What is Minaca VR?
Minaca VR equips frontline workers with the skills to handle aggressive customers safely and confidently.
A low-cost, scalable virtual reality training program, Minaca VR (Managing Incivility, Negativity And Customer Aggression) protects your workforce and your business from escalating customer conflict.
Delivered through Start Beyond’s world-leading Oncio platform, this immersive training program works seamlessly across headsets and tablets.
There’s no need to purchase extra hardware or software, and organisations can get started easily with a 3-month pilot program.
Powered by Australia's leading VR & AR immersive learning studio
Start Beyond is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed virtual and augmented reality studio that provides scalable, high-impact immersive training experiences across VR, AR, mobile and desktop.
The vision is to transport imaginations and move people to see the world differently.
Since inception, Start Beyond has worked with Fortune 500 companies and delivered over 1.9 million experiences users across the globe via VR, AR mobile and desktop.
These memorable experiences form the basis of Minaca VR.
celebrated for excellence
Why It works
Immersive learning that builds real-world confidence
Real-world 360° scenarios
Places learners in evocative and visceral real-world 360° scenarios, because feelings create memories and memories become knowledge.
In-depth analytics
Delivers in-depth analytics on user confidence, completion and decision-making.
Gamification
Storytelling and gameplay mechanics transport imaginations and drive engagement.
Increased effectiveness
Proven to be 4x more effective than traditional training methods in increasing speed to proficiency and generating knowledge retention.
Industries we serve
Select the VR training program built for your industry
HOSPITALITY
Teach hospitality workers how to manage aggressive customers
Retail
Grow the expertise and confidence of your workforce to manage poor customer behaviour
Health & Aged Care
Prevent burnout by up-skilling your workforce
Learn how to manage these badly behaved customers
FEATURED CASE STUDY
Recent success stories from our launch partners
In May 2025, major Australian discount retailer, The Reject Shop, trialled Minaca VR.
This immersive learning program helped frontline workers move from confrontation to confidence, strengthening overall resilience and safety.
"At The Reject Shop, we're proud to be trialling VR training as a proactive step to support team safety and address the growing challenge of customer aggression. While this is a new approach for us, the early results have been encouraging. These outcomes highlight the power of immersive learning to build confidence, reduce risk, and reinforce our commitment to keeping our team safe."
95
team members completed the retail module over the course of 5 weeks - 77 of whom had previously experienced customer aggression.
68%
of participants felt ‘very confident’ handling aggressive customers after the VR training session, up from 18% before training.
98%
reported feeling either ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ in managing rude or disrespectful customers after completing virtual reality training.
Nursing students from the University of Technology Sydney are trialling Minaca VR to safely practice managing patient aggression, a concern affecting a growing number of healthcare workers.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many particpants citing the VR program's ability to replicate the pressure of real-world interactions in a safe environment.
“Aggressive incidents in healthcare settings pose a serious challenge for new nurses who often face these situations unprepared. By introducing Minaca VR into our curriculum, we’ve been able to give students a safe way to practise these skills before they step onto a hospital ward. Students consistently tell us the experience has left them feeling more confident and better prepared for practice.”
68%
felt ‘very confident’ handling aggressive customers after the VR training session, up from 18% before training.
95
team members completed the retail module over the course of 5 weeks (77 of whom had previously experienced customer aggression)
98%
of participants reported feeling either ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ in managing rude, aggressive or disrespectful customers.
News + Insights
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Why organisations choose Minaca VR over traditional training
Immersive VR training for customer conflict management
Immersive scenarios offer realistic practice
Behavior management strategies through virtual reality
Builds stronger behaviour management strategies
De-escalation techniques: virtual reality training solutions
Simulation teaches safer, more effective de-escalation tactics
Building psychological safety in the workplace with VR training
Supports psychological safety in the workplace
Enhancing employee resilience through immersive training
Immersive learning builds confidence and resilience quickly
Reducing workplace stress with virtual conflict training
Repeatable VR practice reduces stress and supports better decisions
Unlimited users with unlimited access
Plug & play
Hub-and-spoke deployment
In-depth analytics
Self-paced training
Client support
LMS integration
3-month trial program
Available
No IT Required
Available
Built in
No trainer required
Available
Built in
Available
Online learning
Limited
Company IT required
Limited
Limited
Available
Limited coverege
Available
Limited
Robust and easy to use VR hardware
All included in the 3-month pilot program
Amy Towers
Founder & WHS Expert
Amy Towers’ decades of experience in Work Health and Safety, enable her to identify and address safety risks with practical and effective strategies.
These initiatives include the WorkWell Program, funded by WorkSafe Victoria and delivered by the Australian Retailers Association, to identify psychosocial risks in the retail sector and trial intervention programs.
Steven Booker
Workplace Psychologist and Employment Lawyer
Psychologist Steven Booker combines his psychology background with his expertise in workplace law. He specialises in managing psychological risk projects, and helping organisations address mental health challenges and workplace conflict.
Steven navigates the intricacies of psychosocial risks and legal compliance to deliver solutions that are effective and adhere to the highest standards of legal responsibility.
Frequently asked questions
Get quick answers to common questions about virtual reality training and immersive learning with Minaca VR.
Virtual reality training uses 360 degree scenarios to place learners inside realistic situations so they can practise skills in a safe environment. Users wear a VR headset or use a desktop or mobile device to move through guided scenarios, make decisions and learn by doing.
It gives workers realistic practice, builds confidence faster than traditional training and helps them respond to difficult customer behaviour with clarity. It also provides repeatable practice and consistent learning for large teams.
Immersive learning recreates the pressure and emotion of real interactions so staff can practise responding without real world risk. This builds muscle memory, improves decision making and strengthens confidence in high pressure moments.
A scenario mirrors a real workplace interaction. Employee face a customer who becomes rude or aggressive, choose how to respond and see the outcome of their choices. Each scenario teaches specific de escalation and conflict management skills.
Traditional training relies on theory or roleplay. Minaca VR lets staff experience real behaviour, try different responses and learn from instant feedback. It is consistent, scalable and proven to lift confidence quickly.
Yes. Minaca VR is shaped with input from Risk Collective’s WHS specialists. The training aligns with current WHS guidelines and helps organisations address psychosocial hazards linked to aggressive customer behaviour.
New insights into customer aggression and frontline risk
Discover the impact of rising customer aggression on frontline teams and the role VR training can play in reducing risk.
This white paper draws on insights from 300+ HR leaders across retail, hospitality, health and aged care.
Learn what the data reveals and why immersive learning is becoming the training solution for safer, more resilient workplaces.
Our partners
Risk Collective are the WHS subject matter experts behind Minaca VR.
Their experience in workplace psychology, safety regulation and behavioural
risk ensures this VR training solution meets WHS requirements and equips
frontline workers with the skills to identify and manage psychosocial risks
associated with aggressive customers.