Study: Frontline workers say customer aggression on the rise
Rising customer abuse toward frontline employees is threatening employee wellbeing, retention and workplace stability across retail, hospitality and other industries.
Forty-two percent of frontline workers have personally experienced customer aggression at work at least once in the past four weeks, according to a study from global market research firm 3Gem, commissioned by Halos, which provides body-worn camera technology for frontline workers. Nearly 40% said customer aggression has increased over the past 12 months, signaling the problem is not only widespread, but worsening.
Survey respondents shared a troubling range of run-ins with customers, ranging from verbal abuse to physical intimidation and assault, spitting and property damage. Employer tolerance for this behavior has a notable impact on employee performance, engagement and retention, according to the research.
More than one-third (37%) of workers said their employer treats customer aggression as “just part of the job,” a mindset Halos warns may be one of the greatest barriers to addressing the issue. Only 55% of workers strongly or somewhat agreed that reporting abuse or aggression at work leads to meaningful action.
“Organizations spend tremendous time and money recruiting and retaining frontline talent, yet many are overlooking one of the biggest factors contributing to burnout and turnover,” said Alan Ring, CEO at Halos. “When customer incivility and aggression toward employees becomes normalized, it goes from being a safety and security issue to being an HR and commercial issue. With the right policies and tools in place, businesses can get ahead of it and demonstrate that there's simply zero tolerance for this behavior.”
Employer tolerance for this behavior has a notable impact on employee performance, engagement and retention, according to the research:
•Most (86%) respondents said customer abuse or aggression increased their stress or anxiety at work in the last year.
•Most (84%) said they have become more cautious or avoidant with customers.
•Most (80%) reported lower job satisfaction.
•Thirty-seven percent said they had taken time off — or know of a co-worker who had — as a result of customer aggression.
“If frontline workers feel their employer believes aggression is inevitable and won’t meaningfully act when incidents occur, those businesses risk absenteeism, disengagement and burnout at a time when retaining skilled frontline labor is critical." said Ring
Methodology
The research was conducted by 3Gem in April 2026. The firm conducted an online survey of 1,500 U.S. adults (18-plus) employed in frontline industries including retail, hospitality (restaurants, bars and hotels), transportation (rail, bus, stations and airports), delivery and logistics (courier, last-mile and warehouse-facing roles), and private security.
