JR East says it will not respond to customer harassment

Tokyo (Jiji Press) – East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, announced that it has established a policy for dealing with “customer harassment,” or excessive demands and other problematic behavior from customers toward employees.

According to the policy, the company will not respond to customers who engage in harassing acts, such as physically or psychologically assaulting employees, requiring employees to apologize by getting down on their hands and knees, and posting employees’ personal information on social media.

The company said it would consult with police and lawyers on particularly egregious cases of such harassment.

JR East was apparently the first of the JR Group companies to issue a policy against customer harassment. Among other railway operators, Tokyo Metro Co. adopted such a policy in March.

JR East says it will continue to respond sincerely to customer opinions and requests, but at the same time believes it is essential to protect employees in order to continue to provide safe and high-quality services.