The Australian cities with the rudest customers are revealed, along with the habits that annoy staff the most.
BizCover, Australia’s leading online insurance service for small businesses, found that Sydney ranked first for having the worst-behaving customers in the country.
A survey of 1,000 business owners in 22 cities found Brisbane was the second rudest city, followed by Geelong, Canberra and Adelaide.
The rest of the top ten was made up of Ballarat, Perth, Newcastle, Melbourne and Wollongong.
As for what customers do to annoy workers, the survey pointed to complaints about prices, hoarding of products on shelves, rowdy drinkers and splitting bills.
“The most common type of misconduct in Australia is complaining about price, with Brisbane ranking first for this,” BizCover said.
‘In retail stores, Australian customers are the most guilty of changing their minds and leaving unpurchased items on random shelves. Newcastle is the most guilty of this.
‘Geelong has the loudest and rowdiest pub patrons, while Brisbane drinkers are the most likely to complain about prices.
‘Ballarat diners are the most likely to ask to split the bill at cafes and restaurants.’
BizCover, Australia’s leading online insurance service for small businesses, has found that Sydney has the rudest customers in the country (pictured is a map ranking the cities with the “worst” customers)
The major respondents ranked the offensive acts that customers committed across a variety of industries
When looking at specific industries, the top five worst acts committed by customers at bars were complaining about prices, loud and disruptive behavior, ordering an off-menu cocktail and asking for changes, mentioning knowing the owner to get discounts, and snapping fingers or whistling to get the bartender’s attention.
Retail customers were reprimanded for leaving items on shelves haphazardly.folding clothes on display tables, pTalking while talking or texting, jokingly asking to use the employee’s personal discount and aasking staff to check stock “in the back” repeatedly.
Customers of cafes and restaurants were found guilty of ssplitting bills with large groups of people, bringing in outside food or drinks, ordering meals and requesting extensive changes in ingredients, failing to use good service manners, and making overly complicated coffee orders.
“Our survey exposes the cities where poor customer service etiquette is most prevalent, with Sydney leading the pack,” said Sharon Kenny, marketing director at BizCover.
‘Common problems such as complaining about prices, leaving items on shelves haphazardly and splitting bills into large batches are prevalent across the country.
‘Despite these challenges, many business owners still report positive customer experiences, underscoring the potential for improvement in customer interactions.’
The survey was completed with the assistance of PureProfile, a renowned research agency, between May 12 and May 20, 2024.
BizCover also surveyed 1,039 of its customers across Australia between 17 and 27 May 2024.
Despite a long list of negative interactions, 55 percent of business owners rated their overall customer experience as “excellent,” while 39 percent rated it as “good.”
Only 0.5 percent considered their experience to be “bad” or “very bad.”
However, 41 percent of small businesses noted that customers have become less patient and more demanding, while 15 percent noticed an increase in courtesy and consideration.
The survey also considered the differences between men and women as customers.
Of all business owners, 65 percent said women practice better customer service etiquette.
However, 51 percent said men were more likely to intervene when they witnessed bad behavior.
Customers between 45 and 55 years old are considered to be the most polite, while those aged 24 or younger are considered to be the least polite.
Of business owners, 65 percent said women practice better customer service etiquette despite reporting massive negative interactions.
Despite a long list of negative interactions, 55 percent of business owners rated their overall customer experience as “excellent,” while 39 percent rated it as “good.”
The survey was completed with the help of research agency PureProfile between May 12 and May 20, 2024.
BizCover also surveyed 1,039 of its customers across Australia between 17 and 27 May 2024.
BizCover is an online platform that allows business owners to compare quotes from leading Australian insurers.
