Four reasons customer aggression is growing

It has often been suggested a ‘situation’ may cause a customer to become aggressive toward a frontline retail employee. For example, the requirement to scan a QR Code to order a drink, or having a refund refused because they don’t have a receipt.

It is also suggested a customer’s ‘psychology’ may explain violent outboasts, with psychologists suggesting psychopathic narcissism or grandiose egotism may drive such behaviours.

However, considering the frequency of customer aggression, these deviant behaviours can not alone be driven by service failure situations or dysfunctional psychology. Not every customer is a narcissist.

Adopting a sociological view offers four reasons why customer aggression happens:

1. Customer sovereignty – The idea that the ‘customer is always right’ (customer sovereignty) is often used to explain instances of customer aggression and abuse. It has been theorised that customer aggression results when ‘customer enchantment’ turns to ‘disillusionment’. For example, a customer becomes aggressive when they are declined a request (upgrade, refund) that they believe they are ‘entitled’ to (because the customer is always right).

2. Low-status shield held by frontline service employees – Inflaming the aggressive behaviour is the tendency to conflate notions of low-level, low-paid, low-status, and low-skilled work associated with retail service occupations. It has been argued customers are more likely to demonstrate aggressive behaviour toward retail service workers who lack a ‘status shield’, such as young female assistants or international students, rather than at supervisors.

3. Disconnected interactions between service employees and customers – The service interaction continuum may also elevate customer aggression. Consider the isolated, anonymous interaction with a young checkout operator who has packed your groceries poorly, versus the long-term relational exchange you have with a hairdresser or pharmacist. It has been suggested customer aggression is more likely to occur when the service exchanges are simply isolated encounters.

4. Displaced aggression – Displaced aggression theory offers those frustrated individuals, who are unable to retaliate against the provocation (a refund policy), are more likely to respond aggressively toward an innocent individual - often referred to as the ‘kicking the (barking) dog effect’.

Accepting the ideas of customer sovereignty, low status shield and isolated, service encounters, and displaced aggression can provide a robust explanation of aggressive behaviours in a retail services context.