Japan addressing increasing incidents of customer harassment Service culture under strain

Japan, renowned for its exceptional service culture, is grappling with a troubling surge in customer harassment.

Japan is renowned for its exceptional hospitality, but recent incidents have raised concerns about a growing issue: customer harassment, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Businesses are increasingly frustrated with guests who mistreat staff or launch online attacks over minor issues.

One striking example occurred at a traditional hot springs inn north of Tokyo. Guests arrived 30 minutes before check-in time and, upon seeing a sign requesting that they wait in their cars, demanded early access to their room. The confrontation, captured by a security camera, escalated into a shouting match, ending with the inn's managing director on his knees, deeply bowing and apologizing.

This incident highlights a troubling trend known in Japan as "kasuhara," an abbreviation of "customer harassment." While such behavior is not unique to Japan, the country’s high service expectations and the cultural reverence for customers—exemplified by the expression that the customer is a god—make these instances particularly impactful. In Japan, retail clerks bow as customers leave, and service staff consistently use honorific language, reflecting the deep-rooted tradition of hospitality.

Determining whether incidents of customer abuse are truly on the rise is challenging. However, in the wake of the pandemic, there is a growing focus among company officials, labor unions, and even the government on addressing customer harassment. This heightened attention is driven by the urgency of the issue, particularly as labor shortages have increased workers' leverage to leave if they feel mistreated.

Mami Tamura, a member of Parliament advocating for new legislation, highlights the shift in attitudes. "The mind-set has changed," she notes, emphasizing that fewer business operators now view customers as infallible.

Recent media reports have intensified the perception that customer behavior has reached unacceptable levels. For instance, a diner at a ramen shop northeast of Tokyo retaliated against the owner for failing to meet constant demands for fresh toppings by dumping 500 toothpicks into his noodles. The situation escalated when the same customer bombarded another branch with numerous crank calls, prompting the restaurant to involve the police and resulting in a court-imposed fine.

A viral video recently highlighted the escalating issue of customer harassment in Japan. In the footage, an irate bus rider delayed the service for 25 minutes by hurling insults at the driver over unsatisfactory seating options. Another video, shared by a taxi company, captured a passenger demanding repeated apologies from a driver who had slightly overshot a destination, leaving the driver in tears.

Surveys conducted by the Labor Ministry and one of Japan's largest labor unions reveal a troubling trend: between 10% and 50% of workers report experiencing some form of customer harassment. In response, many companies are taking proactive measures. Some are posting signs to deter abusive behavior and establishing clear guidelines for what constitutes a valid complaint versus unacceptable conduct. To protect employees from online harassment, some businesses have started removing surnames from name tags. Additionally, SoftBank is developing an “emotion-canceling” voice modulation service for call centers to mitigate the impact of angry complaints.

Shino Naito, an associate professor of labor law and advisor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, underscores the issue. "Customers believe they deserve higher-quality service," she notes. "Their expectation level needs to be lowered." An ordinance to officially ban customer harassment is being considered to address this growing concern.