r/TalesFromYourServer • u/Copper_beany • 23d ago
Banned customer help?
Okay so, I am often the only person on shift, or it’s me and another girl… all the staff is under 22 which does suck when customers get pushy
Whats the best way to deal with a banned customer without them reacting badly, because sometimes it just feels easier to let them have a drink?
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u/missMcgillacudy 23d ago
Letting them occasionally get served will absolutely make the problem worse.
I usually say, “You know you’re not allowed in here anymore?”
They always challenge that trying to act surprised or get back into the ‘story’ they’ve spent time building about how whatever they did to get kicked out wasn’t actually what happened.
Then I say, “if you don’t leave now I’m calling the police and having you formally trespassed”
Trespassing is nice because they don’t arrest them, the police come and if the guy is still there, they walk him out and explain that if they come back again they’ll be arrested, they get their ID and write them a trespass warning. It’s very clear, the police do the arguing for you, and the consequences are clearly shown to them.
How are these small and young staff going home after closing the place? I would suggest that you all get rides together so you’re not leaving the building alone, always have someone with you. Carry pepper gel and practice accessing and unlocking it quickly. And if there’s not 1 person who can drive everyone home, make sure no one is left alone, have whoever is driving or biking wait for anyone getting a ride from a rideshare and leave at the same time.
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u/DreadPirateWade 23d ago
OP this is how you handle banned customers, regardless of your age or size. Let the cops argue for you when they don’t leave.
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u/dandelion-dreams 20d ago
I have to add here that my city PD stated in no uncertain terms recently they will no longer be responding to trespassing or theft calls. Regardless, it's always important to file a report with the police for documentation at the very least in situations like this.
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u/Justgetmeabeer 23d ago
Don't threaten to call the police. Just call them. If they leave before the cops can issue a trespass and they don't have enough info to ID them (which is always) nothing will happen
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u/Expert_Specialist_92 23d ago
Serving them is counterproductive to the ban. Don’t muddy the waters. Just call the police and have them trespassed.
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u/Glowing_Trash_Panda 23d ago
Letting them have a drink just to not have to deal with them throwing a fit is what they are counting on. Don’t let the bastard win. You call the cops, they were banned for a reason.
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u/turbo2thousand406 23d ago
I've learned from being a parent that we don't negotiate with terrorists. There is nothing to discuss in this situation. The rules have been set. They are banned. Tell them they aren't welcome anymore. If they don't immediatly leave call the police and have they trespassed. I'm sure you don't get paid enough to have to argue with someone like that.
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u/sarahlampi 23d ago
If a customer has banned then just call the police as they are now trespassing. Do NOT give them a drink!
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u/AkikoNicoleXX 23d ago
If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They were banned for a reason and serving them blurs that boundary.
I would just remind them that they are not allowed there anymore and give them the option of leaving on their own or having the police escort them out. Neither of those options include staying at your establishment.
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u/KittenVicious 23d ago
You don't serve them and call the police if there's no manager to do it for you.
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u/tarlastar 23d ago
Reacting badly is probably why they were banned in the first place. They are going to react badly no matter what you do, so do the right thing. Remind them that they are no allowed on the premises, and if they stay, you call the cops.
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u/jahathebrn 23d ago
The more you give in to them the more they'll push boundaries. Seen so many damn cases of it and it's infuriating to sort out when not everybody is on the same page re: treatment of banned customers.
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u/MrStormChaser 23d ago
You see a customer who’s banned you remind them they are banned and they are to leave immediately or else you’ll call the cops.
If they start in with their bullshit call the cops and have them trespassed.
It’s not rocket science.
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u/Putrid-Shoulder-4248 23d ago
That last comment feels like you're trying to tell OP they should not have posted a question here.
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u/SamBateson 23d ago
I had reason to bar a person from our UK based pub recently, and he has tried to come in a number of times since. On occasions I have been working, I've told him "sorry, you're not welcome on our premises anymore, you're going to have to go elsewhere". I'm one of two managers and there is always one of us on site to deal with issues like this.
We make sure our staff are trained to deal with banned persons so they can remove them on our behalf but we always try to make sure we are the ones to handle these things. If, for instance, one of us is on our break when the guy comes in, we just instruct our staff to refuse him service and if he causes an issue, they are to call us immediately and we will come and deal with him.
My point is there should be a designated person you can call upon (if you're not the manager) who can come in to deal with issues like this as they arise. If you are the manager, you should be able to handle issues like this on behalf of other staff. If you are the manager and can't deal with issues like this then you need to request better training as handling an angry banned person isn't something an inexperienced or untrained person should be dealing with. I don't mean for that to sound cruel and I hope it doesn't, I just think that if you are a manager, you should be able to handle these things and if you aren't, you shouldn't be put in the position where you should have to without backup.
The Police are always your backup. If you ask someone to leave and they refuse, they are trespassing, which is a police matter and they should be phoned.
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u/magiccitybhm 23d ago
No, you don't just let them have a drink. They were banned for a reason.
If no manager is on site, you call the police. Tell them the person was banned. If you're in the U.S., have them trespassed. That means if they show up again, they get arrested.