Interaction with manager, teamwork key in addressing issue, says expert
A growing number of public-facing workers are experiencing verbal abuse, threats, and other aggressive behaviour from customers—and employers should not turn a blind eye to the issue, according to an expert.
Specifically, 53% of public-facing workers have recently encountered customers who were verbally abusive, threatening, or otherwise unruly, according to a Perceptyx report.
"From being cursed at on the phone or at the customer service counter to threats of violence in a hospital ER, frontline workers in all fields deal with difficult customer interactions," says Emily Killham, Senior Director and Head of the Center for Workforce Transformation at Perceptyx.
These things affect workplace morale, job retention, safety perceptions and overall well-being. Specifically, employees who have experienced unruly customers are:
1.3 times more likely to be actively job searching
1.9 times more likely to feel unsafe at work
1.5 times more likely to feel undervalued by their organization
2.2 times more likely to report that workplace stress is impacting their physical health.
“People don't want to stay in those jobs long term when that happens,” she tells HRD Asia. “And that's really bothersome. It's also concerning for their health outcomes.”
Killham also notes that these workers are much less likely to be engaged in their jobs.
For employers, failing to address the issue can have significant consequences, she says.
“Not being supportive during those times can actually lead to things like lower productivity in the workplace, higher attrition, and [lower] quality of work from those employees.”
While frontline workers are more likely to go through mental health challenges, they are also less likely to get the support that they need, according to a previous report.
To combat the issue, employers—on top of having a well-refined worker safety program in place—must ensure that frontline workers have someone to rely on, says the Perceptyx executive.
One key area that employers should focus on is fostering a strong relationship between employees and their managers, Killham says.
“A great relationship with the manager, those regular manager check-ins, that's super important.”
This becomes even more critical when workers and their managers are on different shifts, she adds.
“A retail worker or a hospitality worker in a hotel or in one of those types of situations, it is possible that my manager works an 8 am to 5 pm shift, and [the worker] workers from 1:30 pm to 10 pm, because that's the time that's available.
“So ensuring that the manager can be physically present with their employees at some point to do that regular check-in, to follow up, to ensure that they're handling it, to ensure that they understand those policies – that's really important.”
Nearly 2 in 3 of these frontline workers had to seek help from a manager to handle the customer behavior, creating further productivity impacts across the organization, according to Perceptyx.
Ensuring good teamwork will also help frontline workers in their dealing with unruly customers, says Killham.
“Sometimes, they do have to call on other folks in the workplace to help them with those types of situations. And creating that kind of teamwork also creates a level of support when that manager can't be physically present.”
Also, ensuring that frontline employees “feel really valued for the unique contribution that they bring in their role, and that they're recognized for the quality of work that they do” goes a long way in mitigating these encounters, she says.
Killham also stresses the importance of listening to employees.
“One thing that we strongly see work is actually having a conversation with employees, and truly listening to what is happening on the ground. Because some of the best solutions for stopping some of these behaviours would come from employees themselves.”
This way, employers can truly understand what employees need, she says.
