Kasuhara: When Customers Become Harassers
LinkedIn Top Voice. Author of the books Inquietos por Natureza and Fora do Automático. Host of Marketing Talk Show – Markket Channel. Columnist at Automotive Business. Professor at ESPM and FVG. Business Consultant. The world is a pendulum. We humans swing back and forth when it comes to #behavior.
Japan Takes Stand Against Service Sector Abuse
Now, in Japan, the government is beginning to take action regarding consumer abuse in complaints, especially in the service sector. The country is perhaps where the phrase ‘The customer is king’ has been taken most literally. The service standard is so high that complaints, when they occur, come at the same level—to the point of creating a new local expression (or reviving an old word with a new meaning): Kasuhara. Something like Consumer Harassment.
The Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare announced plans this month to require companies to implement procedures against consumer abuse towards their employees. According to surveys, 76% of attendants—such as hotel staff, supermarket cashiers, call center workers—have suffered harassment like yelling, beating threats, online photo exposure, and other actions. One in ten employees resigns due to unbearable situations.
The Challenge of Defining Harassment
Logically, companies were already moving proactively, as the problem has grown significantly. But the major challenge legislators face is defining what constitutes harassment. The concern is that by defining ‘unacceptable’ behavior, everything else becomes officially a ‘legally valid complaint.’ How to draw a line between shouting and speaking loudly? Between hitting and threatening?
Regardless, this situation shows how fragile commercial relationships are, especially in services. Each person is unique—every employee and every customer. What I think is right may not align with your beliefs. These differences emerge when boundaries aren’t clearly defined.
The Global Pendulum Swing
Japan is swinging the pendulum the other way. Will the rest of the world follow?
Imagine the scene: You open a restaurant and, within months, gain a loyal clientele drawn by impeccable food and warm service. But one seemingly ordinary day, a flood of public complaints shakes your business’s reputation. The reason? A customer unsatisfied by a single hair in their dish. This scenario, which seems absurd, illustrates a growing global issue: the disproportionate use of complaints—often unfounded—as tools for attack and retaliation.
In Japan, a nation known for its ancient culture of harmony and respect, the government is investing in an innovative system to combat this problem, seeking a future where justice prevails without compromising social fabric. But can this solution, so unique to Japanese culture, apply in an increasingly litigious and polarized world?
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