The virtual and augmented reality studio's new VR training tool teaches frontline service staff how to de-escalate fiery customer interactions
Customer aggression is a common problem that businesses deal with every day, with Worksafe Victoria recently reporting that almost 1,000 workers were seriously injured last year as a result of suspected incidents of work-related aggression or violence in Victoria alone.
While the incidents mainly involve shouting, complaining and threats, the issue goes way beyond that. It extends to employee retention because it impacts turnover along with absenteeism, which lead to costs associated with Work Health and Safety (WHS) and mental health insurance claims.
Sophie Cotsis, NSW Work Health and Safety minister, estimates workplace mental ill health to cost $39 billion per year.
Showcasing the prevalence of the issue, a 2025 YouGov survey of HR managers revealed:
To combat the issue and its resulting complications, Start Beyond partnered with WHS specialist The Risk Collective to develop a virtual reality (VR) program called MINACA, which stands for Managing Incivility, Negativity, and Customer Aggression. This immersive learning program is aimed primarily at the retail, hospitality, and health and aged-care industries.”
Amy Towers, advisor to the Australian Retailers Association and founder of The Risk Collective, says, “The YouGov research reflects what we hear from clients: businesses want accessible and effective training solutions that prioritise their workers’ health and safety. They must protect workers from violence, aggression and incivility, especially in retail and hospitality.”
MINACA is a self-contained plug-and-play VR program. It is a cost-effective, immersive solution, which combines Start Beyond’s immersive learning expertise with The Risk Collective’s knowledge in WHS and is built using the expertise of workplace psycho-sociologist Steven Booker, a mental health, HR and employment law expert. Through his research in the field, he identified and defined the three most common aggressive customer profiles:
“It’s important to practise what you preach, and having only started to enter the HRD award in 2024, it’s pleasing to have won it each year we’ve entered. This is reflective of our commitment to a business culture that reflects best practice in supporting our team, as we in turn want to create immersive learning programs that ensure employers can support and empower their workforce,” says Angus Stevens, CEO and co-founder of Start Beyond.
“The adverse impact of customer aggression upon a business is significant, causing increased costs due to staff turnover, absenteeism, a drop in productivity and [an increase in] insurance claims. MINACA VR has been developed to equip employees with the skills and confidence to manage these difficult situations, reducing mental health strains and preventing costly operational disruptions,” he explains.
What makes MINACA VR appealing is that it immerses employees in interactive, real-life scenarios within a safe training environment. It is more effective than traditional e-learning and more cost effective than face-to-face training. It is a scalable, consistent training solution in which the dramatic 360° real-world scenarios enable teams to learn through experience without real-world risk.
MINACA VR supports employers and HR teams in building frontline workers’ core skills to better understand and de-escalate customer aggression. The program’s benefits include:
Stevens adds, “Investing in staff wellbeing is essential for long-term organisational success. MINACA VR not only protects employees but also reduces workforce burnout and addresses WHS requirements by teaching your team how to identify and de-escalate aggressive customer behaviour.”
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This article is sponsored by Start Beyond.
