Job Discussion Forums

[SeasonedVet]

Japan has , arguably, the best service in the world. This is extended to Japanese as well as foreigners. Of course sometimes and for some people there is bad service too.

Bicycle parking:

I particularly like the old guys that work at the bicycle parking area under or at the train stations. The welcome you with Ohayo gozaimasu and when you are collecting your bike to go home they bid you sayonara and sometimes usher you out and make sure that the path is clear for you as you go outside. They sometimes make small talk with customers.
When they realized I could speak some japanese they seem to become even more animated.

Information girl Daimaru

When I was new in Osaka, I was in Daimaru in Shinsaibashi. I needed to find the Sanwa Bank. I was underground ( maybe B2) of Daimaru. There was the information girl looking ever so beautiful in the uniform and the broad rimmed hat. ( They look like dolls don't they? Especially when they aren't moving)
I decided to ask her (even though I couldn't speak much Japanese).
Needless to say I couldn't understand her directions. She tried to explain twice, and I tried hard to understand, but I just couldn't.
So she had a lightbulb idea. She beckoned me to follow her, jogging slowly all the way and I jogging slowly behind her (must have been a sight); up the stairs, out the exit onto the street (pavement)down the street ( still jogging) ... now after a few minutes I could see Sanwa Bank just about 10 ~ 12 meters away. Now at that point she could have stopped and just pointed to it and return to her post. But Nooo, she continued all the way right up almost to the door THEN she pointed and said Sanwa Ginko desu.
And she bowed and I thanked her profusely and she started her journey back to her post.
I don't remember how I felt after that but I reckon I felt good for the rest of that day. An unforgettable experience.

[Gordon]

Yes, and don't forget FULL SERVICE gas stations. I feel like an F1 driver sometimes when they wave you in, 3 guys flying around the car, emptying my gomi. Well worth the extra 5-10 yen/litre.

One thing I wonder why they don't do here is bag your groceries for you. Still not sure why this is not done (besides saving time) as service in Japan is usually so comprehensive.

[Sweetsee]

Second to none!

[japan_01]

To answer your question Gordon...

Generally speaking, the Japanese are VERY picky with how their groceries get packed. My 3 host mothers from previous experiences in Japan all liked to pack their groceries a certain way. It is also a small invasion of privacy. There is a difference (in Japanese minds) between scanning and bagging and JUST scanning. If you scan an item you are simply placing it in the basket. However, if you are scanning and bagging you have to take more attention (so as not to squash things) which will cause you to take notice of what the customer is buying. My host mother thought it was the "height of rudeness for somebody else to be packing her bags."

[Apsara]

Do most supermarkets not bag your groceries?

The Seiyu supermarket where I shop does- you have the choice actually, but there are a lot more "sacker" check outs than "non-sacker".

[Gordon]

[kdynamic]

I know Japan has a rep for good service. But actually I prefer the more laid back serive in the US. Sure, people can be a little ruder sometimes, but on the other hand, they are friendly and not so caught up in following protocol. You can chat with store clerks and it's not so uptight. And also, people back in the US don't freak the hell out if you ask them to deviate ever so slightly from what's in the menu or what have you, whereas in Japan people will have a heart attack if you ask for extra sauce or whatever. I asked one of the stock boys at the supermarket if they sold red peppers individually instead of in packs of four as they were displayed and I thought he was going to literally keel over from shock. In the US, if they can't fulfil your request, they can't fulfil it, but they will likely try to make something work instead of going ice cold and saying "that's not how we do things here." Also I find in Japan if a store is out of something, or doesn't carry what you are looking for, the clerks will always ask like it's YOUR fault for not somehow magically already knowing that an item listed on the menu isn't available that day, instead of apologizing for not having it like they do back home. And in Japan a lot of times when people are trying to be super dooper polite to me as a customer, it just ends up making me feel uncomfortable and I want to say "dude, it's ok, just chill out." To me, good service means making me feel welcome and at ease, and giving me what I came there to get. Japan has great service compared to a lot of other places, but I don't think it's always the best.