Konami Announces New Customer Harassment Stance to Protect Employees

Konami has put out a statement defining what constitutes as customer harassment, as well as stating that it will protect its employees against it. The company will contact both the police and its lawyers to deal with such incidents. Examples of customer harassment include: Defamatory behavior and remarks Intimidation Offensive remarks Physical violence Threats Unauthorized recording of employees, as well as the unauthorized distribution of such recordings Comments telling the employees to kill themselves, as well as offensive remarks on their race or gender or religion, also fall under customer harassment. Konami’s rules against customer harassment take cues from a new ordinance against customer harassment that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed at the start of April 2025. It’s the first of its kind in the country. These laws protect workers from customers who make aggressive and unreasonable demands, and the government released guidelines in December 2024 to define what constitutes as “customer harassment.” “Customer harassment" or "kasuhara" has been an ongoing problem in Japan for years. A potential reason for this is that companies always put the customer first, which results in entitled behavior in consumers. Japan is also famous for its high standards of hospitality. The high level of service customers come to expect may also make for unreasonable expectations. Konami is not the first video game company to put out a warning defining customer harassment and vowing to protect its employees. Square Enix did the same thing earlier this year. But with this new ordinance from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, more companies may start to put their foot down in regards to abusive behavior towards their staff. The post Konami Announces New Customer Harassment Stance to Protect Employees appeared first on Siliconera.

Apr 2, 2025 - 00:55

Konami Announces New Customer Harassment Stance to Protect Employees

Konami has put out a statement defining what constitutes as customer harassment, as well as stating that it will protect its employees against it. The company will contact both the police and its lawyers to deal with such incidents.

Examples of customer harassment include:

Defamatory behavior and remarks
Intimidation
Offensive remarks
Physical violence
Threats
Unauthorized recording of employees, as well as the unauthorized distribution of such recordings

Comments telling the employees to kill themselves, as well as offensive remarks on their race or gender or religion, also fall under customer harassment.

Konami’s rules against customer harassment take cues from a new ordinance against customer harassment that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed at the start of April 2025. It’s the first of its kind in the country. These laws protect workers from customers who make aggressive and unreasonable demands, and the government released guidelines in December 2024 to define what constitutes as “customer harassment.”

“Customer harassment" or "kasuhara" has been an ongoing problem in Japan for years. A potential reason for this is that companies always put the customer first, which results in entitled behavior in consumers. Japan is also famous for its high standards of hospitality. The high level of service customers come to expect may also make for unreasonable expectations.

Konami is not the first video game company to put out a warning defining customer harassment and vowing to protect its employees. Square Enix did the same thing earlier this year. But with this new ordinance from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, more companies may start to put their foot down in regards to abusive behavior towards their staff.

The post Konami Announces New Customer Harassment Stance to Protect Employees appeared first on Siliconera.