Nobody likes to be treated poorly in the workplace, but the younger generation seems to be doing worse than their older colleagues when it comes to difficult interactions with customers. 72% of Gen Z workers say that interactions with people at work have worsened their mental health.

Almost the same number of retail employees say they might quit their job because of negative interactions with managers, co-workers, and, of course, customers. When it comes to employees of all ages, 59% say they're looking for a new job because customer and co-worker interactions are just too much.

One reason why younger people might be complaining more about entitled customers is because Gen Z has come into the job market with different expectations. Dr Zoë Port​, management lecturer at Massey University, explains that young workers don't sacrifice their values for a job.

"The overwhelming theme is they want to be treated like human beings, not like worker drones that are only there to fulfil tasks," she told Stuff. That's why young workers nowadays get branded as entitled or 'difficult to work with'. However, some experts ask: is it really too much to expect to be treated like a person? 

A recent survey by Perceptyx revealed just how bad dealing with entitled customers can be. 53% of the respondents claimed that they've recently encountered customers who were verbally abusive, threatening, or just plain unruly. In some cases, the situation gets so bad that two in three employees have had to bring in their manager to deal with the customer.

Retail workers aren't the only profession affected by infuriating customers. Other frontline workers like servers, hospital staff, and those who work in information, finance, and insurance face abusive behavior from customers, too. 

"From being cursed at on the phone or at the customer service counter to threats of violence in a hospital ER, frontline workers in all fields deal with difficult customer interactions," Senior Director and Head of the Center for Workforce Transformation at Perceptyx Emily Killham explained.

Frontline workers also have other work-related stresses to deal with. Whether they're working in retail or hospitality, many employees receive inadequate pay, long work hours, and staff shortages. And it isn't just an American problem; hospitality workers in New Zealand are experiencing more and more verbal abuse and threats from customers, too.

Experts attribute it to the tough financial situation both the workers and the customers are in. They say the cost of living crisis has made people stressed, and, sometimes, people lash out at frontline workers.

"Months of Covid restrictions, the cost of living crisis, and the terrible mauling that hospitality businesses took over the pandemic means customers are more stressed, money is tighter, and hospitality managers are struggling to make ends meet. The pressure of it all causes resentment," personal transformation strategist Simone-Ellen Keller offers one possible explanation. "Everybody is running around with shortened fuses and frontline staff are the meat in the sandwich."

Interestingly, some polite consumer habits might also aggravate employees. What to some might seem like polite banter, to others can be annoying. Like when customers try making small talk and ask workers if they like their jobs. One Old Navy employee, Ethan S., told Reader's Digest that he simply lies. "Then they leave happy, but it makes me depressed because I feel like I have to put on a fake front for people. I'd rather they just didn't ask that question."

Sometimes, customers may also try to be helpful by folding the clothes they looked at but didn't like. This might seem like a basic polite thing to do, but retail workers actually hate it. "We have to fold things a certain way, and most customers don't know how to do that," another Gap and Old Navy employee in Texas, Olivia S., explains.

Other customers think that the way stores organize clothes doesn't make sense. The Old Navy employee Ethan S. witnessed such a case when a lady put the 10 and 12 sizes on the racks in the front. 

In her mind, it made sense: the average woman in America is either of those two sizes, and the way the store organizes the clothes just isn't representative of that. However, employees didn't appreciate her efforts: corporate rules dictate that clothes have to be hung from smallest to largest.

Which of these moments do you think are the most infuriating, Pandas? How many similar behaviors have you witnessed, even if you're not a retail or hospitality employee? Share your experiences with us in the comments! And if you want to see more customers acting dumb, check out our previous articles here, and here!