A new approach to managing Customer Misbehaviour
Customer aggression and violence is a growing issue across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and aged care — with serious consequences for both people and businesses.
Frontline workers are frequently exposed to verbal abuse, threats, and physical violence. The impacts go beyond the immediate event, often leading to:
Mental health injuries
Absenteeism and turnover
Lost productivity
Workers' compensation claims
WHS improvement notices
The data is clear - frontline risks are rising
According to Safe Work Australia, there has been a 56% increase in serious claims for workplace violence and aggression over the past five years. The health care and social assistance sector is among the most affected, with almost 40% of workers reporting exposure to violent or traumatic events.
Recent media reports have also highlighted the challenges facing workers in customer-facing and community roles.
A recent ABC News investigation (April 2025) found that health workers, particularly those performing home visits, often feel underprepared to manage difficult behaviours and volatile situations.
As a representative from Canberra Health Services noted:
Occupational violence is something we've been working on for a long time, for many years. It didn't start when these incidents occurred, and certainly it won't end tomorrow.
This reinforces the need for a stronger focus on preparation — including practical training, better risk management systems, and ongoing support — to help workers manage aggressive behaviours before situations escalate.
Why a new approach to customer misbehaviour training was needed
At Risk Collective, we've worked with organisations both after improvement notices have been issued and proactively, helping businesses identify psychosocial risks early and implement control measures before harm occurs.
Across industries, a consistent challenge has been the lack of effective, scalable training — particularly training that is engaging, practical, and easily rolled out across multiple sites and a diverse workforce.
That’s what led us to collaborate with immersive learning specialists Start Beyond to help shape a better solution.
Introducing MINACA VR - Australia’s first of its kind
MINACA VR, developed and owned by Start Beyond, is Australia’s first publicly available virtual reality training program focused on customer aggression.
Risk Collective contributed as the WHS and Psychology content partner, drawing on real-world workplace experiences, regulatory guidance, and practical behavioural strategies to shape the learning structure.
The training is also extremely cost-effective, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes needing to strengthen their frontline risk management and meet new psychosocial risk obligations.
What the training covers
Through immersive VR scenarios, workers engage with three common types of aggressive customer behaviours:
The Bulldog – domineering and demanding
The Viper – volatile and unpredictable
The Chameleon – passive-aggressive and manipulative
Workers build confidence in recognising warning signs, de-escalating conflict, managing their own emotional responses, and maintaining personal safety — all within a controlled, repeatable learning environment.
Learn more about MINACA VR
MINACA VR is an immersive training program developed by Start Beyond, designed to equip frontline workers with practical skills to recognise and respond to customer aggression. Through realistic 360° video scenarios and easy-to-deploy VR technology, MINACA VR provides a practical, scalable way for businesses to build worker confidence and support WHS obligations around psychosocial risk management.
You can find more information about the training below.