As the festive period begins, the British Retail Consortium and
UKHospitality have come together to urge the public to be kind
and considerate to people who work in retail and hospitality, as
well as fellow customers when doing their shopping, dining out or
going for a festive tipple this Christmas.
The plea comes as violence and abuse against those in customer
service continues to climb, with a recent Usdaw survey showing
that in the last 12 months, 65% of retail staff experienced
verbal abuse, and 42% have been threatened by a customer.
Christmas is always an incredibly complex and challenging time of
year for the retail and hospitality industry. Everyone is working
extra hard to keep shelves stocked, products delivered, and meals
and drinks served, and stores, delivery services, restaurants,
pubs and bars will naturally be a little busier.
Nonetheless, it is essential that we all play our part in
creating a friendly and enjoyable environment for other customers
and staff this Christmas, and we ask for patience, kindness and
consideration during this busy time.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, British Retail
Consortium:
“As the clock counts down to Christmas Day, retail stores and
websites will become increasingly busy.People in retail are
working hard to look after customers, helping them find what they
need, keeping shelves stocked and delivering goods. While
tensions can run high, any mistreatment of our colleagues will
not be tolerated. Confrontations, be it verbal abuse or physical
assault, can take a huge toll on victims, their families and
their colleagues. ‘Tis the season to shop kind.”
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive,
UKHospitality:
“Christmas is a time
for friends and family to come together, so naturally venues will
be busier as we all look to go for a drink or have a meal out.
Our staff work incredibly hard over the busy festive period to
make sure everyone can enjoy the brilliant hospitality
experiences the UK is known for and they deserve to be treated
with kindness and respect. We’d urge customers to do just that
and not let any frustrations boil over into mistreatment of
staff. Any poor treatment of staff should not be tolerated.”
Austin Cooke, Managing Director,
Poundland:
"We wholeheartedly back the BRC’s call for
kindness from everyone shopping in stores over the coming weeks.
Our colleagues go above and beyond at this time of year to look
after customers.
“We know a little kindness and appreciation for that hard work
will make all the difference as they do everything they can to
make Christmas in our stores as special as it can be."
