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Ethics Position Paper;

How to Handle and Protect Employees from Racist Customer

Edelyn G Roncales

August 24, 2020

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Racism affects virtually every country in the world. It systematically denies people their

full human rights just because of their colour, race, ethnicity, descent or national origin

(Amnesty International). It happens in every part of the world, it’s everywhere, in the

neighborhood, shops, on public transport, at schools or even at the workplace. If you are in a

scenario at a workplace where one of the prospects pays much higher than most of company’s

prospect can pay, but that prospect is only willing to work with a salesperson of her own race

and religion. Considering that the office is using a planned rotation of floor time, what will you

do and how will you handle the prospects behavior?

When you face a scenario like this, be calm and talk to the prospect with professional

manner. We need to be calm in dealing this kind of situation, in order for us to think and assess

the situation better. We should listen at their concern first and try to repeat their concern to them,

this is to ensure your prospect that you heard them and prevent additional conflict and

misinterpretation. “Avoid retorting with rude or offensive remarks, that’s probably what such

customers want. Getting into an exchange of words will not help. It will likely make the situation

escalate as tempers flare (Keleche Okeke)”. If the prospect’s concern is offending to someone

like in the scenario wherein the prospect is being racist, try to explain them the rules and policies

in the office like the rotation of floor time. Maybe the prospect can understand and follow the

rules. But what if the prospect refuses to understand the rules and insist what they want? If the

prospect becomes rude after you explain the rules and continue the racist behavior, you have the

right to refuse service at them. Part of the employer’s responsibility is to protect their employees.

Employer’s must create and maintain a harassment-free workplace. But how about the payment
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that the company gets if you accept the request, especially in this case that this prospector will

pay more than what company mostly received? If we accept the request of the prospector it

means you letting them to insult or disrespect your co-employee. “When a customer (or even an

employee) makes a racist or bigoted remark, it is important to respond with firm disapproval

whether you are a colleague or manager. Failing to speak up is not a sign of respect, it implies

that you agree with such comments. Your silence gives consent (Kelechi Okeke)”. One of the

intangible assets of the company is there is their employees and they should make them also

secured and valued. “Your team is your lifeblood. I don't care what a customer is going to

spend. If they are being rude to anyone in the team, we'll happily say goodbye. It's tough when

things have gone wrong and customers are irate, but there is always a reasonable level of

etiquette (Mark Patchett)”.

Try to put yourself in the situation of others, what will you feel if you are the one who

have been discriminated. Is it a sin to be in a different race? We are all humans and we should all

receive respect, opportunities, acceptance and rights. What makes us non-moral and evil is not

base in our color, race, national, or ethnic origin, but it is based in our actions, behaviors and

how you treat others. “The absence of personal fault for an evil does not absolve one of all

responsibility. We must seek to resist and undo injustices we have not ceased, least we become

bystanders who tacitly endorse evil and so share in guilt in it (Pastoral Letter).”
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References

Discrimination. Amnesty International. Retrieved from: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-

do/discrimination/

Keleche Okeke. Tips on How to Handle Racist Customer.CXService360. Retrieved from:

https://www.cxservice360.com/tips-on-how-to-handle-racist-customers/

Mark Patchette. When is it Okay to Reject Customers? Userlike. Retrieved

from: https://www.userlike.com/en/blog/rejecting-customers

Pastoral letter Brother and Sister to Us. Racism, Inclusion and Diversity. Retrieved from:

https://www.cctwincities.org/education-advocacy/catholic-social-teaching/notable-

quotations/racism-inclusion-and-diversity/

Shep Hyken. There is No Place for Racism in Customer Service. Forbes Retrieved from:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2017/09/16/there-is-no-place-for-racism-in-

customer-service/#55886d197b9f