Survey by Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation finds retail workers hardest hit, with more than half seeking a new job
TEMECULA, Calif., February 4, 2025 — Perceptyx, the global leader in employee listening and actioning for a better workplace, today released results of a survey of 21,000 frontline employees about their experience at work. The report, The Forgotten Frontline: Closing the Gap in Engagement and Support, reveals that 53% of all workers who deal directly with the public have recently encountered customers who are verbally abusive, threatening, or unruly.
Researchers at Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation uncovered some alarming consequences of these negative customer interactions. Employees who have faced unruly customers, compared to those who have not, are:
- 1.3x as likely to be actively looking for a new job
- 1.9x as likely to disagree they work in a safe environment
- 1.5x as likely to disagree the organization cares about their health and well-being
- 1.5x as likely to disagree they are valued in the organization
- 1.6x as likely to feel uncomfortable speaking up about safety concerns
- 1.8x as likely to say stress from work has harmed their productivity more than three days in the past week
- 2.2x as likely to say stress from work is impacting their physical health.
- In addition, nearly 2 in 3 have had to seek help from a manager to handle the customer behavior, creating further productivity impacts across the organization.
Perceptyx researchers found that more than half of workers who encountered unruly customers also faced discrimination or bias from a customer. That’s 2.7x more than other employees and suggests that at least some unruly or aggressive behavior from customers is motivated by discrimination.
“From being cursed at on the phone or at the customer service counter to threats of violence in a hospital ER, frontline workers in all fields deal with difficult customer interactions,” said Emily Killham, Senior Director and Head of the Center for Workforce Transformation at Perceptyx. “Added to the high-pressure conditions, unpredictable workloads, and safety concerns, they are also more likely to deal with limited career growth opportunities, inequitable benefits, and inconsistent communication from leadership than their non-customer-facing counterparts.”
Retail workers hit hardest
Whether part-time or full-time, deskless or deskbound, workers in customer-facing roles are equally likely to face difficult customer interactions. But, when comparing results across industries, there are stark differences. Retail workers are the most likely to encounter unruly customers, with 61% of them having dealt with a recent incident, followed by those in Information, and then Finance and Insurance. More than a third have been required to stay in a situation with a customer where they felt physically unsafe. As a result, 81% feel burned out and 40% say their manager rarely or never checks in on their stress or emotional health.
Perceptyx recommends that, in addition to improving safety culture overall, organizations ensure managers have the resources they need to support employees during and after difficult customer interactions.
“There’s a gap between frontline and other employees in perceived support for difficult customer interactions. That in turn impacts morale, productivity, and retention. Employers can close this gap by ensuring frontline workers have a manager who supports and cares about them and a place to share their own ideas about how to make the workplace safer,” added Killham.
In addition, Perceptyx recommends fostering a culture of recognition, especially celebrating examples of resilience; creating visible and tailored career pathways; bridging communication gaps by using mobile-friendly platforms or video to reach frontline employees where they work; and ensuring equity in benefits.
For more details about the experience of frontline workers across all industries, and data-informed best practices for retaining these critical employees, read the report: The Forgotten Frontline: Closing the Gap in Engagement and Support.