Can Business Discriminate Against Customers?

Stopping someone from entering a business or perhaps refusing to serve is quite possible but it should not breach any laws regarding anti-discrimination.

Often, you can find signs and postings that say businesses have the right refuse service and the problem there is that they don't completely understand its real meaning. Here, you can learn how to properly refuse to service as well as who they can and can’t refuse to serve.

can business discriminate

Who Can and Can’t Businesses Refuse to Serve to?

According to the law, individuals have the right to discrimination whether it is based on sex, gender, religion or race, plus a number of other factors. As the law states, each individual have the equal right to a full enjoyment for the goods and services, facilities, accommodations, privileges and advantages to any public accommodation without any kind of discrimination. Such being the case, businesses cannot refuse to serve an individual based on the above factors. The law protects every individual so that they do not suffer from any kind of prejudice based on individual characteristics.

How to Refuse a Customer

Now, discrimination is not a jail-free card and with that, it is possible to refuse to serve someone with valid reasons. For example, if the customer is causing trouble and being disruptive, businesses can politely ask them to leave. On another case, establishments can turn away customers when their capacity limit has already been exceeded. Another cases are when the store is already about to close or when the customer does not make any purchase while visiting the store.

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The key to when refusing a customer is that it should not be based on individual characteristic which is a form of discrimination. Following that, it is possible to refuse a customer not wearing the appropriate dress for the establishment. However, they cannot use a person’s religious apparel as an excuse to refuse to serve. This is the nature of how businesses can refuse a customer. But, in the case of discrimination, businesses are never allowed to do so and will be held liable as per the law.

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