‘Troublesome Complainants’ and ‘Bruised Public Officials’... Busy Searching for Ways to Handle Malicious Complaints

Seongdong-gu Response Know-How Practical Lecture
Automatic Involvement of Team Leaders and Department Heads
Also Operating Mental Health Checkups and Counseling Rooms

Joint drill between the district office and the police to prepare for emergencies at the civil service center. (Photo by Seongdong District Office)

"If it were a criminal offense, we would take legal action, but it is difficult to resolve every complaint from customers who shout loudly and repeatedly visit through legal means. We just endure and persuade them each time, hoping they leave quickly."

The emotional labor of public officials caused by malicious complaints has reached a dangerous level. Although frontline offices such as city, county, and district offices are steadily preparing response measures, government-level sophisticated and effective countermeasures are urgently needed due to existing limitations. Strengthening protection systems, continuous improvements, and raising awareness are essential.

Seongdong-gu in Seoul plans to conduct practical lectures on how to handle malicious complaints and response know-how soon. The training will be conducted through role-playing scenarios to provide practical content that can help in actual complaint situations. When faced with real situations, complaint-handling public officials will be divided into small groups to practice so that they do not become flustered or shocked and can respond appropriately. Through expert lectures, complaint-handling officials will analyze the most challenging complaint response situations and learn response procedures according to complaint types and strategies for dealing with malicious complaints.

In Seongdong-gu, when malicious complaints occur, team leaders and department heads automatically intervene. If it is judged that the problem has escalated beyond the capacity of the responsible staff, the staff and the complainant are separated, and the team leader or department head directly responds to the complainant. At this time, the department head conducts consultations based on relevant laws, regulations, and principles. Actions such as blaming the responsible staff for mishandling complaints or forcing the complainant to apologize first in situations where the facts are unclear are also restricted.

A mutual respect notice stating "The staff member you are currently facing is a precious family member to someone" is posted at the civil complaint counter within the line of sight of visitors. (Photo by Seongdong-gu Office)

Comprehensive complaint centers, housing-related departments, and welfare-related departments, which have many face-to-face complainants, experience high levels of complaint-related stress. Especially repetitive and habitual complainants cause more distress to employees.

Jung-gu has decided to conduct a "preventive mental health checkup" starting this year for social welfare public officials and complaint-handling staff who belong to the high-risk group for emotional labor. If an employee individually undergoes an examination at a counseling center or hospital for depression, anxiety, lethargy, etc., caused by job stress and applies for costs, medical expenses will be reimbursed up to 200,000 KRW per employee.

The "mental health counseling room," which was operated for all employees, will also be improved and operated. From this year, instead of counseling only at designated centers, employees can receive counseling at hospitals of their choice, and counseling costs will be supported up to 400,000 KRW per person annually.

Recently, there was also an opportunity to study the malicious complaint response process by inviting a professional instructor. Park Seung-ri, CEO of Aleumdaum, who lectures on complaint response strategies, emphasized, "Malicious complaints must be handled firmly yet politely," and added, "Sharing principles, securing evidence, and managing emotions are also essential."

Autonomous districts will hold joint emergency drills with the police in the first and second halves of this year to prepare for emergency situations in complaint offices. This is to prepare for incidents involving weapons or violence from "troublesome complainants." Various measures such as enacting related ordinances, establishing administrative phone recording systems, expanding the introduction of wearable cams (portable recording devices), supporting employee psychological counseling and psychiatric treatment, and producing and distributing mutual respect guidelines are being implemented or expanded.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.