Name tags expose service sectors workers to harassment from customers

By Lee Hae-rin

A part-timer at a Baskin-Robbins shop in downtown Busan, who wished to remain anonymous, said she received a death threat from a drunk customer during a night shift a few weeks ago. It could have been an empty threat, but the fact that he was aware of her name from the name tag on her uniform made her feel vulnerable for over a week.

“Most part-timers get a job near their home, so it would not be that difficult for a customer to find out more information about a part-timer going by their name and face alone,” she told The Korea Times.

Throughout her two years of experience scooping ice cream, wearing a name tag made dealing with angry customers more difficult and stressful. Some call her by name from the name tag, threaten to file a consumer complaint against her, stare at her, reach for or take pictures of her name tag.

“At least once or twice a month, I wish I could take the name tag off or at least put a nickname on it if I have to wear one,” she said.

Another part-timer at a coffee chain in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, who also wished not to be named, was shocked to see a detailed description of her in a customer review from the online community of the chain. The customer said he saw her on her way to work and described what she was wearing before changing to uniform, how she looked, and even revealed her real full name.

The customer deleted the post after the store manager contacted and asked him to, but she still remembers the horror she felt that day.

“I don't want customers to know my name, as I feel like my personal information is disclosed to them and there is nothing I can do about it. I felt sexually harassed at the time and I wish I could not wear a name tag at all or just have a nickname on it,” she said.

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According to a union of part-timers here, such incidents happen often to employees in the services sector.

“Most customers may not intend harm toward workers when they call them by their name from the name tag. However, from the employees' point of view, it is a personal information disclosure and that could be a real danger these days when people can easily find information of a specific person on social media if they know a person's name and face,” Shin Jung-ung, the head of the union, told The Korea Times.

Ironically, companies have no clear work-related reason behind making employees disclose their real names. “Students wear one with a uniform at school and soldiers do it too. It just gives a sense of inclusion and identity for members of the company,” said an official from SPC, the company that operates Baskin-Robbins Korea.

From the workers' perspective, there is also no need for an employee's real name to be indicated when serving customers. “Besides signing the hiring contract, an employee's name is not needed in any part of the duties. I would rather use a nickname for my safety,” the Baskin-Robbins part-timer said.

Experts explain that wearing a nametag had in the past displayed an employee's dedication to their role and affiliation to a certain group. “These days, much can be found on the internet by typing someone's name and place of residence. So it could give a sense of insecurity to employees in the services sector,” said Heo Young-ok, a professor of consumer science at Sungshin Women's University.

Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, said customers can still communicate with workers, managers or the companies even if they do not know the workers' names. “If the employees do not agree with the name tag policy, it is preferable for the shop owners or companies to do away with it,” she said.