6. Safety, Emergencies & TRICKY Situations

 

Your first responsibility is always safety: for guests, for yourself, and for the group as a whole. This chapter gives a practical framework for emergencies and difficult situations. It doesn’t replace your judgment, but offers clear next steps and reminder phrases when something unexpected happens.

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6.1 Core safety principles

A few guiding ideas apply to almost any situation:

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• Stay calm and present. Guests take their cue from your tone and body language.

• Prioritise immediate safety. People first, objects and schedules second.

• Use emergency services when needed.

• Inform The Zurich Insider as soon as reasonably possible after you’ve handled the immediate situation.

• Document what happened briefly while it’s still fresh (time, place, what you observed, what you did).​

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You are encouraged to end, shorten, or significantly change a tour if you believe safety is at risk.

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Key numbers for Switzerland

• Medical emergency: 144

• Police: 117

• Fire Services: 118

• 112 in Europe, but it will work in Switzerland as well

Plus:

• The Zurich Insider primary contact: +41 76 464 54 88 

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6.2 Common emergencies 

These are suggested approaches, not rigid steps. Use them as a guide alongside your own experience and judgement.

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Medical issue or accident

Examples: the guest feels faint, falls, or shows signs of serious pain.

• Quickly assess: conscious? breathing? bleeding? immediate danger?

• Move the person (if safe) to a calmer, safer spot.

• Ask what they need and whether they have medication or a known condition.

• If in doubt about seriousness, lean toward calling emergency services (144) and follow their instructions.

• Ask another guest to stay nearby while you manage the group.

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When you feel unwell or need to end the tour

You become unwell during a tour:

• Assess honestly whether you can safely continue.

• If you need to stop:

1. Move guests to a safe, clear place (near transport or a café).

2. Explain briefly and honestly.

• Contact The Zurich Insider as soon as possible so we can help find a solution.

• If it’s an emergency for you, follow the same steps as for a guest emergency.

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You must end early for safety/behaviour

• Prioritise safety; get everyone to a safe point.

• Explain clearly but calmly: “For safety reasons (brief explanation), I need to end the tour here. Thank you for your understanding.”

• If one person is the problem and it’s safe to continue with others, end the tour only for that person (see 6.3).

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After any significant incident

• Ensure everyone is safe and has a clear next step (transport, directions).

• Inform The Zurich Insider with (who, what, where, when):

  • Date, time, location.

  • Who was affected

  • What happened.

  • What you did and any follow‑up you think is needed.

• Write a short note for your own records while it’s fresh.

• Take a few minutes to decompress; take a few deep breaths, center yourself, as difficult situations can be emotionally demanding.

• Take the necessary steps to ensure your physical and mental well-being: take a break from guiding, talk to a friend or share your experience with The Zurich Insider, and seek professional help if needed. 

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6.3 Tricky situations

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The guest is late

• Wait a reasonable period (as per the Assignment / your practice).

• Call/message with:

• Confirmation of meeting spot.

• How long can you wait, and/or where will you move next (for open group tours, e.g. AirBnB)?

• If they respond, agree on a clear plan (wait vs meet at next point).

• If reachable but very late, adjust the route to fit the remaining time and explain kindly. 

• Add time at the end of the tour only if you want/can or agree on extra time

 

The guest doesn’t show

• Try calling/messaging several times during the waiting window (up to 30 min).

• After the agreed window and attempts:

1. Stop waiting at the meeting point.

2. Inform The Zurich Insider (including time and attempts to contact).

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Lost or separated guest

• Pause the group in a safe place (not blocking traffic or entrances).

• Try to contact the missing guest by phone/message.

• Describe a clear, simple meeting point (“We’ll wait by the fountain in front of X”).

• If you can’t reach them and circumstances feel concerning (child, vulnerable adult, remote area), escalate to police/security as appropriate.

• Inform The Zurich Insider as soon as you reasonably can.​

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Weather and environment

Examples: sudden storm, extreme heat, icy conditions, unexpected construction.

• Move to shelter or safer terrain when needed.

• Shorten or adapt the route (indoor stops, lower‑risk paths).

• Explain briefly what is happening and what you’re doing about it.

• If conditions become genuinely unsafe, it is acceptable to end the tour early and focus on getting everyone safely to a good exit point.​

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A key location is closed/inaccessible

• Acknowledge calmly: “This location is unexpectedly closed today; thank you for your flexibility.”

• Offer an alternative or a choice (Option A / Option B).

• Continue with the adapted route and note it for your end‑of‑day update. 

 

Expectations vs reality

• Listen and reflect: “I hear that you were expecting [X]. Thank you for telling me.”

• Clarify what was actually booked (briefly, without arguing about price).

• Offer realistic options within today’s time: different focus, pace, or stops.

• Suggest sharing feedback with The Zurich Insider after the tour so we can adjust descriptions if needed. ​

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6.3 Conflict, boundaries & misconduct

Sometimes the difficulty is not the environment, but behaviour: tensions within the group, inappropriate comments, or people ignoring instructions.

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Early signals

• Guests snapping at each other or you.

• The dominant guest interrupts others or you.

• Persistent off‑colour/allusive jokes or comments.

• Someone is ignoring basic requests (e.g., staying with the group, following safety instructions).​

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General approach

• Stay calm, neutral, and respectful.

• Use “I” language where possible:
  “I need everyone to stay together for safety here.”
  “I’d like to make sure everyone gets a chance to ask questions.”

• Redirect the energy: change location, shift topic, or engage another person.

• Where appropriate, speak briefly to the person aside, out of the group spotlight.​

 

If a guest behaves inappropriately

Examples: unwanted touching, clearly offensive language, aggressive behaviour.

• Set a clear, calm boundary:
  “I’m not comfortable with that comment/behaviour. Please stop so we can all enjoy the tour.”

• If behaviour continues or escalates, you may decide to:

  • Move the group away from the person if possible, or

  • End the tour for that person or the whole group if safety or dignity is at risk.

• In serious cases, contact the police, security, and The Zurich Insider as soon as possible.​

 

You are never required to tolerate harassment or abuse in order to “save the tour”.

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6.4 De‑escalation basics

De‑escalation is the art of bringing the temperature down before things explode.

A few simple techniques:

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• Lower your volume and slow your speech. People often mirror your calm.

• Acknowledge feelings without agreeing with behaviour:
  “I can hear you’re frustrated; let’s see what we can do to improve this.”

• Offer choices where possible:
  “We can either [option A] or [option B]. Which would you prefer?”

• Avoid public shaming. When you can, address issues privately rather than in front of the whole group.

• Give people a dignified way out. Allow them to save face:
  “Let’s try this from another angle,” rather than “You’re wrong.”​

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6.5 Mini safety & incidents checklist

You can copy and adapt this checklist for your own use.

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Before the tour

• I know the emergency numbers and have them saved/written down.

• I have The Zurich Insider’s contact details handy.

• I have a sense of safe “exit points” and indoor options on my route.

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If something happens

• Stay calm; move people to a safer spot if needed.

• Decide quickly: handle myself / call emergency services / call the Agency.

• Communicate clearly to the group what is happening and what to do.

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Afterwards

• Inform The Zurich Insider with a short summary of what happened and what you did.

• Note time, place, people involved, and any follow‑up needed.

• Take a moment for yourself; difficult situations can take energy, even when handled well.

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