#Japan #Tokyo #Customer Harassment #Work Environment #Be With

Introduction

In response to the increasing recognition of customer harassment, known as "カスハラ" in Japan, Be With Co., Ltd. has rolled out a new service designed to help organizations systematically address this pressing issue. The approach aligns with the upcoming revisions to the Labor Policy Comprehensive Promotion Act, slated to take effect this October, which obliges companies to establish clear guidelines and proper training for handling customer harassment.

The Current State of Customer Harassment

According to a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey, nearly 80% of employees subjected to customer harassment reported negative impacts on their physical and mental well-being. However, many organizations still leave individual employees to determine how to handle such situations, leading to inconsistencies in responses and unclear protocols. This legislation calls for companies to implement comprehensive measures including:

• - Evident policy formulation
• - Establishment of consultation channels
• - Clear procedural guidelines
• - Training programs
• - Verification of incidents and preventive measures
• - Maintenance of privacy for complainants

Be With's Thoughtful Approach

Practical and Grounded Design

Historically, contact centers in Japan have evolved as problem-solving entities to handle customer complaints, with customer harassment being a long-standing challenge even before the term became mainstream. The traditional practice often revolved around not disconnecting the call until the customer finished speaking. Nonetheless, recent shifts have emphasized the importance of safeguarding the welfare of agents and ensuring sustainable operations. Be With has taken proactive steps to work collaboratively with clients on establishing criteria and procedures regarding excessive demands and lengthy interactions.

Constructed Systems Over Individual Discretion

In the business process outsourcing (BPO) realm, there’s a critical need for structuring operations devoid of personal biases, organizing workflows, decision-making criteria, and rules. Thus, Be With emphasizes providing an operational design based on functional standards rather than relying on individual interpretations. This service separates judgment areas that require human discretion from those that can be standardized, ensuring ongoing functional design while factoring in regulations and risks.

Core Features of the Service

Given the ambiguity surrounding where to initiate customer harassment countermeasures, the service tackles everything from policy creation to documentation and training in a cohesive manner.

1. Discernment of Valid Complaints

The service clarifies the distinction between valid complaints and harassment, integrating systematic judgment criteria and response methods that protect genuine customer voices while organizing responses to malicious behaviors.

• - Corporate Anti-Harassment Manual: This comprehensive documentation serves as a foundational policy for the entire company, organizing workflows, judgment criteria, and escalation paths to create a standardized operational base immune to variations across departments.
• - Complete Guide for Customer Harassment Responses: A practical standards document that classifies judgment criteria and response methods to mitigate the variability in front-line judgment, enhancing the reproducibility of responses.

2. Action-Based Training for Effective Implementation

The training emphasizes not merely understanding theoretical knowledge but ensuring it translates into actionable behavior on the ground. This transforms how individuals handle initial responses and escalation decisions, fostering consistent operational standards across the organization.

• - Training on Customer Harassment Response: The curriculum covers interpreting customer intent, structured responses, and self-control during tense situations to ensure attainable strategies in real scenarios.
• - Practical Role-Playing Training (Optional): Utilizing real customer harassment cases, participants practice judgment and communication, enabling the shift from theoretical understanding to actionable dialogue. It also reinforces administrative oversight and documentation techniques.

Looking Ahead

Through this service, Be With aims to transition corporate responses to customer harassment from individual reliance to organizational capabilities. By standardizing judgment criteria, record-keeping, and consultation systems, the objective is to alleviate workplace burdens while establishing stable operational systems. In conjunction with monitoring legislative changes, Be With leverages its deep expertise within contact center management to collaborate with enterprises in implementing sustainable harassment countermeasures.

Download Be With's Anti-Harassment Service Materials

Company Overview

Founded in 2000, Be With Co., Ltd. has leveraged over two decades of contact center management experience to provide its clients with tailored solutions, blending innovative digital technology with practical operational insights. As part of its commitment to supporting organizational transformation, Be With continues to focus on creating shared value with customers and contributing to society through expert knowledge and solutions in the BPO sector.

Company Name: Be With Co., Ltd.
Location: Shinjuku Park Tower 32F, 3-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Founded: May 12, 2000
CEO: Kenji Iijima
Business Activities: Provision of contact center and BPO services utilizing digital technologies like the proprietary cloud PBX "Omnia LINK," along with the development and sale of various AI and DX solutions.
Website: Be With Official Site