The abuse shop workers face has grown due to the third national lockdown, a new survey has revealed.
As a result of the survey a new offence of abusing customer service staff is being called for after an increase in cases of shoppers lashing out at employees.
It followed research which showed more than half of workers surveyed find customers less tolerant because of Covid 19 - compared to just a quarter six months ago.
More than a third of customer-facing staff said the number of hostile encounters with customers had also increased since the third national lockdown began.
And over a half think customers will become increasingly hostile over the next few weeks and months.
The number of customers who have witnessed other customers "raising their voices" to staff has also doubled since August.
The ECHO has reported numerous instances since the start of the year of bad behaviour by shoppers, including screaming in a worker's face after they came to the till with no masks on, and being sworn at.
According to the research of 1,000 customer service workers and 1,000 members of the public by the Institute of Customer Service, instances of face to face and verbal hostility and abuse are most common when asking customers to adhere to social distancing rules (69%), and asking customers to wear a face mask (60.5%).
Those polled reported employees' perceptions of consumer’s moods as being stressed (44.1%), frustrated (39.1%) and uncertain (32.8%).
The Institute of Customer Service, which carried out the research, is leading the drive to create a new offence for those who threaten, abuse or assault customer service professionals in-person, on the phone or online.
The Institute's CEO, Jo Causon, said: “As we approach a year since Covid-19 restrictions came into play, it is not surprising that our frontline workers are dealing with an increasingly frustrated and disenfranchised public.
"The fact that many are also taking on additional responsibilities in their role – such as enforcing the wearing of masks and social distancing rules – is only adding to the strain. Others are dealing with increasingly frustrated customers over the phone and online, sometimes without adequate training or support.
Find the number of people vaccinated near you by entering your postcode below
“Not only have these employees played a vital role in keeping the nation running throughout the past year, but they will also be the backbone of efforts to rebuild our economy post-crisis. Both the Government and employers have a duty to support and protect them, through increased protection via the law and additional training to prepare them for the increased requirements of their role.”
As well as calling on the Government to create a new, standalone offence for abusing customer service staff, the Institute is encouraging businesses to ensure investment is in place to equip staff with the necessary training and tools to handle the increased requirements of their role.
