Introduction
The System Support Group (hereinafter referred to as “our Group”) upholds “Sincerity and Innovation” as our corporate motto*. We strive to provide highly satisfactory services by remaining sincere toward our business partners, responding to their trust and expectations with genuine engagement.
At the same time, we have encountered demands and behaviors from a very small number of business partners and others that exceed the boundaries of common sense. Some of these acts harm the dignity of our Group’s officers and employees, leading to incidents that degrade our working environment (customer harassment).
To respect the personal dignity of our officers and employees, our Group will respond to such demands and behaviors with a resolute attitude. By doing so, we aim to maintain our standard of “Sincerity” toward our business partners and continue striving to provide new value.
If an officer or employee of our Group is subjected to acts from a business partner or others that are considered to be customer harassment, we encourage them to report and consult with their superiors or seek advice from external specialized agencies. From the perspective of our duty of care to ensure a safe working environment, our basic policy is to respond systematically as an organization to such matters.
Definition of Customer Harassment
Our Group defines acts from clients and business partners that satisfy all three of the following requirements as customer harassment:
Occurs in the workplace;
- Involves words or actions from a client or business partner; and
- Exceeds socially acceptable limits in light of the nature of the business and other circumstances,
- thereby harming the working environment of our Group’s officers and employees.
Specific Examples of Customer Harassment
Our Group considers the following actions by clients and business partners as specific examples that fall under the above definition of customer harassment. Please note that the following are merely examples and are not intended to be an exhaustive list.
- Violence, Defamation, Insults, Threats, and Discriminatory Remarks
- Blaming officers/employees using a loud voice, abusive language, intimidation, threats, or jeering.
- Assault such as punching, kicking, and striking, or the use of physical force such as throwing objects.
- Intentionally bumping into officers/employees.
- Making remarks or exhibiting behaviors that deny the human dignity of officers/employees.
- Making insulting remarks or behaving in a derogatory manner regarding race, occupation, sexual orientation, etc.
- Intimidating Remarks and Excessive Demands
- Finding frivolous faults to avoid paying cancellation fees, or demanding refunds or free services.
- Making excessive demands beyond the scope of the contract.
- Demanding internal disciplinary actions, such as the dismissal of officers/employees.
- Summoning officers/employees to places other than the business office without reasonable cause.
- Using abusive language or demanding special treatment by taking advantage of a dominant position.
- Prolonged Detention, Repeated Unreasonable Demands, and Persistent Inquiries
- Acts that interfere with business operations, such as prolonged detainment beyond necessary limits, sitting-in, or tying up the phone line.
- Making frequent contact and complaining each time.
- Shifting the argument from the original topic, nitpicking, and persistently attacking.
- Excessive Demands for Apologies
- Demanding an apology by kneeling on the ground (Dogeza).
- Persistently summoning officers/employees to come and apologize in person.
- Sexual Remarks, Behaviors, and Demands
- Stalking specific officers/employees.
- Indecent acts or voyeurism against officers/employees.
- Posts on the Internet and Social Media (SNS)
- Posting personal information or private matters of officers/employees.
- Posting content that damages the credibility of the company or its employees.
- Personal Attacks and Demands against Individual Officers/Employees
Our Group’s Response Policy to Customer Harassment
If our Group determines that a demand or behavior of a client or business partner falls under the “Definition of Customer Harassment” stipulated above, we will, as a general rule, refuse or suspend all or part of our dealings and correspondence with the said party thereafter.
In addition, as necessary, we will firmly respond to customer harassment by taking appropriate legal action (including reporting to the police).
Specifically, we will take the following measures:
<Internal Responses within Our Group>
- We will prioritize the care and well-being of officers and employees who are victims of customer harassment.
- We will establish a consultation desk for customer harassment.
- We will build an organizational response structure for when customer harassment occurs.
- We will collect verifiable evidence such as audio recordings, video recordings, correspondence records, and time tracking. As a general rule, we will handle such cases with multiple staff members instead of a single individual.
- In preparation for customer harassment incidents, we will implement measures for all officers and employees to acquire necessary knowledge and coping methods.
- We will collaborate with external experts (lawyers, industrial physicians, etc.) to ensure more appropriate responses.
- We will strictly prohibit any dismissal or other disadvantageous treatment of our Group’s officers and employees for consulting about customer harassment or cooperating in fact-finding investigations.
<Responses to Clients and Business Partners>
- To prevent the occurrence of customer harassment, we will strive to build better relationships with our clients and business partners.
- If customer harassment occurs, we will respond firmly and request a reasonable, rational discussion.
- If we determine that customer harassment has occurred, we may take actions such as audio recording, video recording, taking notes of conversations, and tracking the time spent on the interaction.
- In particularly malicious cases, or when we determine that reasonable and rational discussion is impossible, we will refuse or suspend transactions and consider implementing legal measures.
- In the event of assault, threats, or extortion, we will respond appropriately in cooperation with the police and legal counsel.
Request to Our Clients and Business Partners
Our Group will continue to sincerely value the opinions and requests of our business partners as we strive to improve and enhance the quality of our services. At the same time, we will thoroughly ensure that our Group’s officers and employees strictly comply with internal policies and do not engage in any conduct that constitutes customer harassment themselves.
On the other hand, if the physical or mental health, or the working environment of our officers and employees is harmed by demands or behaviors from a business partner that exceed socially acceptable limits, we may—based on these guidelines—suspend transactions/correspondence, refuse the use of our services, and take resolute actions, including legal measures for serious incidents.
To respect the human rights of both our business partners and our Group’s officers and employees, and to continue providing better services while fostering sound business relationships, we sincerely ask for your understanding and cooperation regarding the purpose of these guidelines.