Mannings apologises over security guard incident: Is it enough to weather the PR storm?

Mannings has apologised after a female shopper was accused of shoplifting and was physically assaulted by two undercover security guards at its Tsim Sha Tsui store. The two individuals have been fired after the incident.

On 8 October, Ms Leung was confronted by two plainclothes store detectives after she purchased two boxes of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa Herbal Cough Syrup using a self-service kiosk at Mannings' Tsim Sha Tsui store.

The confrontation escalated quickly, with the female detective grabbing Leung by the neck and backpack and dragging her back to the store with shoplifting accusations. Leung then showed her receipt to the store manager and was told the two individuals involved were undercover security guards. 

Mannings apologised after the incident was revealed by Leung on the Internet. In an official statement sent to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from Mannings said it is deeply concerned about the incident involving Leung, who experienced improper treatment at the Tsim Sha Tsui store on Tuesday.

“Upon learning of the situation, our management team swiftly reached out on the same day to extend our heartfelt apologies to Leung and promised to follow up on the incident.”

“Mannings sincerely apologises for the distress Leung was caused and is committed to continuous improvement.”

The two plainclothes store detectives involved were employed by a third-party security company, said the statement. “Our investigation revealed that they violated the security company’s code of conduct, resulting in their immediate termination. Consequently, we have also terminated our contract with this security provider today.”

Mannings has since established a task force to thoroughly review its store security protocols and related processes to prevent similar incidents in the future, said the statement.

Mannings’ brand sentiments dip

The statement, which was posted on Facebook, has garnered over 7.1K reactions from netizens, a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw. Some said an apology is not enough to compensate for the trauma caused to the female shopper, while some said they don't dare visiting Mannings stores in the future.

Media intelligence firm CARMA observed over 9,000 mentions related to the incident over the past 24 hours. Prior to the incident, Mannings had a 22% positive and 18.3% negative sentiment. After the incident, it now has 58.8% negative and 6.6% positive sentiments.

Netizens largely found this incident shocking and horrifying, expressing empathy towards the victim involved in this distressing event, said CARMA’s HK general manager Charles Cheung.

“Some pointed out that the physical confrontation was unnecessary, and they shuddered at the potential consequences if the victim had been a tourist. Many felt that the solutions proposed by Mannings were far from satisfactory, given the harm caused to the victim,” he added.

How can Mannings restore customer confidence?

While Mannings' response addressed key points and included the standard information required, it was issued over a day late, missing the critical “golden hour” to respond, according to Lara Jefferies, managing director at PLUG.

In the age of social media, where crises can escalate rapidly and public perception can shift dramatically within hours, a timely response is crucial for effective crisis management, she added. "Despite the time required for an internal investigation, a holding statement could have been issued to acknowledge the incident and reassure customers, demonstrating the brand's proactiveness and accountability. Unfortunately, the delayed response compounded the issue."

Additionally, it appears that both the in-store manager on duty that day and the customer service team may have missed an opportunity to respond quickly to the customers’ initial complaints and escalate the issue promptly, Jefferies said.

"To facilitate long-term recovery, Mannings should prioritise quality customer service and transparency. The incident underscores the need for revised in-store protocols, clearer guidelines, and customer service training for all staff, including contractors," she added.

The incident has left the female shopper traumatised and Mannings staff should've accompanied her to the hospital for a full body check, as well as compensation for her trauma, according to Celine Cheung, account director, RSVP Communications. 

Sometimes, even when companies do their best to monitor the conduct of their third-party vendors, occasional lapses will happen. David Ko, managing director, RFI Asia, said as long as it is immediately dealt with and the appropriate remedial action is taken, there should be no long-term repetitional damage to the brand.

After taking immediate action, communicating to the impacted customer and to the brand’s “fan base” is critical to restoring confidence in the organisation, according to Kevin Kan, chief experience officer, Break Out Consulting Asia.

“To defuse the situation and to regain customer trust, stating what Manning has done to care for and look after the welfare of the impacted customer would have gone a long way to restore customer confidence,” he added.

Kan suggested that Mannings should:

• Hang clear signs stating “Undercover surveillance in operation” in strategic locations within stores to manage expectations.

• Create a clear protocol for their security firm. If they find shoplifters, they must be stopped within 10 metres of the store. There should be no physical contact with customers and if the situation escalates, the police should be called.

• Better training for store staff to manage the situation. Train staff how to diffuse conflict situations and to treat customers with respect. Otherwise, brand damage will continue with the prevalence of mobile phones to film incidents.

• Mannings could consider running a campaign to educate customers about their store surveillance practices & what are the protocols or customer rights when a shoplifting situation arises.

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