The law has changed to offer greater protection to all customer-facing staff; it will mean harsher sentencing for assaults against public-facing workers. 

We want our staff to serve all our customers with the knowledge they are fully protected against abusive or threatening behaviour.  

We know that the vast majority of our customers are extremely respectful, and we thank you for your support.  

With nearly 80% of the UK’s workforce working in customer-facing roles, mounting abuse is affecting staff across every sector – from retail to public services; financial institutions to our public transport networks.

The Institute Of Customer Service reveals more than half of customer-facing staff have experienced abuse from customers since the start of the pandemic – ranging from verbal abuse such as shouting and abusive language to, in the most extreme cases, physical assaults.

In July 2020 The ICS launched a new campaign: Service with Respect. BBC Breakfast helped highlight this important issue, interviewing CEO, Jo Causon, about the aims of the initiative.

On 8 December 2021, The Times published an abridged version of this open letter calling for action to tackle the issue of abuse against public-facing workers.

Following many months of campaigning, The ICS have achieved one of the core aims of our Service with Respect campaign: a change in the law to protect customer-facing workers from abuse – find out more here.