Have you ever been stuck behind someone in a queue with an overly long, complicated coffee order or been wedged next to a loud, rowdy group at a bar? Or maybe someone has berated your staff over prices or demanded to split the bill for a large group of people? These cringe-worthy moments of bad customer behaviour are all too common in Australia, it seems.
BizCover, Australia’s number one online insurance service for small businesses, has sought to uncover the worst customer habits across the nation. By surveying over 2000 people and business owners across 22 cities, they’ve uncovered Australia’s worst customer behaviours.
Key takeaways
- Complaining about prices was the most common customer violation overall, followed by splitting bills with large groups of people.
- Deciding you don’t want an item and leaving it on a random shelf was the top retail breach and is most likely observed in Newcastle.
- Bar patrons most often complain about prices, with Brisbane topping the list for this behaviour.
- Ballarat diners were the most likely to ask to split the bill at a cafe or restaurant, the top bad behaviour for these businesses.
- Respondents perceived women to be better at practicing great customer service etiquette (65%), but men are more likely to intervene if they witness bad behaviour (51%)
- Business owners rated their overall experience with their customers as “excellent” (55%)
- Those aged 24 and under are perceived by business owners to be the least courteous; while those aged 45-55 frequently demonstrate the best customer service etiquette.
Top ten most common customer service violations
Based on responses from Australian residents
| Ranking | Behaviour | Likeliness (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complaining about prices | 22.30% |
| 2 | Splitting bills with large groups of people | 21.50% |
| 3 | Decide you don’t want something in your basket and leave it on a random shelf | 14.10% |
| 4 | Overly loud laughter or rowdy behaviour | 10.80% |
| 5 | Bringing in outside food or drinks | 10.20% |
| 6 | Unfolding and messing up folded clothes on tables | 9.80% |
| 7 | Paying for items while either talking or texting on the phone | 9.60% |
| 8 | Refusing to start a tab | 9.50% |
| 9 | Joke that it’s free if it’s not scanning | 9.40% |
| 10 | Cutting in line | 9.40% |
It seems that people in Brisbane can’t help but complain about the cost of things. This was the top customer service violation overall, but is perhaps unsurprising given the current cost-of-living situation. It’s certainly a topic that’s on everyone’s lips.
Only four cities made the top 10 with Ballarat, Newcastle and Geelong joining Brisbane as the most common poor customer service etiquette locations in Australia. Splitting bills between large groups seems to be a habit in Ballarat, and people leaving items on random shelves when they decide they no longer want to purchase them is most likely to happen in Newcastle.
When it comes to the people of Geelong, rowdy behaviour and overly loud laughter tops the list. So, the next time you’re at your favourite bar, make sure you’re aware of the people near you – they may not think your impromptu Cold Chisel sing-along session is as much fun as you and your mates!
Top 10 bad customer service etiquette behaviours in bars
Based on responses from Australian residents
| Ranking | Behaviour | Likeliness (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complaining about prices | 22.30% |
| 2 | Overly loud laughter or rowdy behaviour | 10.8% |
| 3 | Refusing to start a tab | 9.5% |
| 4 | Cutting in line | 9.4% |
| 5 | Smoking/vaping in non-designated smoking areas | 8.5% |
| 6 | Ordering a cocktail off the menu with multiple changes to the recipe | 7.1% |
| 7 | Grabbing attention of staff but then not knowing what to order | 6.5% |
| 8 | Inappropriate public displays of affection | 6.5% |
| 9 | Staying in the venue after closing time | 5.8% |
| 10 | Mentioning you know the owner in hope of cheaper drinks | 5.7% |
The worst customer service violation in bars—once again, complaining about prices—was most perpetrated by people in Brisbane. This was far and away the most common bad behaviour people experienced at bars.
Second to this was overly loud and rowdy behaviour, with Geelong being the place most likely to see this happening. Canberra joins the list with poor behaviours like ordering a cocktail off the menu and asking for changes to the recipe. Rounding out the top ten was people in Sydney, with a touch of pretentiousness, mentioning they know the owner of the bar in the hope of cheaper drinks.
Top 10 bad customer service etiquette in retail stores
Based on responses from Australian residents
| Ranking | Behaviour | Likeliness (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decide you don’t want something in your basket and leave it on a random shelf | 14.1% |
| 2 | Unfolding and messing up folded clothes on tables | 9.8% |
| 3 | Paying for items while either talking or texting on the phone | 9.6% |
| 4 | Joke that it’s free if it’s not scanning | 9.4% |
| 5 | Coming in just before store closes | 6.7% |
| 6 | Ignoring staff when they have greeted you | 6.5% |
| 7 | Repeatedly asking staff to check stock out the back despite being informed it’s unavailable | 6.4% |
| 8 | Leaving the changing rooms in a mess (e.g. clothes on the floor) | 6.4% |
| 9 | Try and get a refund without any sort of proof of purchase | 6.1% |
| 10 | Jokingly asking if you can use the employee’s staff discount | 5.6% |
The worst customer service violation in retail stores was deciding against purchasing an item and then not putting it back where you found it, with people in Newcastle being the city most likely to exhibit this behaviour. Indecisive much?
This was followed by people in Geelong unfolding clothes on display tables and then not refolding them, paying for items while talking or texting, and ignoring staff after being greeted.
The worst behaviour displayed by people in Sydney was repeatedly asking staff to check stock ‘out the back’ despite being told the item in question isn’t available (Sydneysiders: ‘out the back’ is not Narnia. If it’s not in stock, then it’s not in stock). Sydney shoppers also enjoy jokingly asking to use the employee’s staff discount.
Top 10 bad customer service etiquette in cafes and restaurants
Based on responses from Australian residents
| Ranking | Behaviour | Likeliness (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splitting bills with large groups of people | 21.5% |
| 2 | Bringing in outside food or drinks | 10.2% |
| 3 | Ordering a meal but then wanting to remove lots of ingredients from it | 8.6% |
| 4 | Not using manners when your food has been served at the table | 6.2% |
| 5 | Ignoring the ‘wait to be seated’ sign, instead seating yourself | 6.0% |
| 6 | Overly long coffee orders with special requests | 6.0% |
| 7 | Parents allowing children free range of the restaurant | 6.0% |
| 8 | Grabbing attention of staff but then not knowing what to order | 5.6% |
| 9 | Not remembering what you ordered when food arrives | 5.5% |
| 10 | Clicking/snapping fingers or whistling at a waiter to grab attention | 4.5% |
Ballarat tops the list of poor customer service etiquette asking cafes and restaurants to split bills with large groups of people. Newcastle comes second with the habit of bringing in outside food and drinks. Geelong comes third, by ordering meals but requesting to remove lots of ingredients from it.
However, Sydney makes up half of the list. Is it time for this city to review their etiquette? Not using manners when the food has been served and ordering overly long coffee orders with special requests are just the start. Sydney parents seemingly have no issue giving their children free rein at restaurants, while others click their fingers or whistle to get the waiter’s attention. The worst part? They then don’t know what to order.
What do business owners have to say about their customers?
The glass can always be half full. When BizCover asked small business owners about the level of customer service etiquette demonstrated by their customers, the results were very positive – 55% of respondents said the interactions were overall “excellent”. 39% of respondents rated this as “good”. Only 0.5% of respondents said it was “poor” or “very poor”.
When asked about new trends, 41% of small businesses shared that customers have become less patient and more demanding; although 44% have not seen significant changes. Interestingly, some business owners have noticed their customers being more polite and considerate (15%).
Most business owners (67%) found that women customers were most commonly observed as demonstrating great customer etiquette. However, men were more likely to intervene if they witness a customer behaving badly in a customer service environment (51%).
The age group that demonstrated the best customer service etiquette was those aged 45 to 54, followed by 35- to 44-year-olds making a total of 77.76% respondents. Those aged 24 and under were perceived to have the worst manners (22.04%) which was similar to those 65 years or older at 21.75%. Is it true that you start to act younger the older you get?
Methodology
In the customer study, we sought to understand how Australian residents perceive customer interactions across various industries, including retail, bars, and cafes/restaurants, with a particular focus on identifying prevalent negative behaviours.
To achieve this, we partnered with PureProfile, a respected research agency, to conduct a survey from May 12th to May 20th, 2024. Over 1000 participants from the 22 largest cities in Australia took part in the survey. To ensure the reliability of the data, participants were required to have been residents of Australia for at least 12 months. Gender representation was also monitored, with 35% respondents identifying as male and 65% as female.
The likelihood score mentioned in this content is derived from responses where participants indicated “very often” or “somewhat often’’.
The survey responses were analysed to discern trends and patterns in customer behaviour across different industries. By examining the data, we aimed to provide valuable insights into common negative behaviours exhibited by customers in their interactions with staff.
In the BizCover customer study, we sought to understand how Australian small business owners perceive customer interactions across various industries, including retail, bars, and cafes/restaurants, with a particular focus on identifying prevalent negative behaviours.
To achieve this, we surveyed 1039 BizCover customers from around Australia between 17 and 27 May 2024. The survey responses were analysed to discern trends in customer behaviour across age ranges and gender. By examining the data, we aimed to provide valuable insights into common negative behaviours exhibited by customers in their interactions with staff.
