Mental Health Matters: Helping Staff Deal With the Effects of Unruly Customers
Customers play a critical role in the success of every business and workers and business owners in any industry will encounter a wide variety of customers.
Although most of these encounters are pleasant, others can leave a sour taste in the mouth of everyone involved. Dealing with demanding customers is inevitable. However, challenging situations can turn dangerous and frightening without the proper precautions in place, leaving team members feeling mentally distressed. Staff safety should be at the heart of a caring business.
Mental health is becoming increasingly important in today’s workplace, and for good reason. In particular, those who work in customer-facing roles often deal with unruly customers, which can be one of the biggest difficulties they face on a daily basis. An Usdaw survey found that 7 in 10 retail workers have suffered abuse from customers, so it’s essential for employers to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of their employees.
In this guide, we’ll explain the importance of supporting employees’ mental health after dealing with unruly customers. Then, we’ll give you some tips for helping your team feel more supported in dealing with aggressive customers and what you can do for your staff after they’ve had to deal with someone.
Contents:
- Why is it important to support customer-facing staff’s mental health?
- How to help your staff deal with unruly customers
- How to support staff who have dealt with aggressive customers
Why is it important to support customer-facing staff’s mental health?
It’s an employer’s duty to look after the mental wellbeing of any staff, but customer-facing workers face unique challenges that you should address. Employees who deal with violent or aggressive customers can feel anxious and stressed during and after the event, which can lead to longer-term mental health problems if they’re not offered the right support at the time.
When you prioritise your staff’s mental health, you’ll see significant benefits. Not only will your employees feel better-equipped and more resilient to aggressive situations, you’ll notice that they are more productive at work overall too.
Workers who are supported with their mental health are likely to:
- Be more empathetic and attentive to customers
- Communicate better with customers
- Make better decisions
- Have fewer sick days
Looking after your employees’ mental health is linked to better business outcomes. Happy workers are 13% more productive, so it makes sense to have mental health support available to your staff to help them stay well after a distressing incident at work.
So, how can you help your team feel prepared to deal with unruly customers and more supported if they do have to deal with one?
How to help your staff deal with unruly customers
There are lots of things you can do to support your staff to help them deal with unruly customers in a way that protects their mental health. While some of these ways involve putting policies, procedures and training in place, other tactics are more physical.
Let’s go through some of the most important ways you can protect your staff’s mental health when they deal with unruly customers.
Establish clear policies and procedures
Employees can feel more stressed when dealing with a difficult customer if they don’t know what the company line is. Make sure you have a clear policy in place which details how workers should deal with an aggressive customer.
Your policy should include the procedure to follow when dealing with an escalating customer situation. It may include things like offering a discount on products or a refund in the first instance. You may want to include different levels in your procedure – for example, if they are still not happy and are becoming increasingly aggressive, you may want to add that the employee can ask for a manager or security, or simply just ask the customer to leave.
Offer regular training
Regular training sessions on dealing with unruly customers is one of the best ways to help employees protect their mental health when they’re dealing with them.
Workers will feel more confident if they are given training that involves role play and open discussion about dealing with disgruntled customers. It can be helpful to include active listening, empathy and conflict de-escalation training so they can spot the signs of a potentially aggressive customer.
Active listening can help defuse any situation and make a customer feel acknowledged. One of the best ways a worker can show they’re listening to the customer is by summarising what they say and asking questions for clarification. This mirroring technique shows that the team member is actively listening and striving to understand.
Training sessions should combine theoretical and practical lessons. Doing this can let workers know what to do when an occasion arises. In any event, it is always better to be prepared in advance than overwhelmed in the moment. This also serves to remind employees that staff safety is part of the company culture.
Hold regular check-ins
Customer-facing businesses often get very busy, and it’s easy to let staff support fall by the wayside. However, it’s important to hold regular check-ins with your team so they can voice any concerns they have.
Use these check-ins to find out whether there are any policies or procedures your team members are unsure of, or as a debrief if they have had to deal with a difficult customer recently.
Regular time with your team can help you get the best out of them. If they feel supported, they will be more productive and will feel able to handle difficult situations more effectively.
Upgrade your security
You don’t want to be unprepared when an incident with an unruly customer occurs. Successfully handling these situations hinges on taking the appropriate steps to protect your workplace and your staff during potentially dangerous situations.
Many security features can offer some psychological safety to your team, which means that they will feel safe enough to do their job well and to speak up if they are concerned that something’s not right.
Here are some of the best security measures you can put in place to protect your team:
Panic alarm software
Panic alarm software is essential for staff working in customer-facing roles. Software like Little Green Button allows team members to discreetly call for help on their PC screen, mobile or tablet, so they can get some support if a customer becomes aggressive before the situation gets out of hand.
Our panic alarm software also comes with the option of a physical panic button – the Big Green Button – which can be plugged into any USB port. It can be kept under a desk or till point for workers to discreetly press or can sit on top of the desk to act as a visual deterrent to customers.
Automated ID verification
If your staff have to check customers’ ID as part of their job, for example if they work in a nightclub or bar, using automated ID verification can help them prevent situations with unruly customers from occurring.
Not only will this reduce customer queues at the door, reducing the likelihood of customers complaining about the wait, but it can also prevent previously aggressive customers from being allowed back into your establishment.
Automated ID systems can allow you to flag someone’s ID so you know they are banned or have been involved in trouble in the past, protecting your staff from further aggression or violence.
CCTV
CCTV is vital if your team work with customers. Having CCTV will deter customers from becoming aggressive in the first place, but if they do start to become unruly you will have evidence on camera that can be used in serious situations where the police get involved.
Having CCTV of incidents can also be useful to use in training, to help understand how your staff reacted and what could have been done differently.
How to support staff who have dealt with aggressive customers
Handling unruly and dangerous customer situations can be a traumatic experience for workers and can dampen the mood or attitude of an entire workforce. It’s when these experiences aren’t handled properly that they can have an impact on an employee’s mental health.
Although it can take some time for workers to feel like themselves again, there are some steps you can take to help them move forward:
Encourage debriefing with managers and peers
Workers may experience a variety of emotions when dealing with the aftermath of an unruly customer situation. These types of customer interactions commonly lead to employees feeling numb and lacking confidence. No matter how your team member feels, they need to understand that this is a normal reaction and they may feel better talking about their emotions with coworkers or a manager.
If you have Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) in your organisation, make sure the employee knows who they are. MHFAs are usually peers who have taken part in specialised training in how to spot someone who is dealing with poor mental health, active listening and signposting to appropriate services. Often, staff members are more comfortable speaking to a colleague at their level as opposed to a manager.
Other team members may need personal space and time to release their emotions. Employers should remain supportive of whatever an employee needs, including taking a short time off work. Debriefing remains a vital component of mental health maintenance.
Offer an Employee Assistance Programme
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are a great benefit to offer employees. They can include services such as a 24/7 helpline, counselling services, financial advice or legal information.
Having an EAP in place that your employees can use if they experience an unruly customer will help them recover more quickly from the situation. The Retail Trust offers an EAP for workers in retail, but there are many providers available.
Encourage breaks
Customer-facing businesses often get extremely busy, which can lead to employees missing their scheduled breaks. All employees should feel able to take their breaks, but it’s especially important for those who have just been through an unpleasant customer interaction to take time away from their work.
Keep scheduled breaks for employees as much as possible so that they get some time to decompress during a busy shift.
Show appreciation and recognition
Appreciation and recognition go a long way in improving employee mental health, as it helps them feel motivated and rewarded. When a worker deals with a difficult customer well, make sure to tell them. You can announce it to your team and even offer a small token of appreciation.
Many teams have ‘employee of the month’ schemes to celebrate staff that have done well.
Supporting your team’s mental health and equipping them to handle unruly customers is not just a moral responsibility; it’s essential for fostering a positive and productive workplace. By implementing clear policies, offering regular training, and investing in security measures like panic alarms, you can create a safer environment for your staff.
Remember, the aftermath of challenging customer interactions can linger, so it’s crucial to provide ongoing support, from debriefing sessions to Employee Assistance Programmes. A well-supported team is more resilient, engaged and ready to deliver excellent service.
Prioritise your employees’ mental health, and you’ll not only see happier staff but also a stronger, more successful business. After all, when you care for your people, they’re better equipped to take care of your customers.