Wearing masks used to be something we say on television or on holidays abroad, but today they could save your life or someone else’s.
With that said, it’s imperative to understand the reason, and it turns out some of the advice we’ve been given could provide a false sense of security, especially if you don’t know you’re sick. Or you can even be asymptomatic and never knew you had COVID-19 but could still endanger those around you.
However, during the pandemic, most people figured out they need to practice social distancing guidelines when they shop, go into restaurants, put on masks, and keep 6 feet away from other buyers.
Yet, there are nightmare shoppers – those who refuse to comply. In that case, how should a retail business answer to a customer refusing to wear a mask, and what should it do to reduce the chances of hostile events occurring?
How Do You Ask Customers to Wear Masks: Image Credit
How Do I Encourage Customers to wear face masks?
The pandemic has not made owning a retail business easy, and new local policies that require protection in public can make that even more difficult- especially if your business has clients frequently in and out.
But as you know, not everyone is satisfied with the new normalcy, and because of this, you may need to offer some additional support and encouragement around this new policy. And here is how:
- The fastest way is to put up signs throughout your shop (particularly at the entrance) that make it very clear that your business requires masks to be worn along with expectations your shop may have.
- Share regular updates to masking on your business’s website and social media channel.
- Provide free protective masks to those who may not have them.
Encourage and educate your employees and provide them with organic cotton face masks and other resources to help enforce your business policies.
What can I do when a customer refuses to wear a face mask?
It should come as no surprise that many people are averse to wearing protective masks. This can happen even if masks are required by law in your area, or you have decided to make them requisite in your shop. So, what are some effective strategies to deal with a client that won’t comply with your business policies?
Come up with a plan.
It’s always a good idea to be prepared in advance rather than facing unpleasant surprises. So, if you already have policies in place for dealing with unhappy customers, then use them!
What would you do if a client tried to enter your shop without shoes or a shirt? The situation is similar to masking.
Discuss with your team about what to do when this type of situation occurs and be a support to them as they have to face angry customers.
Have Extra Disposable masks on hand.
Another thing you can do to avoid conflict would be to offer them masks before escalating the situation. Perhaps your customer doesn’t have one, left theirs at home, or didn’t know about your policy. Keep extra masks on hand for your employees to hand out in case they need them.
Don’t shame or debate with your customer.
Avoid debating or shaming your customer into wearing a mask. In doing so, you will only escalate the situation. You can simply provide them with accurate facts. In that case, they have to decide whether to stay on your premises or leave.
You don’t need to explain to people why they need to wear a protective mask other than it is your business policy. When there’s nothing you can do, you can let people who are trained to handle serious situations.