‘Customer Harassment’ Ordinance: Prevent Victims from Suffering in Isolation

Editorial

14:59 JST, October 8, 2024

There have been a stream of cases of workers being driven to the point of mental breakdown by unreasonable demands or abuse from customers. In addition to efforts by companies, the central and local governments should also strengthen their support for protecting workers.

Excessive complaints and abusive language directed at employees by customers is known as “customer harassment.” In some cases, employees have even been physically assaulted and forced to kneel with their heads on the ground in apology, and the harassment has become a social problem in recent years.

In some cases, when customers are dissatisfied with the way they are dealt with, they take photos of the shop clerks’ faces or name tags and threaten to spread them on social media. As a result, companies and shops have been forced to take measures such as using name tags that only display employees’ initials.

This is already an age of anxiety and stress. It has been said that society is becoming less tolerant. However, that does not mean that customers should be attacking employees as if to relieve their own stress.

In response to this situation, the Tokyo metropolitan government has established the nation’s first ordinance to prevent customer harassment. The ordinance clearly states that customer harassment is a violation of the personhood and dignity of employees, and the ordinance requires that companies ensure the safety of their employees and that customers “make an effort to be careful with their words and actions.”

It is commendable that the authorities do not leave the handling of the issue solely to companies but have shown their stance that customer harassment will not be tolerated. The new ordinance is also expected to have a restraining effect on customers.

The psychological and physical scars suffered by victims of customer harassment are deep. Last year, 52 people were recognized as having suffered work-related illnesses such as depression as a result of customer harassment. In 2020, a 24-year-old male employee of a housing manufacturer committed suicide after being repeatedly scolded by a customer.

The victims noticeably tend to be women and young people. If people think it is okay to engage in rude behavior and hurl abusive language at such victims because they consider women and young people insignificant, then that is despicable. It should be remembered that just being a customer does not mean someone can do whatever they like.

There are also moves to enact similar ordinances in places other than Tokyo. It is important to raise awareness so that customer harassment is not tolerated.

However, it is difficult to draw a line between what constitutes customer harassment and what does not. If legitimate complaints from customers are excluded, there will be no hope of improving service.

The Tokyo metropolitan government will release examples of typical cases of what constitutes customer harassment before the ordinance comes into effect in April next year. Referring to the examples to be provided by Tokyo, companies should consider measures to deal with problems that arise with customers. It would also be effective to have multiple employees respond to a customer and to have a telephone recording function in place.

The central and local governments also need to provide support, such as setting up a consultation service for victims and companies.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 8, 2024)