98% of frontline workers face customer incivility, survey finds

A survey by Axonify found that 98% of frontline workers faced customer incivility in the past year.

The report, titled ‘Polling the Frontline: Dealing with Difficult Customers,’ revealed that 73% of workers in restaurants, retail, and hotels experience incivility daily or weekly.

Key challenges include rising prices, understaffing, and customer entitlement, with 85%, 81%, and 85% of respondents respectively pointing to these issues. 

Despite 75% of workers feeling supported by management, training gaps persist.

The survey showed 52% think current programs do not address real-world scenarios effectively, 41% feel they focus too much on company policy, and 32% note training is only provided during onboarding.

Carol Leaman, CEO and co-founder of Axonify, said: “Our data shows a troubling disconnect between the demands faced by UK frontline staff and the support they receive.

“Businesses must invest in continuous scenario-based training tailored to real-world challenges to enhance both employee safety and customer satisfaction.”

Frontline workers called for more training to handle violent situations, with 82% in favour, 79% supporting de-escalation training, and 70% wanting managerial visibility in difficult situations.