Customer Harassment Policy

1. Basic Policy on Customer Harassment

At MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS, we are committed to creating and providing a comfortable environment for all guests. At the same time, we take a firm and systematic approach to customer harassment, recognizing it as a serious violation of employee rights and workplace conditions.

2. Definition of Customer Harassment

Customer harassment is defined based on Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s "Customer Harassment Countermeasure Manual" (厚生労働省「カスタマーハラスメント対策企業マニュアル」) as follows:

"Among complaints and behaviors from customers, those in which the nature of the demand is unreasonable or where the means and manner used to enforce the demand are socially unacceptable, thereby harming the working environment of employees."

3. Examples of Customer Harassment

Our policy follows the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's guidelines. The following are examples but do not represent an exhaustive list.

1. Unreasonable Demands
   1. If no contractual non-conformity or negligence is found in the provided products or services.
   2. If the demand is unrelated to the provided products or services.
2. Socially Unacceptable Means or Behavior
   1. Regardless of the legitimacy of the demand, the following actions are considered highly inappropriate:
   
   ・Physical attacks (e.g., assault, injury).
   ・Psychological attacks (e.g., threats, defamation, insults, verbal abuse).
   ・Intimidating or coercive behavior.
   ・Forcing employees to kneel in apology.
   ・Excessive or repeated complaints and demands.
   ・Restrictive behavior (e.g., refusing to leave, loitering, confinement).
   ・Discriminatory remarks or actions.
   ・Sexually inappropriate behavior.
   ・Personal attacks or unreasonable demands directed at individual employees.
   
   2. The following demands may also be deemed inappropriate depending on their nature and persistence:
   
   ・Requests for product exchanges.
   ・Demands for monetary compensation or free services (including unjustified discounts).
   ・Unreasonable demands for apologies.
   ・Demands that exceed operational limitations or policies.
3. Other Inappropriate Customer Behavior
   ・Acts that cause inconvenience or disruption to other guests.
   ・Spreading false information or defamatory content on social media or the internet.
   ・Excessive or unreasonable communication through our official website, social media channels, and other online communication channels
   ・Acts that significantly disrupt business operations, including repeated phone calls or emails and excessively long phone conversations.
   ・Recording, photographing, or filming employees without their consent, as well as uploading such content to social media or the internet without permission. ・Unreasonably demanding to be assisted by a different employee, manager, or executive instead of the staff member currently handling the matter.

4. Response to Customer Harassment

If customer harassment occurs, MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS will take firm action to protect our employees, which may include: Refusing service or future reservations, reporting the incident to law enforcement or consulting legal professionals, and implementing legal measures when necessary. Additionally, please note that conversations with employees, including phone calls, may be recorded for safety and quality assurance purposes.

5. Measures to Protect Employees

To ensure our employees can respond effectively to customer harassment, we implement the following measures:

1. Support and care for affected employees, including collaboration with external specialists (e.g., occupational health physicians).

6. A Request to Our Guests

MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS is committed to creating a welcoming and comfortable space for all guests. However, if any actions constituting customer harassment are identified, we will take firm action based on this policy. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining a respectful and professional environment for all guests and employees.