#Japan #Tokyo #Customer Harassment #Kounet #Employee Safety

Kounet's New Policy Against Customer Harassment

Kounet, a member of the Kokuyo Group and a provider of e-commerce services based in Minato, Tokyo, has formulated a new fundamental policy to combat customer harassment. This initiative is driven by Kounet's management philosophy to “think from the customer's perspective and be helpful to customers,” alongside its focus on enhancing customer experience (CX).

The company's leadership recognizes the importance of fostering a working environment where all individuals involved — including customers, retailers, media, partner organizations, and valued employees — can operate safely and confidently. However, instances of inappropriate behavior and excessive demands from certain customers have begun to affect the working conditions of its staff. As a consequence, Kounet has prioritized the need to safeguard its employees by introducing this new policy.

Definition of Customer Harassment

According to guidelines set by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, customer harassment involves behaviors or demands from customers that negatively affect employees’ working environment. Kounet defines the following as customer harassment:

1. Unreasonable Demands: Requests that fall outside the company’s responsibilities or are unrelated to the products or services offered. This includes demands that lack objective rationality — for instance, asking for unreasonable apologies or monetary compensation when Kounet bears no responsibility.

2. Improper Means or Methods: Regardless of the validity of the demand, if the method of communication is considered socially inappropriate, it qualifies as harassment.

Specific Examples of Customer Harassment

Kounet lists various specific examples of actions that can be classified as customer harassment:

1. Verbal and Physical Abuse: This includes violent actions, threats, insults, and coercive behaviors such as demanding an apology or intimidating through aggressive speech.

2. Excessive or Irrefutable Requests: These may involve demanding unreasonable apologies, seeking personal punishment of employees, or persistent calls and emails without reasonable justification.

3. Additional Harassment Types: Sexual harassment, discriminatory remarks, stalking behaviors, probing into private information, and online defamation fall under this category.

Responding to Customer Harassment

Upon recognizing actions deemed as customer harassment, Kounet is committed to protecting its employees by addressing issues collectively rather than leaving them to individual discretion. In severe cases, the company will take decisive measures, including ceasing negotiations, stopping service provisions, and possibly reporting to law enforcement or consulting with legal counsel. Kounet also requests understanding and cooperation from customers on this policy.

Main Initiatives Against Customer Harassment

Kounet is proactively implementing various initiatives to prevent customer harassment, address it swiftly if it occurs, and protect its employees:

1. Establishment of Response Framework: Clearly defining procedures for handling incidents, the decision-making process for policies, and rules for reporting and sharing information.

2. Enhanced Support Systems: This includes setting up internal consultation and support points, along with collaboration with external lawyers and counselors.

3. Mental Health Support: Offering counseling for affected employees and utilizing industrial physicians for additional support.

Kounet is dedicated to continuously reviewing its policy in line with social conditions and legal frameworks to ensure a safe working environment for its employees. They acknowledge that the information presented is current as of the date of announcement, subject to change without notice.

About Kounet

Kounet, under the umbrella of Kokuyo Group, strives to deliver valuable experiences to all working individuals through technology and creativity. Their e-commerce platform is designed for diverse users, from large corporations to small businesses, promoting seamless online purchasing experiences with services like “Benrinet” and “Kounet.”

For more information, please visit Kounet's official website.