RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
Preparing for COVID-Conflict
Conflict management specialists, Maybo, share their advice for new and returning retail employees during the Coronavirus crisis, plus some free training resources.
While keen to get back to work, many retail employees will have anxieties over their health and safety. Most customers have been compliant and observed restrictions, but returning colleagues and new recruits will have heard and seen first-hand hostility towards workers and between customers.
Violence towards retail workers has been a hot issue for some time, mostly related to shoplifting in stores and disruptive behaviours in restaurants. Recently it has been sad to see colleagues abused when simply trying to ensure safety and fairness.
As retailers anticipate and plan for phased re-opening, Bill Fox, founder of Maybo, thought it timely to draw briefly on some of the experiences of those that have remained open through the crisis. In recent weeks, his specialists have been supporting supermarkets in the UK and restaurant chains in North America and Australia that have remained open for takeaways.
Early warnings
Initially, frustrations spilled over as customers experienced restrictions on movement, product choice and availability. No one likes to queue, especially when they are anxious and fearful.
There has also been significant conflict (including physical fights) between customers, at first competing for goods and more recently over people not complying with social distancing rules, or queue jumping. Perhaps the most repugnant behaviour has been the ‘weaponising’ of the virus through deliberate coughing and spitting.
Planning to reduce conflict
As we plan how to manage our environment including physical distancing, we need to recognise potential flashpoints and develop positive communication strategies to mitigate these.
Environmental controls reduce infection risks and can actually reduce conflict if well communicated on websites, through signage and by helpful employees. They may include:
o Access control e.g. time slots, reduced entry/exit points, one in one out
o Queue management and marshalling e.g. one-way systems, distance marking
o Protective equipment e.g. plastic shields at payment points, PPE, sanitisers
o Clear communications and signage on restrictions, payments accepted etc.
Security approaches will change with cards replacing cash and larger retailers considering:
o Re-deployment of LP/Security colleagues to more overt roles
o Focus on deterring thieves as arrest and detention carries too much risk
o New approaches for searching employees at outlets and distribution centres that allow physical distance to be
maintained.
Retailers planning to stop taking cash can expect conflict if a customer has queued, missed the signs and reached the point of payment. They may feel embarrassed (having missed signs) as well as frustrated at this point - and we are left with goods that have been handled.
Interpersonal skills are just as important and the ability of our colleagues to positively engage with customers from the moment they arrive is key to reducing conflict. This is a ‘not to be missed’ opportunity to provide a positive impression of our business that will be returned with loyalty. Reminding people starting to queue that you cannot take cash is better than letting them in and waiting until they order and pay!
We have all experienced the difference a proactive employee can make in reducing tensions and lightening the mood of customers. It’s not just what we say - it’s the way we say it!
Preparing new and returning employees
Training can develop confidence in how to communicate restrictions and de-escalate emotive situations in ways that are positive and respectful. It can also cover travel concerns to and from work and lone worker safety for remote or delivery workers.
There is a window of opportunity prior to re-opening to provide our colleagues with online training via eLearning and/or Virtual Classroom technologies.
This situation is new for all of us, with no one sure as to how it will play out and what the ‘new normal’ will look like.
Supporting our colleagues with clear guidance and effective training has never been more important.
Maybo has partnered with ORIS Media to offer complimentary resources to LP Magazine Europe readers, including tips that can be adapted and used in employee training and posters, plus 1000 free places on our eLearning ‘Reducing Retail Conflict and Violence Risks: COVID-19 Edition’.
The learning also covers regular scenarios such as angry customers, theft and disruptive behaviours experienced in our shops and restaurants.
For more information, please click here.
