Archived A guest became aggressive with me... Can I be fired for defending myself?

[steviestrawberry]

Last week a guest asked if he could use an electrical outlet to charge his phone in our Starbucks. I told him he could but to be mindful if people need to get through the area where he would be standing. The guest started yelling at me that he didn't need to listen to me because I was dressed as a Target employee and I had no jurisdiction in Starbucks and he told me repeatedly to shut up and to get the fuck out of his face while I was still talking. I explained that this was a licensed Starbucks and that Target owned it. He started telling me to get out of his face and shut the fuck up repeatedly. He took out his camera and started recording me and I asked him to stop and he wouldn't. Then, I asked one of my co-workers to call for help. He must have called three times but to no avail. I put my hand up in front of my face so that he could not record me and went out into the lobby to an AP team member to come over to where we were to avoid any further problems.
the dude started talking into his phone and actively following me recording me. I kept telling him to stop but he wouldn't. The guy started to come towards me and before AP could get there he started chasing me and threatening me. I picked up a chair to use as a barrier between me and him and to prevent him from coming too close because he was backing me into a corner of the store and I felt defenseless. Finally AP got there and stopped the dude from pursuing me. The next day the dude appeared with his phone and was talking to the AP manager about it. I went to HR to tell them what happened and they were a bit concerned about my picking up a chair. I told them at that moment I was in fear of the dude hitting me and was using the chair as a barrier. At the time I felt there was nothing more I could do to prevent being hurt. I ever hit him nor did he ever get close enough to hit me but he tried. Can I be fired over this???

 

[SFSFun]

Can I be fired over this???

Maybe. Doesn't sound likely though.

 

[HRZone]

Interesting. My first question is when AP got him to leave why didn't you follow up with AP? I would have told them my side of the story and asked if the video collaborated all that you just told us.

My other major concern is you told your witness to leave. Anytime a guest threatens you physically, being at Starbucks I assume you had a walkie. It's appropriate to call a code green.

Granted we don't think as clear as we would like in those situations I would hope you would have at least partnered with AP.

It's all going to come down to footage. Get with your AP before you get accused of disorderly conduct.

We had a tm in a similar situation as you get fired because he told a guest who got in his face to "fight him." He said he was defending himself but he went beyond that.

Let us know how it goes

 

[Planosss]

How do you get yourself in so much trouble at target? Mind your own business and just radio AP if anyone is giving you trouble. Arguing with a guest never ever looks good, even if justified. Stop letting your ego dictate how you behave. Specially at work.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Where was gstl or lod?

 

[SnorlaxTM]

My other major concern is you told your witness to leave. Anytime a guest threatens you physically, being at Starbucks I assume you had a walkie. It's appropriate to call a code green.

Aren’t code greens just for Team Member/Guest injuries?

 

[NPC]

I feel like there's a lot of holes in this story...

 

[TTGOz]

Wow, can't even imagine being in a situation like that. That would annoy me real quick, but the world sucks, defending yourself even at the work place means a lawsuit, losing a job, or something equally as upsetting. I would have just ignored him and called for a leader, GSTL, LOD, AP, anyone really. My leadership would have responded right away, sorry yours never did.

 

[Anelmi]

In my store, the only chairs are right at guest service (old desk area for since removed computers). If you picked up a chair, anyone at GS would’ve been a witness and would’ve been on the walkie stat. It seems odd that you were in such mortal danger yet the response time was so slow. Also where was your own walkie?

 

[MrGSTLman]

Aren’t code greens just for Team Member/Guest injuries?

They are but I have been told by my ETLs that if you get into that situation to call a code green as they illicit an almost immediate response from an LOD vs. simply calling for one as you may have to wait until one is able to respond.

 

[HRZone]

Aren’t code greens just for Team Member/Guest injuries?

If a guest is threatening to physically harm you, an injury could be imminent.

The point of a code green is the LOD will come running immediately. There was a person on here a year ago who almost got trampled on black friday. He said he called for the LOD and no one came to help him. Someone suggested he call code green.

We had a tm use it last year when her abusive ex boyfriend tried to corner her in the fitting room.

 

[HRZone]

I feel like there's a lot of holes in this story...

Yeah I don't want to sound like a jerk but I have heard this story many times and the person did a lot more than "defend" themself. I want to give the benefit of the doubt though.

 

[SilentCrow]

More details needed for me

 

[Dog]

If a guest starts getting verbally/physically aggressive with you, then you should immediately just stop dealing with them and call someone else over (probably AP). It's not your responsibility to deal with troublemaking guests, and AP will ask them to leave. I get that it's difficult to make proper decisions in the 'heat of the moment' sometimes, but that situation definitely should not have gone as far as it did.

 

[Greenie]

Did anyone else go search YouTube to see if there was a video of a team member wielding a chair at a guest?

 

[REDcardJJ]

did any TMs at Starbucks witness what happened?

 

[buliSBI]

Where I see things went wrong from the info provided is that it sounds like the guy got you riled up and the situation turned into an incident.

The situation needed to be kept at a minimal. Stay behind the counter. Talk to the guest at a normal conversation level. Called/walkied/POS signaled the LOD or GSTL/GSA. Keep witnesses with you.

If the guest entered the SB work area, then that gives the store the right to throw the guy out.

I don't quite see a term coming from it, but I can probably see at least a coaching.

More than likely you will be meeting with AP and management. You will need to have the line of events documented and in detail. Account for any witnesses.

 

[Coqui]

You should have walked away the moment he started yelling and partnered with a leader/AP. The situation should not have gone as far as it did.

 

[The Dude Abides]

As soon as a guest starts swearing at you, that is the time to call for AP or LOD to have them removed from the store.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

Anytime a guest starts to verbally abuse you, if you cannot get to a phone, just hold the talk button down on the walkie. EVERYONE will come running. I have told all of my service desk people this. Just throw in where you are, "Sir Starbucks is too busy for you to do this" I have seen people freeze when being confronted. If your walkie is on your pocket its a simple thing to do. I think anyone who is alone in a work center needs to have a walkie. This includes the cash office. They are locked away and have no idea what could be happening in the store

 

[GSAguy]

Anytime a guest starts to verbally abuse you, if you cannot get to a phone, just hold the talk button down on the walkie. EVERYONE will come running. I have told all of my service desk people this. Just throw in where you are, "Sir Starbucks is too busy for you to do this" I have seen people freeze when being confronted. If your walkie is on your pocket its a simple thing to do. I think anyone who is alone in a work center needs to have a walkie. This includes the cash office. They are locked away and have no idea what could be happening in the store

This! Starbucks at my store has a tendency to either not have a walkie at all, or either have it off or not pay attention to it.

I feel like if a guest were threatening me, I would call out hardlines 4 on the walkie and not even engage in what the ‘guest’ was saying to be. I’ve not had the experience of a guest threatening me, but guests being disruptive at guest services, and that’s what I did. Seemed to diffuse the situation pretty quick for me.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Yes they key is when the guest starts yelling that’s your cue to just stop interacting with them and call AP.