Maßnahmen gegen Kundenbelästigung, einschließlich böswilliger Äußerungen und unangemessener Forderungen, schreiten voran

Companies and local governments are increasingly implementing measures against disruptive behaviour towards employees, such as malicious remarks and unreasonable demands, commonly referred to as “customer harassment” (Kasuhara). The “Shuto Expressway Customer Centre,” which had been dealing with persistent Kasuhara targeting telephone operators, introduced a “Call Termination Manual” in 2023, and it has proven effective.

Over 30% Have Experienced “Customer Harassment” in the Past 3 Years

On November 25, 2024, a 20-year-old woman in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of attempted coercion after she became angry when her smartphone’s issue wasn’t resolved immediately. She reportedly threatened a female store employee, saying “you should apologise by doing a bow” and tried to force the employee to do so by grabbing her hair.

At the time of her arrest, the woman partially denied the charges, admitting to pulling the employee’s hair but denying the threat.

According to research conducted by Neo Marketing in September 2024, 32% of respondents reported experiencing Kasuhara within the last 3 years, with about 6% saying it happens frequently.

Kasuhara vs Complaints: Insights from Lawyer Yukio Kikuchi

Lawyer Yukio Kikuchi explained the difference between Kasuhara and legitimate complaints:

Yukio Kikuchi (Lawyer):
“The difference lies in whether the demands are unreasonable. If someone says ‘you’re incompetent, quit,’ or uses derogatory terms like ‘idiot,’ those are signs of Kasuhara. On the other hand, if the demands are reasonable, then they are simply a complaint.”

He further clarified that it’s not just the content of the demand but also the manner in which it’s made.

Yukio Kikuchi (Lawyer):
“Even if the content of the demand is reasonable, the way it’s pursued could be problematic. For example, if someone repeatedly holds you on the phone for one or two hours, or keeps calling every day without letting you hang up, that can become Kasuhara. The method can cross a line of ‘social appropriateness,’ even if the content itself is not unreasonable.”

While drawing a clear line is difficult, Kikuchi explained that Kasuhara involves not just unreasonable content, but also actions like prolonged phone calls, verbal abuse, threats, or using social media to intimidate someone.

Local Governments Considering New Measures, Including “Name Disclosure”

In response to increasing Kasuhara, some local governments are considering stricter measures, including publishing the names of individuals involved in such harassment. For example, the city council of Kuwana in Mie Prefecture proposed an ordinance on December 4, 2024, aimed at preventing Kasuhara. The proposal includes setting up a consultation service for employees and issuing “warnings” if the harassment is confirmed. For repeated offenders, they plan to be the first in the country to publicly disclose their names on the city’s website.

Shuto Expressway’s “Call Termination Manual” Shows Results

Some companies have already seen positive results from new anti-Kasuhara policies. At the Shuto Expressway Customer Centre, which handles around 1,700 inquiries per day, many of which include unreasonable demands, a “Call Termination Manual” was implemented to address this issue. If a caller repeats the same content for over 30 minutes, makes unreasonable demands, or uses threatening language, the operator can end the call after explaining why.

From May 2023, when the manual was introduced, until August 2024, there were 22 instances where calls were terminated, but none resulted in further conflict.

A representative from the Shuto Expressway Customer Centre stated, “Employees now feel that the company is protecting them, which has allowed them to respond to customers more comfortably.”

Kazunori Onda, Director of the Sustainability Promotion Department at Shuto Expressway, commented, “It’s essential to respond sincerely to customers, but at the same time, we cannot allow our employees to be worn out.”

Legal Expert’s Opinion on Protecting Employees from Kasuhara

Lawyer Yukio Kikuchi pointed out that failing to protect employees from Kasuhara could result in legal consequences, should an employee decide to sue. “There’s a legal foundation for protecting employees. We may need to reconsider our approach towards customers,” he said.

Other examples of countermeasures include a major coffee chain changing the name tags of their staff to initials after a case where employees were stalked on social media, and a hospital that installed a “no disruptive behaviour” policy, with a poster warning patients that disruptive behaviour would result in refusal of service.