Tackling customer misbehaviour though respect and resilience

icare has produced a three-minute video '5 tips for getting your customer on side' to make sure workers are better equipped to manage these incidents.

According to the Prevention team’s manager Jen Cameron, workers in a wide range of industries across NSW are experiencing unprecedented levels of customer misbehaviour.

"From rude behaviour to outright aggression, staff as young as 15 are feeling the effects of the daily barrage as they simply go about their work," says Jen.

"That is why we worked with Griffith University to develop the Respect & Resilience program for businesses whose staff have to deal with varying degrees of misbehaviour. 

"The video is designed as easily actionable ‘quick tips’ that can be watched together on a lunch break. This is a great, informal way to start the conversation about customer misbehaviour."

Jen explains how the program takes an in-depth look at the causes and effects of customer misbehaviour, as well as offering strategies to de-escalate an aggressive person. 

"Respect & Resilience is based on research into both organisational and individual factors that can address this issue," she says.

"We’ve designed a program where employers identify the specific triggers in their workplaces so that we can produce tailored policies and procedures. We then run a workshop for employees so they can be empowered to effectively manage these situations should they arise."

The video provides an introduction to this model. 

"If you don’t have the time to join the program or do the workshop, but are looking for quick and easy tips, the video is a convenient tool," says Jen.

The Prevention team has been running workshops for NSW Government agencies as we emerge from the lockdown. More are planned for 2022 because the need to equip workers to deal with customer misbehaviour continues to grow. For one staff member at the Art Gallery of NSW, the workshop helped rationalise their interactions with the public.

"I now understand how to best offer a service that will result in less confrontation with the public and better mental health for myself," they said.

Another staff member used the resources to regain calmness and get control back in a stressful situation.

"We are keen to hear from employers in retail, hospitality, financial services and anywhere else where this is a problem, to discuss how Respect & Resilience may benefit their workplace."