ask extra questions if you need to, until
you are fully satisfied that you understand
what is being asked of you.
NEXT
9. 9
Reading between the lines
Emotional, distressed or angry people, particularly if they
are under the influence of something, often say things in
the heat of the moment that they don’t really mean.
We need to:
Try to ignore any criticisms or insults
that may be aimed at us
Try to concentrate on the real meaning
behind what the person is trying to say.
NEXT
10. 10
Acknowledging the complaint
Once you have heard their complaint, let them know
that you understand why they are upset or frustrated.
This is sometimes called showing empathy.
Always acknowledge their complaint, regardless of
whether it turns out to be a legitimate one at the end.
NEXT
11. 11
Apologising
Do not be afraid to apologise if it turns out
that the complaint is a legitimate one.
Sometimes apologising will go a long way
towards reducing any possible conflict
before you have a chance to fully deal
with the actual complaint.
NEXT
12. 12
Explaining
Sometimes a complaint or dispute can
be resolved by simply explaining the
appropriate laws, rules or procedures
to them, and explaining the reasons
for them.
NEXT
13. 13
Providing options
Where you can, provide the person with any possible options
they have.
‘I’m sorry we are full capacity at
the moment. Please let me
recommend another great venue’.
‘Would you prefer to
speak to a supervisor
or manager?’
‘Would you like to make a formal complaint?’
Allowing the person to decide which option to take can, again,
reduce the conflict and prevent the situation from escalating.
NEXT
14. 14
Saying ‘No’
Saying ‘no’ can be very difficult for some people.
None of us likes to feel unpopular, and most of us do not like
getting an aggressive reaction when we have to say ‘no’ to
someone else.
Part of security work involves enforcing rules,
regulations and saying ‘no’ to people.
As long as we are correct and within our rights to
say ‘no’ to people for whatever reason, we should
be able to do so without making excuses, feeling
embarrassed, being nervous, beating around the
bush or giving overly-long explanations.
NEXT
15. 15
How to say ‘No’
● Identify situations that will require you to say ‘no’
● Practice saying ‘no’
● Prepare a polite but firm refusal
● Refuse to feel guilty about saying ‘no’ –
it’s part of your job
● Use a definite tone of voice –
don’t hesitate or sound unsure
● Remember that you are refusing
a request, not rejecting a person
● Remember that refusals do not
have to be heavy, aggressive or
hurtful.
NEXT
16. 16
Stages of escalation
It is vital that security operatives are able to recognise
when a situation is escalating to a stage where a more
assertive or even evasive or physical response is required.
Incidents of aggression and violence do not just happen
unexpectedly without warning.
Imagine the 7 stages of boiling a kettle…
NEXT
17. 17
Stages of escalation
- the customer is calm, relaxed and rational.
You start off with a kettle full of cold water…
Flick the switch, and the kettle begins to heat the water…
- the customer gets frustrated about something.
- the customer starts to get angry if the situation isn’t resolved.
Minutes later the water starts to get warm…
- as the situation escalates, the customer starts to get
aggressive.
The water starts to boil…
NEXT
18. 18
Stages of escalation
- the customer turns to violence.
The water reaches boiling point…
- the situation ends, and the customer starts to calm
down again.
The kettle switches itself off and the water starts to cool
down again…
- the customer eventually returns to being calm, relaxed
and rational.
Eventually the water cools back down to being cold again…
NEXT
19. 19
Stages of escalation
Conflict situations escalate in stages…
FRUSTRATION ANGER AGRESSION VIOLENCE
Ideally we should try to prevent customers
from becoming frustrated in the first place.
Using pre-planned effective proactive
delivery service strategies will help with this.
NEXT
20. 20
Signs of escalation
Signs which may indicate an increase in aggressive attitude:
● Extended eye contact
● More threatening facial expressions
● A raised voice
● A change in body stance
● Enlarged movement of the hands
● Moving closer
● Obvious fidgeting as the person prepares to fight.
Security operatives will often get a gut-feeling when an encounter
is about to turn nasty, but they also need to take note of the
person’s words and body language in an attempt to predict any
aggressive action they might take.
NEXT
21. 21
Signs of escalation
● Head
● Eyes
● Lips
● Facial expressions
and colour
● Breathing
● Shoulders
● Hands
● Arms
Particular points to watch
● Feet
● Language
● Tone of voice
● Gesture
● Spacing.
Signs of escalation
NEXT
22. 22
Signs of escalation
● Prepare themselves both physically
and mentally for any imminent attack
● Summon the assistance of other
security staff
● Call the police
● Consider in advance their options
regarding the use of force.
Recognising these SIGNS OF
ESCALATION can help security
operatives to be able to:
NEXT
23. 23
Assessing the risks
There will be times where security operatives are
confronted with situations that are unique and cannot be
specifically catered for in any GENERIC RISK
ASSESSMENT or ASSESSMENT OF A PARTICULAR
TYPE of incident.
There are sometimes conflict situations where people
are hurt because they do not have a way of properly and
effectively ASSESSING THE RISKS there and then, and
as a result do not respond appropriately.
NEXT
24. 24
Dynamic risk assessments
Dynamic risk assessments help us to:
● Deal with any potentially difficult or dangerous situation
● Choose the correct response.
They are called dynamic risk assessments because they are
ongoing.
We use them before, during and after any conflict situation.
To ensure that your safety comes first, you are
encouraged to use what is called DYNAMIC RISK
ASSESSMENT all of the time.
NEXT
26. 26
TACT
THINK safety first
Do not rush in, think about your personal safety first.
ASSESS the situation
What are the possible threats involved?
CONSIDER your options
Consider what help you may need, and possible action
you could take.
TAKE action
Select the safest and most appropriate action, and take
it decisively.
NEXT
27. 27
SEW
SUBJECTS - Who are you dealing with?
Age, height, size, drink/drugs, emotional state, previous
history etc.
ENVIRONMENT - Where is the situation taking place?
Remote/secluded area, stairs, roads, furniture, escape
routes etc.
WEAPONS - Is there anything nearby that could be
used to hurt you?
Knives, bricks, bottles, wood, syringes, tools, furniture, etc.
NEXT
28. 28
Positioning
We can do this by:
● Maintaining a suitable/safe distance
● Showing non-aggression
● Ensuring that both parties can walk
away if they want to.
Maintain our own safety
Ensure we give the right impression
of our attitudes and intentions.
Positioning is important to:
NEXT
29. 29
Maintaining space
The actual distance we are from someone we are dealing
with can have a profound impact on the situation.
Certain situations can be helped by either increasing or
decreasing the distance between ourselves and the other
person.
There are basically THREE types
of spaces we need to consider…
NEXT
30. 30
Intimate space
Intimate space is when we are anything
up to about 0.5m away from someone.
● Partners
● Family
● Close friends.
To enter the personal space of somebody we
don’t know may well be seen as intimidating.
At the very least it could make the other person
feel very uncomfortable.
NEXT
31. 31
Normal/safe space
Normal space and safe space are the phrases given to the
normal distance there would be between us and someone we
are talking to in normal, relaxed circumstances.
● Someone approaching you to ask a
question at work
● Someone standing next to you that you are
having a drink with in a pub.
This normal or safe distance is usually
anything between 0.5 m and 1.2m.
NEXT
32. 32
Stranger space
Stranger space is anything from 1.2m up to 3m, which is not
normally close enough to have a proper one-to-one
conversation with them.
It is, however, the ideal space
when trying to talk to a group of
people.
NEXT
33. 33
Showing non-aggression
We need to be aware of how we come
across to the people we are dealing with.
We obviously need to be careful about
the words we use, but also about the
tone we use when speaking to them.
Our body language is also important.
NEXT
34. 34
Body language
● How do we look and sound to the other person?
● Do we look welcoming and ready to help?
● Are we showing the right attitude?
● Do we look interested or bored with the
conversation?
● Are we using appropriate eye contact?
● Do we look nervous?
● Do we look confident?
● Do we look aggressive or intimidating?
● Are we a suitable distance away and positioned
correctly?
● Are we using appropriate hand gestures?
● Is our stance appropriate?
NEXT
35. 35
Body language
If we look aggressive towards someone,
they are more likely to be aggressive
towards us.
If we look professional and helpful we
are far more likely to get a better
response from the person or people
we are dealing with.
How do we look?
NEXT
36. 36
Escape exit
During any encounter or situation, all parties concerned
need to feel that they are safe and that they can walk away
if they wish to at any stage.
Security operatives need to feel that they always have
enough room to be able to walk away to summon help
or evade attack if they need to.
The people we are dealing with need the same.
NEXT
Editor's Notes
Title slide.
Managing customers expectations
Part of providing good customer service is being able to understand and then manage customers’ expectations.
When members of the public, be they customers or work colleagues, visit the premises or site where you are working, they will already have preconceived ideas of what to expect. They will already have a rough idea of what services, goods, facilities or entertainment will be provided, and will also have expectations as to how they should be treated whilst they are there.
They will also have ideas about how they should be treated by members of staff, including the security team.
Problems may occur, however, when someone you are dealing with has misguided or unrealistic expectations. If they disagree with one of the rules or regulations on the site, and object to a security operative attempting to change their behaviour, then this is where conflict can raise its ugly head.
Proactive service delivery
In an effort to try to prevent incidents of conflict with people in the workplace, we need to employ proactive service delivery strategies where we can.
Proactive service delivery is all about identifying where the common differences between people’s expectations and the actual experience come about, and seeing whether there is anything that can be done to reduce incidents where conflict may occur from happening in the first place.
For example…
COMMON POINT OF CONFLICT-
Some people may object to being asked to show proof of age before entering a venue or site that sells alcohol.
PROACTIVE SOLUTION-
Display clear signs on the approach to the entrance explaining the condition and the reason for it. Further politely explain this to people if they ask for the reason at the entrance.
COMMON POINT OF CONFLICT-
Some people become frustrated if they have to wait in a queue for something.
PROACTIVE SOLUTION-
Send a member of the security team along the queue to apologise for and explain the reason for the delay to people, let them know how long they are likely to wait, and reassure them that they will be served as soon as is practicably possible. People become more frustrated when they do not understand the reason for the delay.
Defusing emotive conflict situations
Security operatives should always try to be positive and productive in their attitude when dealing with members of the public. They should try to remain calm and rational at all times when handling complaints or disputes.
As well as being professional, welcoming, helpful, smart and polite, security operatives also need to be well-informed about the various aspects of their work. They should keep themselves up to date on any particular policies that the organisation they work for puts in place, particularly its security procedures and rules. They need to have a good basic understanding of the aspects of civil and criminal law relating to their role, and need to know where everything of interest on the site is.
Customers in particular need to be handled properly because they are the reason that we are there in the first place. Satisfied customers continue to visit and recommend the venue or site to others, helping the management to reach its sales targets or satisfaction levels, improving its future prospects. At the same time, having happy or satisfied customers tends to decrease the numbers of problems for the security staff that work there.
Active listening
When dealing with a query, it is vital that we listen carefully to what is being said to us. We cannot deal with a problem if we do not fully understand what the problem is.
Try not to pre-judge what they are saying. Let them finish explaining their side before deciding how to resolve the situation. Ask extra questions if you need to, until you are fully satisfied that you understand what is being asked of you.
Read between the lines
Emotional, distressed or angry people, particularly if they are under the influence of something, often say things in the heat of the moment that they don’t really mean. We need to try to ignore any criticisms or insults that may be aimed at us, and try to concentrate on the real meaning behind what the person is trying to say.
Acknowledge their complaint
Once you have heard their complaint, let them know that you understand why they are upset or frustrated. This is called showing empathy. Acknowledge their complaint, regardless of whether it turns out to be a legitimate one at the end.
Do not be afraid to apologise if it turns out that their complaint is a legitimate one. Sometimes that will go a long way to reducing any possible conflict before you have a chance to fully deal with their complaint.
Sometimes a complaint or dispute can be resolved by simply explaining the appropriate laws, rules or procedures to them, and explaining the reasons for them.
Where you can, provide the person with any possible options they have. Consider offering the suggestion of another venue or site that can provide what the person wants if appropriate. Would it be useful and appropriate to offer the person the chance to speak further about the problem with your supervisor or manager? Is there a formal complaints procedure that they could use? Allowing the person to decide which option to take can, again, reduce the conflict and prevent the situation from escalating.
Saying ‘no’ can be very difficult for some people. None of us likes to feel unpopular, and most of us do not like getting an aggressive reaction when we have to say ‘no’ to someone else. Part of security work involves enforcing rules regulations and saying ‘no’ to people.
As long as we are correct and within our rights to say ‘no’ to people for whatever reason, we should be able to do so without making excuses, feeling embarrassed, being nervous, beating around the bush or giving overly-long explanations.
Identify situations that will require you to say ‘no’;
Practice saying ‘no’;
Prepare a polite but firm refusal;
Refuse to feel guilty about saying ‘no’ – it’s part of your job;
Use a definite tone of voice – don’t hesitate or sound unsure;
Remember that you are refusing a request, not rejecting a person; and
Remember that refusals do not have to be heavy, aggressive or hurtful.
It is vital that security operatives are able to recognise when a situation is escalating to a stage where a more assertive or even evasive or physical response is required.
Incidents of aggression and violence do not just happen unexpectedly without warning.
Imagine the 7 stages of boiling a kettle…
You start off with a kettle full of cold water…
- the customer is calm, relaxed and rational.
Flick the switch, and the kettle begins to heat the water…
- the customer gets frustrated about something.
Minutes later the water starts to get warm…
- the customer starts to get angry if the situation isn’t resolved.
The water starts to boil…
- as the situation escalates, the customers starts to get aggressive.
The water reaches boiling point…
- the customer turns to violence.
The kettle switches itself off and the water starts to cool down again…
- the situation ends, and the customer starts to calm down again.
Eventually the water cools back down to being cold again…
- the customer eventually returns to being calm, relaxed and rational.
Conflict situations escalate in stages.
FRUSTRATION - ANGER - AGGRESSION - VIOLENCE
Ideally we should try to prevent customers from becoming frustrated in the first place. Using pre-planned, effective, proactive delivery service strategies will help with this.
Security operatives will often get a gut-feeling when an encounter is about to turn nasty, but they also need to take note of the person’s words and body language in attempt to predict any aggressive action they might take.
Signs which may indicate an increase in aggressive attitude include extended eye contact, more threatening facial expressions, a raised voice, a change in body stance, enlarged movement of the hands, moving closer and obvious fidgeting as the person prepares to fight.
Particular points that need watching if the security operative thinks they are about to be attacked include:
Head;
Eyes;
Lips;
Facial expressions and colour;
Breathing;
Shoulders;
Hands;
Arms;
Feet;
Language;
Tone of voice;
Gesture; and
Spacing.
If security operatives can learn to recognise these signs of escalation, then they can prepare themselves both physically and mentally for any imminent attack. It will also give them time to summon the assistance of either other security staff, or even the police, and to consider in advance their options regarding the use of force.
It is not always possible to prevent conflict from happening in the workplace, and some situations will have to be approached and managed carefully.
There will be times where security operatives are confronted with situations that are unique and cannot be specifically catered for in any generic risk assessment or assessment of a particular type of incident. There are sometimes conflict situations where people are hurt because they do not have a way of properly and effectively assessing the risks there and then, and as a result do not respond appropriately.
To ensure that your safety comes first, you are encouraged to use what is called dynamic risk assessment all of the time.
Dynamic risk assessments should be used as you deal with any potentially difficult or dangerous situation, and will help you to choose the correct response in any given situation.
They are called dynamic risk assessments because they are ongoing. We use them before, during and after any conflict situation.
Using TACT and SEW
Assessing situations: TACT
Assessing specific threats: SEW
Dynamic risk assessment
Before you start to deal with a situation you need to use TACT:
T - THINK safety first
do not rush in, think about your personal safety first.
A - ASSESS the situation
what are the possible threats involved?
C - CONSIDER your options
consider what help you may need, and possible action you could take.
T - TAKE action
select the safest and most appropriate action, and take it decisively.
Using the TACT model will help you to keep yourself safe and ensure that you take the most appropriate course of action to resolve the situation.
Assessing specific aspects of the threat
A simple but effective way of assessing specific threats in relation to the situation where the incident is taking place, the person or people involved and any potential weapons, is to use the SEW model.
S - SUBJECTS - who are you dealing with?
Age, height, size, drink/drugs, emotional state, previous history, etc.
E - ENVIRONMENT - where is the situation taking place?
Remote/secluded area, stairs, roads, furniture, escape routes etc.
W - WEAPONS - is there anything nearby that could be used to hurt you?
Knives, bricks, bottles, wood, syringes, tools, furniture, etc.
Positioning
We need to ensure that we try to get ourselves into the best position in relation to the other person, to maintain our own safety and to make sure that we give the right impression of our attitudes and intentions to the other person.
We do this by:
Maintaining a suitable/safe distance;
Showing non-aggression; and
Ensuring that both parties can walk away if they want to.
Maintaining space
The actual distance we are from someone we are dealing with can have a profound impact on the situation. Certain situations can be helped by either increasing or decreasing the distance between ourselves and the other person.
There are basically three types of spaces we need to consider…
Intimate space is when we are anything up to about 0.5m away from someone. We would normally only ever get this close to another person if they were our partners, family or very close friends. To enter the personal space of somebody we don’t know may well be seen as intimidating. At the very least it could make the other person fell very uncomfortable
Normal space and safe space are the phrases given to the normal distance there would be between us and someone we are talking to in normal, relaxed circumstances. Imagine someone approaching you to ask a question at work, or the distance you might be from someone standing next to you that you are having a drink with in a pub. This normal or safe distance is usually anything between 0.5 m and 1.2m.
To ensure that you are using the safe or normal distance when dealing with someone in the workplace, try to make sure that you are far enough away from them to be able to see the whole of their body, including their feet. This will mean that you are close enough to them to have a reasonable one-to-one conversation with them, but you are far enough away to be able to see any changes in their body language, which will give you enough time to react if the situation escalates.
Stranger space is anything from 1.2m up to 3m, which is not normally close enough to have a proper one-to-one conversation with them. It is, however, the ideal space when trying to talk to a group of people.
Showing non-aggression
We also need to be aware of how we come across to the people we are dealing with. We obviously need to be careful about the words we use, but also about the tone we use when speaking to them.
Our body language is also important.
How do we look and sound to the other person?
Do we look welcoming and ready to help?
Are we showing the right attitude?
Do we look interested or bored with the conversation?
Are we using appropriate eye contact?
Do we look nervous?
Do we look confident?
Do we look aggressive or intimidating?
Are we a suitable distance away and positioned correctly?
Are we using appropriate hand gestures?
Is our stance appropriate?
If we look aggressive towards someone, they are more likely to be aggressive towards us.
If we look professional and helpful, on the other hand, we are far more likely to get a better response from the person or people we are dealing with.
Escape exit
During any encounter or situation, all parties concerned need to feel that they are safe and that they can walk away if they wish to at any stage.
Security operatives need to feel, particularly in conflict situations, that they always have enough room to be able to walk away to summon help or evade attack if they need to.
The people we are dealing with need the same.
Security operatives need to ensure that as well as using suitable spacing between themselves and those they are dealing with, and that they are displaying the right behaviour so that they do not come across as being aggressive, that they are aware of the possibility that the other person may wish to walk away from the situation.
Do not physically block them into a corner or a small space, as this may make them feel trapped. People who feel trapped tend to feel frightened, which may accidentally escalate the situation, or worse still, trigger them into lashing out at you.
During any encounter, make sure that both you and the other person always have an easy escape route, be that by leaving the room or just being able to walk away from the situation.