Holding the line: The employer’s role when customers cross it
Part 2 of a 3-part series on managing customer and client aggression
In our first article we explored the growing reality of customer and client aggression as a psychosocial risk – a risk that is increasing across many workplaces, and one that can no longer be dismissed as simply part of the job.
Employers now need to move beyond recognition of this risk and support their workers by taking positive and decisive steps to reduce this pervasive problem.
A global and local mandate
Globally, there is recognition of the impact of customer aggression in the workplace in the international treaty ILO Convention 190 (2019). This is the first international treaty to recognise a right to a world of work, free from violence and harassment, and it explicitly covers third-party violence and harassment from customers, clients and service users. This treaty has been ratified by around 50 countries with the EU leading the way.
In Australia, the state workplace health and safety regulator, WorkSafe Victoria, recently launched its Don’t Cross the Line campaign. The campaign is unequivocal in stating:
Aggression and violence against workers causes harm.
WorkSafe defines this as ranging from aggressive gestures and eye rolling, verbal abuse such as yelling and name calling, and intimidating physical behaviour, through to physical assault and extreme acts of violence – and makes clear that none of these are acceptable, regardless of the situation.
That harm exists on a spectrum that many organisations still underestimate. Being exposed to these incidents repeatedly can have a cumulative and significant ongoing impact on the mental health of workers.
This is not a grey area
The employer’s responsibility is clear. With all Australian states now regulating psychosocial health aggression in the workplace, employers have a duty to manage these risks under occupational health and safety and related laws.
Customer aggression sits squarely within the psychosocial hazard framework, and employers are expected to take a proactive, structured approach to managing it.
In practice the starting point is recognition – not simply acknowledging that aggression occurs in your workplace but identifying where and when it occurs, which workers are most vulnerable, and what the common triggers are that lead to escalation of behaviour. Meaningful risk management starts here.
Prevention, response and recovery
The next steps require action in three interconnected areas: prevention, response and recovery/support.
The most effective preventative action is risk reduction – reducing the possibility of an incident occurring. Examining the factors that tend to increase risk, such as inadequate staffing, inexperienced staff, wait times, poor communication with customers and poorly managed environments, helps identify where intervention is needed.
These factors influence customer frustration, and when workplaces take steps to minimise them the incidence of customer aggression is less likely – as well as sending a clear message that the safety of workers is a priority. These actions can be further supported by clear messages for customers, through signage and staff responses, about the expectation of respectful behaviour in all interactions.
Gaps often appear in how workplaces respond to incidents of customer aggression. There may be policies and procedures in place, but the reality is that frontline workers are often left to manage difficult customers on their own. Poorly trained managers and supervisors can exacerbate the situation by minimising the incident and its impact.
Employees need to know that when something happens there will be action from their managers and leaders – that they will be supported and validated at every step. There must be consistent processes for incident reporting, manager support, debriefing and clear pathways for escalation and response. Leaders and managers also require training to remove any temptation to normalise, minimise or dismiss disrespectful and aggressive customer behaviour.
What happens next is what matters most
Taking meaningful action on customer aggression won’t eliminate it altogether. Incidents will still occur, but it is what happens subsequently that really matters.
Where there is appropriate support and access to counselling and employee services, affected employees will recover faster and have confidence to remain in their role. Leaders need to demonstrate they remain connected to their frontline workers and ensure they have first-hand knowledge and understanding of the experience of their employees.
The implementation of psychosocial regulations across Australia is a signal to organisations to not only ensure they have policies in place, but to ensure that their workers feel safe and that they can rely on the organisation to support them when distressing situations arise.
This is more than compliance – it informs the values of organisations and encourages them to ensure that both the physical and mental health of their employees is paramount.
Enmasse offers 1-hour workshops on Managing customers for better mental health and Managing client expectations, along with a 10-minute microlearn on Managing challenging customer interactions that can be scenario-adjusted to your industry sector. Contact us today to discuss some options.
Further resources
Safe Work Australia: Preventing workplace violence and aggression guide
Safe Work Australia: Workplace violence and aggression – advice for workers
Safe Work Australia: Preventing workplace violence – information sheet for small business
Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work
