Lawsuits against employers for allowing customers to abuse employees?

[Speakingmute]

I've worked in a retail arts and craft store for nearly six years. Today I had an unfortunate run in with a customer; she was talking on a cellphone and ran her cart into the step ladder I was on - I fell off, pretty much landing in the cart and knocking it over. Fortunately, I was not injured. She than began swearing at me, yelled at me that I should watch where I was going, and then demanded that I pick up the contents of the cart. I did not yell back, but I did reply she had knocked me off the ladder, and wasn't paying attention due to her cell phone. She asked me for my name, which I told her, and then I walked away without picking up the items - while she was still yelling various insults. About a half hour later, as I expected, the manager on duty called me to customer service and demanded that I apologize to the customer. I refused, saying that the customer, in addition to almost injuring me, had been verbally abusive and exceedingly - my exact term - "uncivil". I was sent to the office. The assistant manager and another manager on duty told me it was my duty, while on the clock, to provide excellent customer service and never to "chastise" a customer, and that I had to apologize to the customer even though the MOD felt it was the customer in the wrong. She told me that in the past she had had customers throw stuff at her, physically threaten her, and of course, verbally abuse her, but as an employee in retail this was simply what was to be expected as part of customer service and ignored. The incident will be reported to the stores general manager, and I will either receive a "write up" on my record - which will prevent me from getting a raise and put me closer to termination - or be terminated automatically. This whole incident was humiliating and upsetting, and it seems to me that the assistant manager takes the position that even if a customer physically attacks me I should do nothing but apologize - even pressing charges would be discouraged by the company. I had heard of another incident where another manager was punched, and did nothing - she has since left the company, and given this event, I wonder if she did not call the police because of fear from the reprisal from the company.

I am curious as to what my legal rights are in this area - I know companies have been sued for a "hostile" work environment - but does anyone know of any legal precedent for a company being sued for permitting customers to insult or otherwise abuse employees? I understand customer service often entails being polite to very rude or angry people, but isn't there some line at which the employee has the right to at least walk away without fear of losing their job? With the economy being what it is, I've noticed customers becoming increasingly nasty - and should the employee be anything other than completely apologetic, they face discipline from the manager. The rock and the hard place is either suck up constant abuse and stress, or lose your job. This seems to give a green light to the general public to mistreat people in the service and retail industries in the name of "customer service".

 

[FlaRiptide]

company being sued for permitting customers to insult or otherwise abuse employees?

I doubt the company has a policy that stipulates "Customers are allowed to insult employees". It is more of a customer's right if he/she chooses to insult an employee. Management can then decide to side with the customer or the employee.

Though I understand your viewpoint, I feel you need to try better to appreciate management's viewpoint.

Have you never heard, "The customer is always right" ? Especially in today's economy Retail establishments need to bend over backwards to satisfy customers. It is better to deal with a disgruntled employee than to deal with a disgruntled customer. The disgruntled customer means lost sales.

It would have been in your best interest to make the apology as requested even though it would not be a heart felt apology.

Why had you not brought this incident to your supervisor's attention prior to being called to the manager's office? If you had, perhaps the outcome would have been more favorable towards you. Also, you had a potential injury which should have been reported to your supervisor.

In other words: If this had happened out on the street you are free to vent your anger and frustration at the offending party. But, when a situation occurs between a customer and a Company employee it is best the employee turn the other cheek.