RUDE and unpleasant customers – or worse, those who are abusive – are often part of working in retail.

According to the a survey from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association last year, 87% of workers had experienced verbal abuse or violence from a customer in 2024.

Ninety percent also said that this kind of behaviour impacts their mental health.

In the high-pressure environment of the pharmacy, where customers may be ill, injured, confused or stressed, or simply in hurry, rudeness is an occupational hazard.

To combat rude customers or patients, mental resilience and crisis intervention expert Gary Fahey offered some advice.

“Rudeness is a warning signal – it’s not about you, it’s about the internal world of the person being rude, and the faster you understand that, the safer your mental health will be,” Fahey suggested.

Research studies show that rude behaviour does not just feel bad in the moment, it can have lasting neurological, emotional and even physical consequences.

Rudeness activates the same part of the brain that responds to actual threat, triggering the fight-or-flight response and hijacking the ability to think clearly.

Repeated exposure can lead to burnout, anxiety, avoidance behaviour and lowered performance.

However, Fahey said, there are steps pharmacists can take to protect their mental health.

“When people are sick, scared or short on cash, niceties are the first thing to go,” Fahey told Pharmacy Daily.

“You can acknowledge pain, saying something like ‘I can hear you’re really hurting’, and still uphold non-negotiables like ID checks, wait times or quantity limits,” he said.

“Empathy lowers the temperature, while clarity holds the boundary,” he explained.

“Slow the interaction, simplify the choices, and keep the focus on care and safety.”

Practical strategies include slowing breathing to stop the threat response, grounding the body by planting the feet firmly on the floor, using non-defensive body language and choosing strategic silence over emotional reactivity.

Fahey also recommended using phrases like “I’m not sure that tone is helpful right now” or politely asking someone to repeat their statement, which can help them re-engage their conscious thought.

However, he advised that if the interaction crosses into abuse or threat, end it – “psychological safety for staff is non-negotiable,” he said.

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