The National Restaurant Association Is Hosting Seminars That Teach Hospitality Workers How To Deal With Anti-Maskers
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect restaurants and the hospitality industry as they gradually reopen, The National Restaurant Association and ServSafe are offering a series of free training seminars to help those in the service industry tackle important issues that may arise when interacting with customers. These topics include reopening procedures, delivery precautions, takeout precautions, and handling individuals who refuse to wear face coverings in restaurants.
ServSafe is a food and beverage safety training and certification program that is administered by the National Restaurant Association. Together, the series of seminars cover the most important COVID-19 precautions for the hospitality industry, particularly offering guidance for how to deal with customers and other guests who will not wear a face covering inside of the establishment.
The seminars can be found online where individuals can register to attend based on topic and ServSafe has also offered transcripts of the programs as well. In the conflict de-escalation transcript, it explains that one of the best ways for employees to address anti-mask behavior is to let people know before entering what the restaurant's policies are. Whether by signage on the windows, social media posts, or a greeting at the door, setting that expectation before people enter could help to proactively address the issue.
If conflict still arises, SafeServ emphasized how important de-escalation is rather than conflict. Watching for body language cues from the customer could help servers determine how they may react. In any case, it's suggested that the person in charge remain calm and listen to the guest but also reiterate the establishment's policy, citing local or national guidelines for support. The CDC is constantly updating their guidelines for social activities and gatherings such as eating out at a restaurant for individuals and employees to check up on to stay informed.
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