Speakeasy Marketing July 2017

The Bad Apple What You Need to Know About Banning Toxic Customers From Your Business

between the right of a business and the rights of a customer, but you can take steps to establish a more defined line and protect yourself, your employees, other customers, your business, and your business interests. When an incident occurs, minor or major, make sure to document as much as possible. If you do ask the person to leave your business, do so with a witness present. Write down details of the incident. If you have camera footage, save that as well. If any property is damaged, take pictures. These kinds of records can be critical, should you need to elevate the matter and either involve law enforcement or obtain a restraining/protective order against the individual. Should the individual return to the premises after being asked to leave (or after the issuance of a court order to stay off the property), it may constitute as a “defiant trespass.” In this case, the individual may face a disorderly persons charge, should you choose to pursue that course of action. The exact details of the charges and extent of the punishment may vary between municipalities. In no circumstances do you have to accept the business of a toxic customer. Know your rights as a business owner, protect yourself and your employees, and keep your establishment a safe place for your customers.

Have you ever banned a customer from your business? It can be a difficult thing to do, but sometimes it’s necessary for the health of your business, the safety of your employees, and your sanity. It doesn’t happen every day, but there are times when you may encounter a customer who has become unruly or belligerent. Or they may have damaged or stolen some of your property. All you know is that you want them out. As a private business, you have the right to turn away and refuse business to anyone, as long as you do not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For example, you cannot ban anyone for reasons related to their race, skin color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. These are considered federally protected classes.

Basically, you can refuse service to any customer as long as you do not violate local, state, or federal laws in the process.

A few common reasons businesses ban customers include:

• Alleged or attempted theft • Property damage • Threats to you, employees, or other customers • Unruly or profane behavior • Bullying (online or in person) • Assault As a business owner, it’s up to you to judge any given situation and make the determination on how to proceed, whether you simply ask the individual to leave or involve law enforcement. Keep in mind, there is a fine line

WHAT POTENTIALS (SECRETLY) CRAVE FROM ATTORNEYS ...Continued from back page

They want someone to tell them that they’re not screwed.

You see, nothing offers reassurance — the one thing potentials crave from you more than anything else — like a solid case study. But most attorneys don’t have solid case studies. Their case studies are limp and ineffective. (In fact, many of them aren’t even case studies; they’re just testimonials.)

Obviously, both doctors and attorneys are bound by strict ethical guidelines that (rightly) stop them from doling out false hope. However, that doesn’t stop you from offering rational and ethical reassurance in a way that is professional. And a great way to do that is the humble case study.

... That’s the topic of a recent podcast:

So how do you write an effective case study?...

speakeasy.marketing/CaseStudies

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