Customer hostility is at “an all-time high,” with more than half of employees surveyed saying they encounter customer conflict on a daily basis, according to a Nov. 11 report by Axonify, a front-line worker training company.
Some of the biggest issues for workers include lack of preparedness when faced with such situations and discomfort in reporting issues, Axonify said; 14% of seasonal workers said they don’t report instances of conflict through the proper channels because they don’t feel comfortable doing so due to a lack of training in how to handle those situations.
And many seasonal workers have experienced hostility at work from prior jobs. Half of those surveyed said they had experienced sexual harassment or racism from a customer or co-worker before.
The report largely focused on seasonal workers, but safety for all customer-facing roles has been a rising concern — especially since the start of the pandemic. In August 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 guidance to include information on preventing workplace violence related to disease protection protocols. Some of those recommendations included providing employee training; installing panic buttons and alarms; and identifying safe areas for employees to escape to when they feel endangered.
But even outside pandemic-related crises, employers in certain industries — particularly retail and healthcare — may need to pay close attention to employee safety protocols. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued numerous employers regarding employee treatment by customers and employers’ lack of response to such situations, in locations ranging from care facilities to gas stations.
