I know a lot of people have very mixed experiences in Japan in terms of service, but for the most part I would say that the service I usually receive around here is one of the reasons I am still living here!
I had another great service experience the other day when I went to buy a name stamp. They didn't have our surname on the big rack of stamps, so they apologised profusely and said that if I could wait for 5 minutes they could make me one. No problem I said and asked for them to make me two... you can never have enough name stamps in Japan. I was shown to a table in the nice cool room with a nice cool drink and a Japanese snack while I waited. I think it took 6 minutes in the end so there was more bowing and apologising before I went to pay. The cost of my purchases.... a grand total of 100 yen. 50 yen per stamp.... I'm guessing the drink and snack came to close to that! Of course when I went to leave the door was opened for me and the two women continued bowing until I was safely onto the road. Gotta love Japanese service!
I love japanese service. When I had to deal with the bank earlier this year I was surprised that the staff used English and good English. i had one of my older boys with me to translate as I never asume that people speak English. When i expalined that I had to close accounts because of my husbands death they went out of their way to be helpful. Very different to the "What you want" I got back in the UK!
ReplyDeleteThe symbol of Japanese service for me - apart from the overkill in the department stores - is at the service stations. Our kiwi counterparts could learn a lot from the eagerness, the running about, the cleaning cloths, the card service through the window, and, of course, the guiding of the car back out into the traffic.
ReplyDeleteI have my name stamp in the Japanese characters, it is always a source of conversation and amusement. Frid means peace in Swedish, or rather "inner peace" so 平和 was a bit of a stretch. Incidentally, at the post office here, you can either sign by pen or by name stamp. As I had opted for the latter on a previous visit, I was not allowed to withdraw money from my postal account by signature. LOL
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you and Jackie. I love Japanese service, too.
In my native Sweden, many banks and post offices do not handle cash anymore, so my old parents are having all kinds of trouble getting by in the IT/cash card era they never asked for.
That's a very interesting peace of life in Japan. As a person interested in Japanese culture and society I just love those stories. Thanks Jo for being a sincere ambassador. I just feel that I'm learning so much reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteI found very interesting those stories about Japanese society. For me, as a person passionate about Asian and especially Japanese culture, reading your blog has turned into a reflection of the world I wanna know. Thank you for your sincere writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's very hard to fault service here. The shop where i buy my glasses opens the door to the shop as soon as they see a car come into the carpark, then fro that second they are never left alone. A few times I have been ther when it was raining and the walked to my car with an umbrella for me!
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