By Emily Connor
Customer service in Japan is phenomenal.
I've never really been anywhere in the world besides the US, Canada, and Japan-- but let me tell you, I highly doubt that any other country in the world can beat Japan when it comes to the etiquette of service workers. Staff at every store greet customers with a proper 'irasshaimase' and a smile, be it truly sincere or not. Everyone's helpful, prompt, and polite to the degree that it can almost feel as if you're communicating with a robot instead of a living breathing being in certain situations. I'm astonished. No matter how long I live in Japan, it never fails to impress me.
Back in the US, if the barista at your local cafe has had a bad day you will, without a doubt, be able to tell. Maybe you'll be given some sass, be given the stink-eye, have some spit mixed into the bottom of your cafe mocha or be told a sob story-- no matter what it is, you will in one way or another know. Or in the case of the exact opposite scenario in which your barista's sister has just gotten married and she just can't keep her mouth closed and make your latte as she's fumbling with her apron in search for the wedding photos to accompany her heartwarming story, fear not as something like this would never, ever happen in Japan. Any ounce of personality or individuality is automatically squeezed out of every person as they enter the workplace, and you will be greeted with almost the exact same 'irasshaimase' and 'mata okoshi kudasaimase' in every convenience store in Japan.
One of my favorite examples of amazing customer service in Japan is when I was staying at a hotel in Osaka, and there was a pretty suspicious sewage smell coming from the hotel room as soon as I checked in. A bit weary that there might be a sewage leak, I called the front desk and told the receptionist about the smell, and within two minutes the actual receptionist was at the door to my room, examining the bathroom and almost breaking a nail to rip the top of the toilet off so that she could see if anything was out of place. Did you read that? The actual receptionist came and checked out my room-- not one of the cleaning service people, but the little receptionist woman came and sacrificed her manicure in order to examine the plumbing mechanics of the hotel room. After confirming that something was a bit fishy, she apologized profusely and upgraded me to an even better room within five minutes, personally toting my luggage. In your average business class hotel in the US, just waiting for someone to come and check out a problem in a hotel room usually takes at least thirty minutes and getting a better room would probably take another twenty minutes of negotiation. Not in Japan, though. Everything is proficient and done properly the first time.
There are times when I miss the informal ways of Americans, though. Back in the US people might not always be as proficient, but a lot of people really bring their own personality to the workplace which can be memorable and fun. Instead of reciting prices out loud like in Japan, cashiers in America will give you their opinion about the stuff that you're buying, be it annoying or not. I'll never forget the time when I was buying some malted milk balls at the supermarket in Florida and the woman working the register froze in mid-scan, looked me in the eyes and said in her Southern drawl: ''I just can't get enough of these things, they're soooo good''. I crave knowing useless information about complete strangers sometimes; don't we all? There is no denying that customer service in Japan is top-notch, though. You really have to experience it for yourself to even begin to grasp how phenomenal it is.
Customer service in Japan is phenomenal.
I've never really been anywhere in the world besides the US, Canada, and Japan-- but let me tell you, I highly doubt that any other country in the world can beat Japan when it comes to the etiquette of service workers. Staff at every store greet customers with a proper 'irasshaimase' and a smile, be it truly sincere or not. Everyone's helpful, prompt, and polite to the degree that it can almost feel as if you're communicating with a robot instead of a living breathing being in certain situations. I'm astonished. No matter how long I live in Japan, it never fails to impress me.
Back in the US, if the barista at your local cafe has had a bad day you will, without a doubt, be able to tell. Maybe you'll be given some sass, be given the stink-eye, have some spit mixed into the bottom of your cafe mocha or be told a sob story-- no matter what it is, you will in one way or another know. Or in the case of the exact opposite scenario in which your barista's sister has just gotten married and she just can't keep her mouth closed and make your latte as she's fumbling with her apron in search for the wedding photos to accompany her heartwarming story, fear not as something like this would never, ever happen in Japan. Any ounce of personality or individuality is automatically squeezed out of every person as they enter the workplace, and you will be greeted with almost the exact same 'irasshaimase' and 'mata okoshi kudasaimase' in every convenience store in Japan.
One of my favorite examples of amazing customer service in Japan is when I was staying at a hotel in Osaka, and there was a pretty suspicious sewage smell coming from the hotel room as soon as I checked in. A bit weary that there might be a sewage leak, I called the front desk and told the receptionist about the smell, and within two minutes the actual receptionist was at the door to my room, examining the bathroom and almost breaking a nail to rip the top of the toilet off so that she could see if anything was out of place. Did you read that? The actual receptionist came and checked out my room-- not one of the cleaning service people, but the little receptionist woman came and sacrificed her manicure in order to examine the plumbing mechanics of the hotel room. After confirming that something was a bit fishy, she apologized profusely and upgraded me to an even better room within five minutes, personally toting my luggage. In your average business class hotel in the US, just waiting for someone to come and check out a problem in a hotel room usually takes at least thirty minutes and getting a better room would probably take another twenty minutes of negotiation. Not in Japan, though. Everything is proficient and done properly the first time.
There are times when I miss the informal ways of Americans, though. Back in the US people might not always be as proficient, but a lot of people really bring their own personality to the workplace which can be memorable and fun. Instead of reciting prices out loud like in Japan, cashiers in America will give you their opinion about the stuff that you're buying, be it annoying or not. I'll never forget the time when I was buying some malted milk balls at the supermarket in Florida and the woman working the register froze in mid-scan, looked me in the eyes and said in her Southern drawl: ''I just can't get enough of these things, they're soooo good''. I crave knowing useless information about complete strangers sometimes; don't we all? There is no denying that customer service in Japan is top-notch, though. You really have to experience it for yourself to even begin to grasp how phenomenal it is.
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