4.6 Unacceptable Customer Behaviour

4.6   Unacceptable Customer Behaviour

Cullompton Pre School aims to give it’s families and visitors service and satisfaction. Cullompton Pre School will not tolerate any unacceptable behaviour and would deem any of the behaviours listed below as unacceptable.

Definition of unacceptable behaviour:

Any behaviour which is damaging or has hurtful effects either physically or emotionally on other people.

Examples of the sort of behaviour this includes are:

• Verbal abuse including name calling
• Bullying, shouting or swearing
• Threat of any of the above
• Assault – whether resulting in injury or not
• Assault using a weapon or other instrument
• Sexual assault
• Injury caused by pets e.g. dogs
• Threat of harm to property or family
• Threat of or damage to setting property
• Racial or sexual abuse

Ensuring Acceptable Behaviour:

Staff are responsible for:

• Delivering a high standard of customer service and taking all reasonable steps to avoid a potentially difficult situation from escalating.

• Considering their own behaviour when dealing with customers
• Being aware of and following the settings Health and Safety procedures.
• Reporting any incidents of unacceptable behaviour to their line manager/committee

Managers/committee are responsible for:

• Making sure this policy and procedure is applied within the setting.
• Carrying out risk assessments and assessing the risk to staff of unacceptable behaviour by customers.
• Having the appropriate systems and procedures in place to protect staff.
• Maintaining accurate records of all incidents reported by staff and reassessing the risks and control measures after each incident.
• Identifying if any staff have training needs for dealing with unacceptable behaviour.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of training.
• Staff welfare.

The setting is responsible for treating everyone with dignity and respect by:

• Treating people fairly and according to their needs, trying not to make assumptions.
• Being patient and helpful particularly if someone has difficulties communicating, understanding or with mobility.
• Communicate clearly.
• Be courteous and polite
• respect property and culture particularly when visiting people in their own places
• Respect the right to private and family life.

Members of the public:

• Are expected to treat staff with respect, be courteous and polite
• Have a right to make a complaint in the appropriate manner
• Respect setting property
• Follow setting policy and procedures
• Are reminded that they do not have the right to refuse service from staff because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race/ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other factor that is not reasonable (unless there is a genuine and objective need.

Procedure for Managing Unacceptable Behaviour by Customers

The procedure for managing unacceptable customer behaviour (parents, carers, visitors will be referred to as ‘customers’):-

Staff Action:

What to do if you are experiencing unacceptable behaviour either on the

telephone, face to face or via email:

• Politely explain that the setting expects its staff to be treated with respect and ask the customer to moderate their behaviour.
• If the behaviour continues warn the customer what will happen if they do not stop. For example, you may have to pass the telephone call to your manager to deal with or to end the telephone call or to ask them to leave.
• Call for support from your line manager if the customer’s behaviour does not change.
• Where contact is ended explain the reason for this. For example ‘I am no longer prepared to continue our conversation because you are swearing and shouting at me’.
• Record the incident under ‘Unacceptable Customer Behaviour, including the date and time of the incident.

What to do if a customer is behaving in a violent or aggressive way towards

you or other people

• End the meeting with the individual or group.

–     Take action to protect the customers own safety and the safety of other staff

and children. This action will include:-

– removing children and staff away from the incident

– call the Police

–    Report the incident to the line manager/committee.

–    Record the incident including the date and time of the incident.

Staff, including office staff, wear a whistle to alert other members of staff that assistance is required.

Manager Action

Any reported incident must be reviewed by a manager/committee who was not involved in the initial incident. The manager/committee will:

• Investigate the case including talking to the staff member involved and the customer.
• Decide what further action is required. The following actions can be considered.
• Restricting the method of contact to a particular form (e.g. telephone).
• Limiting agreed contact to certain times and/or days when manager/committee are present.
• Specifying a named person to be the sole point of contact for the customer.
• Asking the customer to enter into an agreement about their future behaviour.

Always keep the customer informed on decisions made.

Always keep a record of the investigation and its outcome

Review the case.

Make recommendations for future contact

Please read this policy in conjunction with our Making a Complaint and Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality policies.

This policy has been amended to a three yearly review period and, as such, will be reviewed and signed off at a management committee meeting of Cullompton Pre-School each year, as shown below.

This policy was adopted at a meeting at Cullompton Pre-School on 17^th July 2013.