Customer Aggression: How to protect your employees during the peak-season rush

Nearly 60% of frontline workers experienced customer abuse or know a colleague who had during a typical four-week period in 2026, according to research from Halos earlier this year that polled 2,500 frontline workers across the U.S. and U.K.

That's especially concerning for retailers as we get further into peak season, bringing with it heavier foot traffic, demanding customer expectations, longer operating hours and increased pressure on frontline employees.

This time of year can also bring a spike in security challenges, from a higher frequency of shoplifting and confrontations over merchandise to disputes at checkout. These issues tend to peak in November and December, coinciding with increased in-store shopping. Protecting employees must be a priority.

The Halos research also underscores another issue: Two-thirds of respondents had considered quitting their jobs as a result of customer aggression, and 86% reported increased stress or anxiety due to customer abuse. Rising customer aggression — if unchecked — goes beyond security and becomes a workforce issue that can undermine employee morale, contribute to turnover and make it harder to retain talent.

Here are five things retailers can do to reduce risk and ensure workers know they are supported.

1. Make employee safety an operational priority

Peak season planning starts far in advance of Q4, with retailers forecasting demand, hiring seasonal workers and finding ways to refine operations. Security and employee safety deserve the same level of preparation.

Retailers should review incident reports from previous holiday seasons to identify patterns and utilize them to assist with staffing decisions and training. Are confrontations more common in certain locations within a store? Do incidents tend to occur during specific hours? Are certain locations experiencing a higher frequency of uncivil behavior?

These insights can help retailers allocate security personnel, adjust staffing schedules and identify areas where additional safeguards may be needed. The goal is to be proactive and get ahead of issues.

2. Have de-escalation protocols in place

Frontline employees are often the messengers explaining policies they did not create such as enforcing return restrictions, addressing inventory shortages or telling customers that a promotion doesn't apply to their purchase.

When customers are frustrated, employees often naturally become the punching bag. Training can help workers recognize early warning signs of escalation, including hostile language, threatening gestures and refusal to respect personal space. Employees should learn how to communicate calmly, maintain appropriate distance and avoid language or actions that may intensify a confrontation.

Retailers should also make it clear when workers should involve a manager or security professional, step away from a confrontation or contact emergency services. A consistent, well-understood response gives employees the confidence they need to perform their jobs well.

3. Use technology to your advantage.

Curbing customer aggression requires a combination of technology, training, reporting protocols and visible support from leadership. 

When asked in the Halos study what they believe would make the biggest difference to their safety, frontline workers identified three priorities:

• Clear consequences for abusive customers;
• Visible management support when enforcing policies; and
• Faster access to assistance during incidents.

Tools like CCTV, body-worn cameras and scan detection cameras at self checkout stations (such as TruScan used by Target) can strengthen these efforts by providing reliable documentation and increasing confidence in reporting processes.

Most importantly, they help shift the approach from reactive to proactive and ensure all bases are covered should an incident require further investigation.

4. Encourage incident reporting

Not every threatening interaction results in a visible result like an injury or property damage. But verbal abuse toward frontline workers is rampant, and it, too, needs to be reported. Employees are no longer willing to accept this behavior as "just part of the job."

That mentality on an employer's behalf also creates an information management problem. If workers aren't encouraged to report these incidents, retailers lose important information that could help them identify recurring risks, intervene earlier and protect other employees.

Retail leaders need to establish straightforward reporting procedures and not only have those procedures so they can say they exist; they must proactively encourage staff to utilize them when necessary.

Retailers can then use the reporting to refine training and adjust staffing as necessary.

5. Close the feedback loop.

Reporting an incident of customer abuse should be the start of the process, not the end of it. In the aforementioned survey, only 14% of respondents said they received any sort of follow-up from their employer after reporting a serious incident.

Managers should ensure the immediate safety needs of an impacted employee are addressed and explain what support is available. That could include time away from the sales floor, access to employee assistance resources, schedule adjustments or follow-up with the HR team.

Retailers should also communicate what happens after an incident is reported so the employee knows the issue wasn't simply dropped. If they see that meaningful follow-up was taken, they're more likely to trust the reporting process and feel supported.

Employee safety is no longer just a security concern. It's a workforce stability issue. Retailers invest heavily in recruiting and training seasonal employees this time of year. Protecting those employees needs to be just as much a priority.