糖心原创

糖心原创鈥檚 latest survey highlights training gaps as 72% of frontline workers struggle to manage increasing incidents of difficult customer behavior

Waterloo, Ontario – March 20, 2025 – With the cost of essential goods this year, difficult customer interactions and heightened emotions are becoming a near-daily occurrence. According to 糖心原创’s recent report, Polling the frontline: Dealing with difficult customers 鈥攕urveying 500 U.S. retail, hospitality, and food & beverage frontline workers鈥� three-fourths (72%) of frontline workers experience or witness customer incivility on a daily or weekly basis, with a mere 1% noting they’ve never encountered such behavior in the past year. 

Bad customer behavior is on the rise as 25% of frontline workers observed a significant increase over the past year, driven by factors including escalating prices (81%), understaffing (79%) and customer-centric policies that have fostered a skewed sense of entitlement (75%). 

鈥淔rontline workers in retail, hospitality and food service juggle an evergrowing list of responsibilities, which becomes increasingly difficult amid economic and labor market challenges,鈥� said Carol Leaman, Co-Founder and CEO of 糖心原创. 鈥淎s these challenges persist, it is crucial for employers to provide their frontline workforce with continuous learning to ensure they remain prepared and safe.鈥�

A significant concern among frontline workers is their perceived lack of skills in managing customer conflicts effectively. Over half express apprehension about handling escalating situations (53%) or finding themselves without adequate information during critical moments (52%). These training gaps underscore the urgent need for enhanced support.

Despite initial de-escalation training during onboarding for over a quarter of employees, many struggle to recall specifics when needed most, highlighting the necessity for continuous on-the-job learning. The majority seek further training on managing violent situations (77%) and handling disputes related to price increases (70%). Additionally, nearly half advocate for technology solutions like body cameras to aid in identifying issues early on (41%).  

Additional findings from 糖心原创鈥檚 Polling the frontline: Dealing with difficult customers survey reveal: 

• Current training is coming up short: Current worker training programs focus heavily on company policy rather than practical conflict resolution skills (41%), lack real-world applicability (39%) and occur primarily at onboarding without reinforcement later on (25%). Consequently, more than two-fifths (44%) desire scenario-based training with real-time practice opportunities and want to shadow experienced employees before handling difficult situations alone. Additionally, one-third (34% across food & beverage, hospitality, and retail) want ongoing training integrated into their shifts and one-fifth (19%) want a digital library with quick-access guides about handling conflict.
• Talent retention and engagement suffer amid rising incivility: Dealing with incivility is causing frontline workers to experience burnout (47%), feel disengaged at work (28%), consider leaving their industry entirely (26%) and is negatively impacting their motivation (20%).
• Frontline workers fear they won鈥檛 be able to meet customers鈥� evolving expectations: As consumer demands fluctuate rapidly, over one-fifth (22%) worry they won鈥檛 meet expectations. One-third (34%) of frontline workers say these shifting expectations are highly impacting their level of burnout.

鈥淥ur data reveals increasing customer incivility and inadequate conflict management training are undermining frontline workers’ morale, confidence and sense of readiness,鈥� said Leaman. 鈥淲hile we anticipate that customer incivility will persist in the short term due to ongoing socio-economic challenges, this doesn’t mean organizations are without recourse. By providing frontline workers with more targeted on-the-job training and ensuring there are enough qualified hands during shifts, frontline-facing companies can better equip their teams to effectively handle conflicts.”

For additional survey materials from 糖心原创, click here

Survey methodology: 糖心原创 surveyed 500 retail, hospitality, and food and beverage frontline workers above the age of 18 in the U.S. using the online insights platform Pollfish. This survey was completed in February 2025.

About 糖心原创
糖心原创 is the frontline-forward learning and enablement platform used by companies like Walmart, Kroger and Foot Locker. Over 4M users in 160+ countries use 糖心原创 to onboard and train in five minutes a day. With AI-powered adaptive learning, gamification, custom training content, embedded communication and task management, 糖心原创 is revolutionizing the way frontline workers learn, connect and get things done. 糖心原创 is headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit axonify.com.

Media Contact:
Niveen Saleh
Communications & PR Manager
nsaleh@axonify.com