羞羞视频

Customer incivility is more than an occasional challenge for frontline workers鈥攊t鈥檚 a daily reality. 

Just a few months ago, the Deskless Report 2024 revealed that frontline employees across industries are feeling the weight of customer frustration, with many reporting increased stress, safety concerns and even fear of coming to work.

Now, our new survey of 500 frontline workers in the U.S. confirms just how widespread the issue has become: 72% say they deal with difficult customers daily or weekly. Disrespectful comments, violations of company policy and even customer threats are becoming daily realities across retail, hospitality and food service. And it鈥檚 taking a toll on frontline workers. 

It鈥檚 important to understand what workers feel is fueling these difficult interactions and what kind of support they鈥檙e looking for to confidently manage them.

&苍产蝉辫;馃憠 Download the full report and dig into the findings 

When training falls short, workers pay the price

Most workers (75%) said they鈥檝e been trained to handle incivility. But when the moment comes? Over half (53%) freeze. Another 52% struggle to remember how to respond. And that鈥檚 because one-time onboarding has not prepared them for real-life scenarios.

A generation ago, retail training meant learning the register and folding shirts for display. Now, it鈥檚 about preparing staff to manage difficult鈥攅ven violent鈥攃ustomers.

鈥淲e are seeing trends of having people experts in conflict resolution be leveraged in stores to train managers, to train associates on how to de-escalate a situation,鈥� Carol Leaman, CEO and co-founder of 羞羞视频, pointed out while speaking

Workers aren鈥檛 asking for the impossible. They want situational training that鈥檚 safe and feels real鈥攍ike shadowing experienced peers, running through scenarios and learning on the job, not just from a manual. That鈥檚 how information sticks and that鈥檚 how confidence grows.

Understaffing makes everything worse

When the floor is short-staffed, service slows down, wait times go up and customers’ frustration becomes the norm. And it鈥檚 frontline workers who experience the fallout first-hand. 

That type of pressure impacts employee wellbeing and churn, with 47% of workers reporting they feel burned out and 26% even considering leaving their industry altogether. Adequate staffing can help make sure there are enough hands on deck to manage line-ups, traffic surges and potentially challenging situations.

Workers need more than basic training to feel safe and supported

Frontline workers aren鈥檛 staying quiet. Nearly three-quarters (74%) have already raised concerns with supervisors, asking for safer environments and better support. 

And there are established ways to tackle incivility. According to , a management professor at Georgetown University, it starts with training employees to handle difficult behavior, encouraging empathy in tough moments and showing genuine appreciation for their work. This lines up with what frontline workers told us: they want practical training, easier ways to report incidents and a sense that their organizations have their backs.

Technology can help here, too, as nearly half (41%) of polled workers said they鈥檇 feel safer with tools like body cameras, an option some . 

Why it鈥檚 important to help upset customers

Challenging customers are frustrating, but there’s also an opportunity. How your team members handle these moments can decide whether you’re losing or building loyal customers.

Put simply, people remember when they鈥檙e treated with respect, especially when they鈥檙e upset.

More importantly, this is really about protecting your team. Every tough encounter takes a toll on your workers. When you give them the tools to handle these situations, you lower their stress and build their confidence.

听馃憠 Watch this webinar to hear proven de-escalation strategies from top brands聽

4 examples of difficult customers and how to deal with them

If you want to protect your team and improve service, it starts with preparing for real scenarios and addressing the root cause. Here are some common types of difficult customers and how workers can handle them effectively:

1. Impatient customers

You鈥檝e seen rude customers before鈥攕omeone tapping their foot, checking their watch and shooting frustrated looks as they wait. Long wait times are one of the most common triggers for frustration. If your team isn鈥檛 prepared, these moments can escalate quickly. 
Encourage staff to acknowledge the delay upfront鈥斺�淭hanks for your patience; we鈥檙e moving as fast as we can.鈥� can deeply influence how customers react. That’s why it’s essential to equip and empower your staff with solutions, no matter how simple they are. For example, they could offer a drink or a small discount, if appropriate, to make up for delays.

2. Indecisive customers

Some customers know exactly what they want. Others? Not so much. When someone struggles to make a choice or gives vague answers, don鈥檛 rush them. Train staff to ask open-ended questions like, 鈥淲hat are you in the mood for today?鈥� and guide the conversation by suggesting popular or best-selling options. 

If the customer needs time, it鈥檚 okay to give them space. The goal isn鈥檛 to rush the interaction but to create an experience that feels helpful, patient and personal.

3. Vague or unclear complaints

When a demanding customer says, 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 what I expected,鈥� it鈥檚 tempting to jump in with solutions. But don鈥檛 guess鈥攁sk. Teach employees to use clarifying questions like, 鈥淐an you tell me more about what didn鈥檛 meet your expectations?鈥� It鈥檚 a simple but effective way to empathize while getting to the root of the issue faster. This also reduces the risk of repeated customer complaints and ensures a smoother resolution.

4. Aggressive behavior

No one should ever feel forced to endure abuse at work, but aggressive customers are a real possibility. Take what happened in Inglewood recently: According to police, on a Saturday afternoon when a disgruntled customer drove his car into a dealership showroom.

To prepare for challenging situations like this and avoid escalation, your training should focus on keeping employees calm and setting firm boundaries: 鈥淚鈥檓 here to help, but we need to keep this conversation respectful.鈥� It鈥檚 also important to acknowledge that even with proper training, these situations are often unavoidable, and safety should remain the top priority.

It also needs to be clear that staff members have the authority to disengage or escalate if safety becomes an issue, according to established protocols. Whether that means calling a manager or stepping away, it鈥檚 about showing everyone on your team that their wellbeing comes first and that they have your full support at every step.

鈻讹笍 Also read: How to support managers: Instilling confidence to overcome frontline challenges

Turn difficult customer moments into better outcomes

Customer incivility isn鈥檛 going away anytime soon. In fact, 65% of frontline workers predict it鈥檚 only going to get worse over the next year. But here鈥檚 the good news: You can change how these tense situations play out. By investing in better staffing, practical training and robust protocols, you don鈥檛 just protect your team鈥攜ou boost retention and create a better experience for every customer who walks through your doors.

The bottom line is that dealing with tough customers isn鈥檛 just about managing tense interactions. It鈥檚 about building a culture where your staff feels safe, supported and empowered.