Scripts: Responding to Difficult Guest Situations during a Pandemic

Ideal Scenario

Employee:   Hello, welcome to <business>. We are asking all guests to wear masks. Do you have a mask with you, or may I provide one for you?

Guest:    Of course, I forgot. Will put it on right away.

Employee:    Thank you for your understanding. We really appreciate it!

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    Welcome to <business>. We require all guests to wear masks at all times.

Guest:          I left mine in the car and really don’t want to walk back and pick it up.

Employee:    That’s okay, we have complimentary single-use masks available. I am happy to provide you with one.

Guest:          I think I will be fine without one.

Employee:    I understand, but I am afraid we are not going to be able to provide you service today without a mask.

Guest:          Why not? I don’t feel sick, so I don’t see why this is such a big deal.

Employee:    The mandatory mask policy is required by law as per the provincial Health Officer order, ensuring that all our guests and staff stay safe. I understand that this is inconvenient but it is necessary for everyone to follow the rules.

Guest:          Well, I’m not going to wear one, so you’re losing my business if you don’t let me in.

Employee:    We appreciate your business, but are unable to make exceptions, as this is a province-wide mandate. We will be happy to serve you with a mask on anytime you choose to return.”

OR

Employee:    We appreciate your business, but are unable to make exceptions to our health and safety protocols at this time. As an alternative, we could offer you take-out service or delivery”.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Welcome to our store. May I remind you to sanitize your hands, please?

Guest:          Sure thing.

Employee:    Thank you, I really appreciate your understanding.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    Welcome. We are asking all guests to use hand sanitizer prior to entering. Please help yourself.

Guest:          I don’t like this stuff.

Employee:    We do require all guests to sanitize their hands for us to be able to provide service. If you have your own sanitizer, you are welcome to use that instead.

Guest:          No, don’t have my own as I don’t like sanitizers in general.

Employee:    So sorry, but we will unfortunately not be able to grant you access to the store.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Hello all. Just a gentle reminder that during these times visiting other tables is not permitted, sorry.

Guest:          Okay, got it.

Employee:    Thank you for understanding.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    I am sorry to interrupt, but all guests are required to stay at their own table during these times.

Guest:          We are just going over for a quick hello, not a big deal.

Employee:    I understand, but it is a requirement for all guests to be seated at their assigned table at all times, unless getting up to use the washroom. We cannot serve any guests who are not sitting down at their own table.

Guest:          That’s okay, I’ll just sit down here then!

Employee:    Unfortunately, that is not an option right now. All guests must be seated at the table they were assigned when coming in.

Guest:          But these are my friends from work – I see them all the time, so it’s not unsafe.

Employee:    I understand, but we cannot make exceptions at this time. The protocols are in place to keep all our guests and staff safe. If you like, you may catch up with your friend outside at a safe distance, and return to your assigned seat once inside. I’m afraid I cannot provide you with service otherwise.

Guest:          Fine.

Employee:    Thank you for understanding.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Hello, the line seems to be getting compact, may I ask everyone to take a step back, there should be 2 metres between each bubble.

Guests move to accommodate the request

Employee:    Thank you all for your understanding, I appreciate it.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    Thanks for visiting us today. May I ask you to stand on the circle indicated on the floor please?

Guests do not comply

Employee:    Maintaining 2 metres distance in the line-up is a safety requirement at our restaurant, because we don’t have a lot of space. Please use the markings to guide you as you move along.

Guests still do not comply

Employee:    If you are unable to maintain 2 meters of space between the guests in front or behind you, I will have to ask you to leave the line-up.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Thanks for shopping with us today. Your mask seems to have slipped down. May I ask you to adjust it please?

Guest:          Oh, did not realize it. Thanks for reminding me.

Employee:    Thank you for doing your part to keep us all safe.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    How are you today?  We ask all guests to wear masks covering their nose, mouth, and chin. May I offer you one of our disposable masks?

Guest:          I have my mouth covered, that should be enough, no?

Employee:    This is a common misconception. For the mask to be effective it must cover the nose, mouth, and chin.

Guest:          Yeah, I don’t believe in that stuff.

Employee:    Unfortunately, we cannot serve anyone who is wearing the mask incorrectly.  Please adjust your mask to continue shopping in our store.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Good morning. Your room can be cleaned every day. Please let us know when you will be out, and we will clean your room during that time.

Guest:          I will be out in the afternoon, so you can service the room then.

Employee:    That’s great, thanks for being so accommodating.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    We are happy to clean your room when it is vacant. When would you like us to return?

Guest:          I am not going out today, so you can go ahead and clean while I am working at my desk.

Employee:    I’m sorry, our current policy is to clean rooms when guests are out. May I bring some fresh linens to your door instead?

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Hope you are having a great ski day today. Please remember the 2 metres distance applies in the lift line up, thank you.

Guest:          Sure thing, what a great day today.

Employee:    Thank you for working with us, I appreciate it!

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    Sorry Sir, please wait for a moment as we require at least 2 metres between each rider.

Guests keeps on pushing forward

Employee:    I’m sorry but you cannot move forward at this time. Please maintain the 2-metre distance to keep your spot in the line-up.

Ideal Scenario

Employee:    Hey [supervisor] I would like to know if my co-workers are vaccinated?

Supervisor:  Hi there, while we encourage everyone to get vaccinated, we do not collect that information from our staff for privacy reasons and it is the employees’ decision if they would like to share their vaccination status with others or not. However, as you know, we are following the proper safety protocols, which is keeping all of us safe.

Employee:    Thanks.! I just personally feel uncomfortable around people who are not vaccinated.

Supervisor:  That’s understandable, it has been a very stressful year and a half. I understand why you might feel uncomfortable. We will review our safety protocols during our team huddle tomorrow, to remind everyone to keep following the rules.

Employee:    Thank you, I would appreciate that.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:    Hey [supervisor] I would like to know if my co-workers are vaccinated?

Supervisor:  Hi there, due to privacy laws we have to respect everyone’s privacy around personal health information. We have no way of knowing if everyone on staff is vaccinated. However, we do encourage everyone to get vaccinated and as you know, we are following the proper safety protocols, which is keeping all of us safe.

Employee:    I’m concerned for my safety! I don’t want to work with people who are not vaccinated and I feel this is an unsafe environment.

Supervisor:  I hear your concerns, it has been a very stressful year and a half.  I want to reassure you that this is a safe place to work. What can we do to make you feel safe while you are at work in addition to reinforcing our safety protocols?

Employee:    I will continue to wear a mask and keep my distance, as I am concerned for my health.

Ideal Scenario

Employee: Hey [supervisor] I would like to know if my co-workers are vaccinated?

Supervisor: Hi there, while we encourage everyone to get vaccinated, we do not collect that information from our staff for privacy reasons and it is the employees’ decision if they would like to share their vaccination status with others or not. However, as you know, we are following the proper safety protocols, which is keeping all of us safe.

Employee: Thanks.! I just personally feel uncomfortable around people who are not vaccinated.

Supervisor: That’s understandable, it has been a very stressful year and a half. I understand why you might feel uncomfortable. We will review our safety protocols during our team huddle tomorrow, to remind everyone to keep following the rules.

Employee: Thank you, I would appreciate that.

Alternate Scenario

Employee: Hey [supervisor] I would like to know if my co-workers are vaccinated?

Supervisor: Hi there, due to privacy laws we have to respect everyone’s privacy around personal health information. We have no way of knowing if everyone on staff is vaccinated. However, we do encourage everyone to get vaccinated and as you know, we are following the proper safety protocols, which is keeping all of us safe.

Employee: I’m concerned for my safety! I don’t want to work with people who are not vaccinated and I feel this is an unsafe environment.

Supervisor: I hear your concerns, it has been a very stressful year and a half.  I want to reassure you that this is a safe place to work. What can we do to make you feel safe while you are at work in addition to reinforcing our safety protocols?

Employee:  I will continue to wear a mask, as I am concerned for my health.

Ideal Scenario

Supervisor:  Welcome! How can I help you today?

Guest:  Hi there, are all of your staff vaccinated?

Supervisor:   While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated, we do not collect that information from our staff for privacy reasons. However, I can assure you that we have safety protocols in place to keep all of our guests and employees safe.

Guest:  That makes sense. Thank you.

ALTERNATE Scenario

Supervisor:  Welcome! How can I help you today?

Guest:  Hi there, are all of your staff vaccinated?

Supervisor:   While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated, we do not collect that information from our staff for privacy reasons. However, I can assure you that we have safety protocols in place to keep all of our guests and employees safe.

Guest:  I am concerned for my safety and would want to just deal with staff who are vaccinated.

Supervisor:  I completely understand your concern; however, this is a request that I won’t be able to grant as we must respect the privacy of our employees. I would like to emphasize that our entire team is committed to following all safety measures to provide a safe experience for our guests. We want to ensure that you have a positive experience at our business.

Guest: Okay, thank you.

Ideal Scenario

Server:  Hello, my name is Asia and I’ll be your server tonight. How are you?

Guest:   Hi, we’re good, thank you. Before we order, could you please let us know if you are vaccinated?

Server:  Sorry, that’s private information which I am not open to sharing. May I start you off with some drinks?

Guest:   We are not comfortable being served by someone who isn’t vaccinated.

Server:  I can assure you that we take all of the government health guidance seriously here. We have safety protocols in place that all of our staff follow, so that we can provide you with a safe and positive dining experience, no matter who is serving you.

Guest:  Well okay. We would like two Long Island iced teas please.

ALTERNATE Scenario

Server:  Hello, my name is Asia and I’ll be your server tonight. How are you?

Guest:   Hi, we’re good, thank you. Before we order, could you please let us know if you are vaccinated?

Server:  Sorry, that’s private health information which I am not open to sharing with others. May I start you off with some drinks?

Guest:   We are not comfortable being served by someone who isn’t vaccinated. So, are you or are you not vaccinated?

Server:  Sorry, as mentioned we don’t share our personal health information with our guests. I can assure you that we take all of the government health guidance seriously and have safety protocols in place so that we can provide you with a safe and positive dining experience, no matter who is serving you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to make your visit a pleasant and comfortable one.

Guest:  No thank you. We will take our business somewhere else.

Server:  I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope we will be able to welcome you back in the future.

Ideal Scenario

Server:  Hello, my name is Asia and I’ll be your server today, how are you?

Guest:   Hi, we are concerned. That man over there keeps coughing and sneezing. We are worried that he might have COVID-19. Can you do something?

Server:  Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will talk with my supervisor and she will handle it from there.

Guest:  Thank you.

ALTERNATE Scenario

Server:  Hello, my name is Asia and I’ll be your server today, how are you?

Guest:   Hi, we are concerned. That man over there keeps coughing and sneezing. We are worried that he might have COVID-19. Can you do something?

Server:  Sorry to hear that. Although there is no way to be sure if the man is sick with COVID-19 or he just has allergies. I can propose to move you to another table, if that helps.

Guest:   No, this doesn’t solve the issue. You have a man in here who is sick, he could be spreading COVID-19.

Server:  I understand that he appears sick, but he might just be having allergies. We cannot ask him to leave, but I will go over to speak with him to make sure he is okay.

Guest:  Oh, we didn’t think of that. It is allergy season after all. However, we would like to take you up on that offer to being moved to another table

Ideal Scenario

Employee:   Good morning. How are you? You don’t look quite so well, are you okay?

Co-Worker:  Yeah, doing okay. Has just been a bit of a rough start this morning and my throat feels really itchy.

Employee:  That doesn’t sound good. You should let our Supervisor know you aren’t feeling well so that you can go home and rest.

Co-Worker:  Yes, you’re right. I should have stayed home in the first place and called in sick.

Alternate Scenario

Employee:   Good morning. How are you? You don’t look quite so well, are you okay?

Co-Worker:  Yeah, doing okay. Has just been a bit of a rough start this morning and my throat feels really itchy.

Employee:   That doesn’t sound good. You should let our Supervisor know you aren’t feeling well so that you can go home and rest.

Co-Worker:  Not to worry, I’ll be fine in a little while. Going to get a cup of coffee then I’ll be up and running.

Employee:    I am concerned that you might be really sick and then pass it on to others on the team. It is important that we all support a health work environment.

Co-Worker:  Why are you making such a big deal about this? I’m going to be fine.

Employee:   Sorry, but if you don’t talk to our Supervisor and let them know you are not felling well, then I will have to. You know that we have safety protocols in place which need to be followed to keep everyone safe.