Companies join initiative to encourage respectful behavior in society
A survey of service sector employees* reveals that more than half of the surveyed salespeople, waiters and other service providers in Latvia face various types of unacceptable behavior from customers – most often it is rude and indecent behavior (67%), evasion of payment for goods or services (27%) and threats (26%). In some cases, staff have encountered physical abuse (4%) and even sexual harassment (3%). Women are twice as likely as men to report frequent abusive behavior (41% of surveyed women, 23% of men).
This problem is typical for most companies whose employees work with customers – salespeople, waiters, couriers, administrators and other service providers. To defend employees and call on the public to be more sensitive and kind to the people who provide them with daily services, several companies are joining the social campaign “Wave of Kindness ” initiated by “Circle K”.
“Circle K has been implementing this initiative for the third year now and we see that the campaign is having results – society is becoming more tolerant. However, every third employee still complains about unkind treatment in their daily work. This affects employees, makes their daily lives difficult, and many regretfully admit that such experiences at work have become the norm. We are working hard to reduce unpleasant situations and support employees. With this campaign, we want to encourage society to be kinder and at the same time thank those customers who set an example for others with their respectful attitude on a daily basis,” says Undīne Miķelsone, Baltic HR Director at Circle K.
As Sanita Bērziņa, CEO of the delivery service provider Venipak Latvija, points out: “Most customers treat our employees with respect and a positive attitude, but we also have to deal with difficult situations. We are aware that it is important to support employees in conflict situations, which is why we regularly organize training on managing difficult situations and overcoming stress, and provide daily support from managers. In a recent situation, our employee professionally and with empathy managed customer dissatisfaction and anger, explaining the reasons for the delivery delay. At the end of the conversation, the customer thanked us for the help and understanding.”
Also, the sales and customer service manager at Tet Dace Lodziņa emphasizes that employee well-being is one of the company’s core values. “Our team consists of more than 900 employees who work with customers every day – call center, stores and engineers. We invest in our colleagues to be both professional and sensitive representatives of our brand, and we regularly analyze customer feedback. We are pleased with such initiatives that invite the public to think about mutual respect and a positive attitude – these are values that help create better cooperation and an environment for all of us,” emphasizes Dace Lodziņa.
Circle K Latvia has been working for a long time on employee training and other measures that promote a safer work environment. Regular team and management training is organized, confidential communication with management has been introduced to report unpleasant situations in the workplace, and if necessary, psychological consultations are also offered to employees. Video surveillance and a number of robbery prevention measures are available at fuel stations.
“It is important that employees feel comfortable reporting any unpleasant situation in the workplace. We take every such report seriously and respond appropriately. At Circle K, we strive to create a work culture where psychological abuse is not tolerated and where respect and kindness towards each other are emphasized,” says Undīne Miķelsone.
*The survey was conducted by the research agency “Intra Research” in January 2025, surveying 610 people working in the service sector in Latvia.