Resolving Workplace Conflicts: Employee Relations - Discriminatory Demands from Customers (PDF)

Because instances of discrimination from customers are not that common, they are often shocking for the employees on the receiving end. Such disrespectful behavior catches employees including supervisors and management off guard, so preparation is key to effectively address the interactions when they do occur. Because organizations prefer to retain existing customers, poor behavior may be tolerated when it shouldn't be. Allowing customers to get away with discriminatory behavior may have long-term negative effects on the targeted employee(s). Making sure that controls including policies and procedures are in place to manage these situations are important to support and advocate for employees. At the same time it's important to establish respectful boundaries and communicate limitations with customers while still trying to preserve their business. Multiple options are provided to promote understanding while abiding by non-discriminatory policies and procedures. When we stand up and actually take action to prevent discrimination, we communicate that we care enough to work through difficult situations and determine how to make things better to embrace diversity, enhance communication and teamwork and reduce stress.

With this tool you get the following:

•  The effects customer discriminatory demands have on team members.
•  Considerations for why customers make discriminatory demands.
•  Numerous solutions for addressing discriminatory demands.
•  Ideas for negotiating/adjusting solutions.
•  Potential barriers and ways to overcome them to achieve resolution.
•  Implementation timeframe.
•  Follow-up review commitments.

Additionally, we provide a blank, editable Conflict Resolution Worksheet and the Worksheet Guidelines providing a step-by-step process for addressing your own workplace conflicts.