Customer Conduct Policy

Customer Conduct Policy

Purpose

We know how frustrating it can be when you feel let down or that you’re not being listened to. We understand that this is sometimes the case for our customers, and we respect their need to express themselves.

However, we expect customers to always act with courtesy and respect when interacting with our staff. We have a zero-tolerance on violence, abuse and discriminatory behaviour directed at our staff, at those working on our behalf, or at fellow customers.

This policy outlines how we recognise when a customer’s behaviour becomes unacceptable and gives us guidance on how we should act in these circumstances.

Following the policy protects our staff from harm in the workplace and makes sure we’re consistent and fair to all customers when we respond to instances of abusive behaviour. It equally applies to how customers behaviour towards other customers using our facilities.

Key Principles

We won't tolerate aggressive or abusive behaviour directed towards our staff or other customers during any form of interaction, i.e., face to face, on social media, online chat, over the phone, via email, or in any other form of communication.

This includes:

  • Any form of physical, hostile, or abusive behaviour
  • Use of inappropriate language, verbal or written, which may cause a member of staff or fellow customer to feel scared, abused, intimidated, threatened or offended. This could be:
    • Creating a hostile, degrading or offensive interaction
    • Using a bullying tone or language
    • Inappropriate religious, cultural, or racial comments or insults; including racial stereotypes and judgements based on accent, such as asking to speak to someone who is ‘from this country’
    • Bi-phobic, homophobic, or transphobic comments – sexist or other derogatory remarks
    • Discrimination against any other protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010

Our Policy in Action

Experienced employees know how to handle contact with angry customers, giving them the time and opportunity to share any frustrations at the company’s processes and operations and meeting anger with understanding and patience. But if the anger is actively directed at our staff and language becomes abusive and/or personal, the situation becomes unacceptable.

Our staff will politely and respectfully ask customers to stop using this kind of language or behaving in this way, in line with this Customer Conduct Policy.

If the behaviour then continues, our staff have the option to request offenders immediately vacate our sports centres and the park, stop the conversation, or remove themselves from the situation.

We may also, at our sole discretion, ban the individual or refer specific cases or repeat offenders to the authorities.

Any physical attack or violence will not be tolerated and will always be reported.