Combating customer harassment: Fujitsu, Toyo University and Kokoro Balance Research Institute launch field trial on AI-powered training program
Generative AI provides interactive feedback based on expert knowledge
Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, Dec 11, 2024 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited, Toyo University Incorporated Educational Institution (Toyo University) and Kokoro Balance Research Institute today announced the commencement of a field trial on December 3, 2024, to develop a Training Program for Coping with Customer Aggression. This program leverages AI and incorporates insights from criminal psychology and mental health to tackle the growing societal issue of customer harassment, i.e., unreasonable or abusive behavior directed at staff by customers and clients.
The program utilizes the “AI Tool for Experiencing Customer Aggression” developed using Fujitsu's generative AI technology, behavior change support technologies and Toyo University's expertise in criminal psychology. Fujitsu’s AI tool provides interactive feedback through the use of AI avatars and clarifies actions that can be taken to enhance participants' customer harassment response skills. To evaluate the program's effectiveness, Kokoro Balance Research Institute will leverage its mental health expertise to develop new psychological scales measuring customer service skills, stress management, and overall customer harassment response capabilities. Furthermore, the research partners will carry out a field trial with call center employees at Fujitsu Communication Services Limited (CSL), analyzing changes in participants' customer service skills, stress management, engagement, and subjective productivity to ensure the program's scientific validity.
The full program is targeted for launch in fiscal 2025 with the goals of reducing the psychological burden of working people in customer service roles and contributing to the creation of safe and supportive work environments.
Background Customer harassment has become a serious social issue. A recent survey revealed that 46.8% of service industry workers have encountered customer harassment in the past two years, with nearly half experiencing lasting physical and mental health consequences.
In response, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare added mental health issues related to customer harassment to its work-related injury recognition criteria in September 2023. Furthermore, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly passed Japan's first customer harassment prevention ordinance in October 2024. The growing national and local government efforts are driving increased organizational responsibility for employee protection.
Field Trial Period December 3, 2024 to March 31, 2025
Figure 1: Overview diagram of the field trial
Comment from Akiko Yamada, Head of the Converging Technologies Laboratory of Fujitsu Research, Fujitsu Limited: 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.
Comment from Prof. Masayuki Kiriu, Dean, Faculty of Sociology, Toyo University: By incorporating psychological scales and stress measurement indicators into the "AI Tool for Experiencing Customer Aggression”, we expect to create a practical and effective customer harassment response training program for customer service personnel. This will significantly contribute to solving current customer harassment issues. We anticipate the emergence of new social contributions through converging technology in this pilot program.
Comment from Kyoko Shimada, Representative Director, Kokoro Balance Research Institute: Customer harassment can inflict deep emotional wounds on employees. While eradication may be impossible, we can reduce its impact through organizational efforts. This research aims to strengthen organizations by focusing on employee mental health and response capabilities. By using globally recognized psychological scales and effective evaluation criteria, we aim to make this program scientifically sound, useful, and applicable for employees.
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$26 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.
Press Contacts:
Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Division Inquiries
Toyo University Toyo University General Affairs Department, Public Relations Division Phone: 03-3945-7571 Reception hours: 9:00-18:00 JST (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and university-designated holidays) E-mail: mlkoho@toyo.jp
