Fujitsu Limited, in partnership with Toyo University Incorporated Educational Institution and Kokoro Balance Research Institute, has initiated a field trial aimed at developing a comprehensive Training Program for Coping with Customer Aggression. This programme seeks to address the rising issue of customer harassment in the workplace, defined as unreasonable or abusive behaviour directed towards staff by clients or customers.
Set in Japan, the initiative will utilise the “AI Tool for Experiencing Customer Aggression,” which is built on Fujitsu’s generative AI technology. The tool integrates insights from criminal psychology and mental health, drawing on Toyo University’s expertise in the field. The interactive AI system employs avatars to simulate customer interactions, providing immediate feedback to users on strategies to improve their response to aggressive behaviour in a customer service context.
The Kokoro Balance Research Institute will play a crucial role in evaluating the programme’s effectiveness. It aims to develop new psychological scales that measure customer service skills, stress management, and the ability to respond to customer harassment. The field trial is set to take place with call centre employees at Fujitsu Communication Services Limited (CSL). Researchers will analyse shifts in participants' customer service skills, stress management capabilities, engagement levels, and perceived productivity to validate the scientific framework of the programme.
Fujitsu has targeted the full implementation of the Training Program for fiscal 2025, with aspirations to mitigate the psychological stress experienced by customer service employees and to foster safer, more supportive work environments.
The prevalence of customer harassment has escalated into a significant social concern. A recent survey indicated that 46.8% of service industry workers faced such aggression in the last two years, with nearly half reporting enduring physical and mental health repercussions. This growing challenge has prompted action from government bodies; notably, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan recognised mental health issues arising from customer harassment as part of work-related injury criteria in September 2023. Additionally, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly enacted Japan’s inaugural customer harassment prevention ordinance in October 2024, reflecting an increasing emphasis on organisational accountability regarding employee safety.
Akiko Yamada, Head of the Converging Technologies Laboratory of Fujitsu Research, remarked, “We have been pursuing research in converging technologies, combining cutting-edge digital technology with knowledge from humanities and social sciences to solve various social issues. This new initiative combines generative AI, behavioral change support technology, criminal psychology, and mental health expertise to tackle the significant social problem of customer harassment and secure the well-being of working people.”
As this programme unfolds, stakeholders in the business landscape will be closely observing the intersection of AI, employee welfare, and operational practices in response to evolving consumer interactions.
Source: Noah Wire Services