‘Keep your cool’ and respect retail workers says Usdaw

Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “When stores are busy, customers can get frustrated with queues and stock quickly disappearing off the shelves; too often that can turn into anger towards retail workers. Incidents of violence, threats and abuse against retail staff are already worryingly high.

“Interim figures from this year’s Usdaw survey reveal that nearly three-quarters of retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. My Black Friday message to shoppers is clear. Enjoy your bargain hunting, keep your cool and respect retail workers.”

Voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments retail workers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

• “Unhappy customers who verbally abuse, shout at me when things aren’t working, especially at Christmas.”
• “Customer grabbed my throat, swore at, things thrown at me. Asked a customer to scan a bag and she got angry and started cursing at me.”
• Man taking pictures of my bum down aisle. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature from some of the older male customers.”
• “Spat at, kicked, bag thrown at me, car driven at me in car park and told ‘remember you have to leave work at some point’.”
• “As a manager, I often have to interject when a staff member is being abused. I often encounter racial slurs.”