Need advice on dealing with this SCs

[Mango]

Well, none of us can think of a perfect way to deal with this situation, and I was hoping the fine people here could help.

Our company hosts seminars and workshops. We've got a guest (actually a few of them but one in particular comes to mind) that has decided a $10 admission fee is a license to use our event as her personal sales forum. This all started a few days before the event. One of my colleagues related this phone conversation to me:

SC: "Hello. I was wondering if it is possible to pass out information at your event."
Staff: "No, only exhibitors and seminar leaders are permitted to do that."
SC: "What! That's ridiculous! Why, I'm doing you a favour. I wouldn't even charge you for the photocopying!"
Staff: "..."

I might have even thought it amusing if the story ended there. It did not. This weekend, she brought a LARGE handbag full of printed materials and to our dismay promptly began accosting every other guest who walked by. To give you an idea of what we were dealing with, the talks went like this:

SC: "Take this information! And give me your phone number so I can call you and we can talk about it!"
Guest: "Uh...I don't...give out my phone number..."
SC: "But you have to. You have to! Why, we may never see each other again!"

I'm sure most guests at this point were thinking, "That would sure be nice."

OF COURSE we got complaints. Plenty of them. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as easy as simply asking her to leave. See, this lady is schizophrenic. She's very paranoid and assumes anyone that gets in her way is with a government agency. She protests loudly enough to attract the attention of anyone in earshot. She's also a very large person and is difficult to physically throw out of a building.

We can't let her continue upsetting the other guests, so doing nothing is out. My boss wrote her a very stern letter today, but it's a faint hope that a letter alone will solve the problem. Unfortunately, we're small enough that we don't have luxuries like security guards. The only thing I can come up with is a couple of the larger staff members asking her to leave, and then calling the police if the situation escalates. But, if anyone has a solution that involves the remaining guests not even knowing there was an issue, I'd love to hear it.

[TTAZ]

She's schizophrenic and off her meds...I can;t think of anything that doesn't have the possibility of other guests finding out, but here's a couple of routes.

1. If your lobby/reception area has a posted "no solicitation" sign, inform the lady that anybody can call the police on her for distributing her materials, and then the government will know what she is up to.

2. Call whatever your area's version of Adult Protective Services is and give them a heads up so that trained individuals can come by and talk to her and evaluate her mental fitness. If they know what they are doing they can likely get her to leave the hotel without causing a fuss.

[thehippie777]

As far as I am concerned, she doesn't pay to hold the workshops/seminars...just to get into them. So...she is trespassing. That is like someone from Sears standing inside a WalMart passing out info that their store is better. Call the cops, she is illegally distributing the materals, and inform them that she has possible mental illness.

[SpyOne]

This is where you have to draw a hard line.

1) Explain that what she is doing is unacceptable, and if she doesn't stop you 'will be forced to ask you to leave." The acceptability of what she is doing is not up for discussion: she HAS TO STOP, or you "will be forced to ask her to leave."

When she won't stop, approach her (ideally with a cordless phone in hand): "Ma'am, I told you you couldn't do that here. Now I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave." If she does anything other than leave immediately (or start gathering her things), pick up phone and dial 911. "Hello, I'm at (business name and address) and I have a trespasser. I have clearly asked her to leave, and she refuses. Please send an officer to escort her off the property or take her into custody." Say that loudly and clearly.

Follow through.

Her crazyness is her problem. If you ask her to leave and she refuses, call the police. Maybe once she's in custody she will meet a mental health professional who can make her understand why what she was doing is unacceptable, but that is not your job.

[friendofjimmyk]

I agree with those that are stating ask her to leave and then back it up with police escort or something to that effect.

You have to weigh the pros and cons - which as far as I can tell - there are no pros in this case. She upset other guests who complain in numbers to you. That seems like a majority rule case to me - one person - her against many guests - seems like a no brainer.

If it comes to her complaining that she pays to be there - stop selling her admissions. Businesses have the RIGHT to refuse service to anyone. And you offer a service by these seminars - you don't have to take her money.

And I definitely agree with another poster - her mental illness is NOT your problem.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

If' she's not in touch with reality, then reasoning won't work. Do the venues you are holding these events at not have security? If not, you may have to call the police and have her ejected. You can't really do it yourself, she could then get your for assault if you put your hands on her.

Unfortunately, an large, loud, unbalanced individual has attached herself to you. I don't know of a way to handle it without anyone noticing. Obviously, you do not accept her entrance fee and ban her from the event. If she comes in anyways, you call the cops.

[marasbaras]

If she makes a scene when being thrown out, ONE set of guests will be annoyed.

If you keep letting her in ... EVERY set of guests will be annoyed.

Choose.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have a couple of ideas.

Give her a choice of buying an exhibitor space or stop handing out her stuff. I assume the exihibitor space is pricey enough that she won't be willing to do that.

You could recruit three or four people (teens, maybe?) to continually take all of her hand outs before she can offer them to the paying guests. If you want to be real sneaky, have one person distract her while another grabs all the fliers.

After all, why can't you provide her with some SCs?

Another evil thought: Get a couple of guys in black suits and sunglasses to stand close by watching her.

[Evil Queen]

Yay, I have experience with this. *sad sigh*

Yes, inform her that she is disturbing the guests and if she does not comply (i.e. either stop and/or leave) then the authorities should be called in. Tell her again that if she doesn't leave she will be arrested and calmly wait for the police to arrive. Explain the situation to them (most, if not all, police districts have a non-emergency number you can call) and allow them to escort her out of the building. The worst she can do (hopefully) is threaten to call the cops and we all know that will never happen.

Actually, I'm still waiting for this woman to sick the cops after me and my hotel for something frivolous. That'll be the day.

[rts]

As far as I am concerned, she doesn't pay to hold the workshops/seminars...just to get into them. So...she is trespassing. That is like someone from Sears standing inside a WalMart passing out info that their store is better. Call the cops, she is illegally distributing the materals, and inform them that she has possible mental illness.

I second this motion!

[iviles]

I agree with everyone on all of the points but have this to add. REFUND HER! Tell her everything and do everything that spy-one said and hand her a money order for her fee and see her out. DO NOT GIVE HER CASH! Why refund her? That way shes no longer "entitled" to anything real or imaginary, and shes no longer a paying guest now shes tresspassing. Also a money order has none of your companies information on it so she cant come back and bother with you and you have a paper trail so she cant say you never gave it back.
Also it seems like she trys to hit you up a lot so try and cut her off at the pass. Take all of her information and her companies information. When she calls to reserve a spot or when she trys to come in during the event inform her that shes no longer welcomed and dont let her in.

[Evil Queen]

Iviles, refunding her the $10 only works if she paid the <company she's harassing, is this a hotel or convention center?>, there's a strong chance she's paid the event coordinator to be there. Not the OP company so it does them no good to refund money that doesn't exist.

A word needs to be shared with the event coordinator and possibly threat of a fine but other then that, the authorities need to be involved.

[Tito]

If she keeps it up after she was asked to stop, I think a call to the police is in order.

[calulu]

I second what everyone else is saying, tell her to knock it off because you've been getting complaints from the guests about her behavior and tell her if she doesn't stop it you're bringing in law enforcement.

[Broomjockey]

Yep, call the police, get her tresspassed from the premises. She thinks everyone's with the government and out to get her? Who cares? Prove her right.