Polling the frontline – Dealing with difficult customers

What happens to the frontline when bad customer behavior becomes the norm?

Difficult customer interactions aren’t just increasing—they’re becoming routine. Rising prices, staffing shortages and growing customer entitlement create mounting frustration, making daily conflicts a reality for frontline workers.

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The reality: Bad customer behavior is near-constant

72% Frontline Workers Stat

Key insight: Customer incivility is no longer an occasional challenge—it’s an everyday reality that’s directly affecting frontline employees.

The consequences: Burnout, disengagement and turnover

Regularly facing difficult customer situations is more than frustrating—it’s demoralizing. The impact is clear:

Key insight: Unchecked incivility is driving burnout and pushing workers to reconsider their roles, threatening retention and overall business performance.

47% of Workers Feel Burned Out. 28% feel disengaged. 26% are considering leaving their industry.

The gap: Training and support are falling short

75% have received training to manage incivility, yet 53% freeze in the moment when faced with an issue, 52% struggle to remember how to respond, and 27% were trained during onboarding but can't remember the details.

Key insight: Training needs to be more practical, ongoing and scenario-based to ensure frontline workers are prepared to manage these incidents when they occur.

Workers also report that training is too focused on company policy, disconnected from real-life situations and lacks hands-on practice, with only 25% receiving role-play training.

The solution: Stronger safety, better training and real support

What frontline workers need now:

📥 Ready to explore more urgent findings and learn solutions to better support your frontline?

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