As the owner or manager of a business that is open to the public, you should have a plan in place to handle a customer who slips and falls in your establishment. If it hasn't happened to you yet, then it is best to be prepared because it is a common occurrence. Take a few of these steps to handle a customer slip and fall complaint.
Instructions
1. Prevent accidents in your place of business by placing a high premium on workplace safety. Make sure all employees are aware of hazards and how they can be avoided. Offer regular training and stiff discipline to those who do not follow safety practices.
2. Recognize the customer who slipped and acknowledge the person's distress. If someone comes up to your counter with a complaint after having fallen and gotten up, then you should not argue that it couldn't have been that bad if he or she is at your counter, apparently unharmed.
3. Offer a seat to the complaining customer and ask her what you can do. Being nice and offering to help can be the first step in preventing any further legal action by that person. Too often, managers dismiss complaints and customers are provoked into taking action.
4. Pay for the meal or products that the customer had come into your place to get. It is a small price to pay for a customer's continued loyalty. It, too, might be just enough to keep the customer from filing a formal complaint.
5. Call an ambulance if the customer cannot get up. Send a manager or other responsible person to the emergency room to keep tabs on the customer and report back to you what kind of issues are involved. You can bring the company insurance information and make sure that all bills are taken care of before the injured person has a chance to think about the situation and contact a lawyer.
6. Get a waiver of responsibility signed whenever you can. If the customer is satisfied with your immediate attention and small compensation, then get the person to sign a waiver of liability.
