Arby’s Injury A Stark Business Reminder
An Alabama Arby’s employee is behind bars, and a customer is in the hospital with second-degree burns after a major assault on April 26th. The altercation began after the mom of two pulled into the drive-through to order a milkshake. The employee reportedly was antagonistic and began spewing vitriol in the form of expletives, then calling the customer a derogatory term. The customer reportedly asked the employee - identified as the manager on duty - whether she would like to be called that, after which the manager allegedly left the window to grab a vat of hot oil, returned to the window, and threw it out of the window, pouring it all over the customer.
This terrifying event resulted in the Arby being detained, and the customer being taken by ambulance from the scene with 2nd-degree burns over the majority of her body. While this is a disturbing event to consider as a patron - as a business owner it’s a cautionary tale. This incident brings to light a lot of questions about workplace stress making it a major consideration. In no way are we suggesting that the customer or the job is to blame for the incident, nor do we think you shouldn’t protect your customers. However, what can’t be ignored is that an overload of stress is likely the culprit.
Workplace stress is inevitable, but what’s too much stress? Work-life balance is a term that was used a lot in the last decade but that we hear much less of now. The implications of a lack of balance in the workplace could be to blame for the mass exodus of employees from the workforce and could point to an explanation for the Arby’s incident. It’s no secret that food service can be incredibly stressful, and while Arby’s undoubtedly offers breaks and worker training - the industry isn’t able to completely avoid the human issues that come with public service from the customer side?
So what is the responsibility of customer-facing businesses to their customers, but also to their employees? Arby’s understood what their responsibility was to their customer in terminating the employee, and presumably assuming accountability for the employee’s behavior. But what of the employee? Who’s to say what level of stress that particular employee had been subjected to before the incident didn’t take her into a danger zone? And what could Arby’s have done to prevent the stress from making it to the point of physical assault? What can other business owners do to prevent employee liability incidents such as these?
Offer more flexible hours - giving employees more flexible working hour options, PTO, and breaks will offer them the ability to form their work on their life, offering them work-life balance
Always have one more person scheduled than you need - when you are overstaffed, it allows for employees to take time off if needed, which prevents a shortage in the event that one of your employees falls I’ll, or has another obligation
Have a break room - Break rooms are essential, not only for having meals, but for having an opportunity to take a break from the stress in the workplace, this face should be more than a table in a backroom, but a space where employees can actually relax. If you’re unable to provide a break room, you should consider offering some sort of extended break.
Have regular team Building exercises - if your team is disjointed and doesn’t feel a sense of camaraderie it’s easier for it to fracture
Check-in with your employees - Have regular check-ins with your employees to make sure you’re aware of the issues they’re facing on a regular basis that you may not be aware of
Have stress management resources available - Consider partnerships with yoga or meditation studios, have couches available in breakrooms, and implement a peer support network
Establish a policy for dealing with difficult customers that supports your staff - If there is not already an escalation process, and a corporate team dedicated to customer complaints, consider establishing it and make sure your employees feel confident and supported by the escalation team
Have a policy in place for protecting your employees from harassment at work - No one wants to be harassed at work. Make sure you have a policy to call it and disengage, or defend your employees
Issues that come up with customer interaction won’t disappear, however if employers implement some of the strategies mentioned they may cut down on instances of high liability. Many instances of unnecessary escalation in customer service roles happen because the maximum level of stress any one person can handle is continuously exceeded. Your customers are important of course, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have a business without your employees, and they deserve protection from harassment in the workplace. By providing systems of support, having effective policies in place, and providing them with safe places to rest and decompress, you can avoid some of the escalations that will lead to loss of reputation and increased liability for your organization.
If your business needs help implementing customer, and employee policies, give us a call (link in bio) to find out how we can help you establish legally sound policies and procedures. Right now, through the end of May, we’re offering 15% OFF of any new business service PLUS a FREE Consultation. Click the link in our bio to learn more, and schedule your FREE Consultation to save 15% OFF. Hurry, this offer won’t last!
Source: https://www.today.com/food/news/arbys-customer-burned-manager-throws-hot-grease-rcna26181