The Customer Authority

When I was a teenager, I had the great pleasure of living overseas in Japan. My father had been transferred due to work. I went to an American School, and while I had English-speaking friends, it was a cultural mish-mash of kids from all over.

One of the things I distinctly remember and miss about Japan is how polite a society they are. The Japanese are known for their politeness and honesty, and in my opinion, it is to their advantage. I only wish we Americans were only half the people the Japanese are sometimes.

An area where the Japanese truly stands out is in the world of customer service. Before moving, I had never imagined a world where the customer is treated like royalty. In Japan, you are.

From the moment you walk into any store, you are greeted enthusiastically by dozens of employees with bright smiles and waves. It doesn’t matter if you are in the largest department store or the local fish market. You are greeted and shown appreciation for just being there.

Store aisles are ALWAYS neat and tidy and in perfect order. Everything is packaged to perfection. Employees constantly wipe down counters, windows, even escalator railings to get rid of any unsightly smudges.

Employees are trained to give the customer everything they want. If they don’t have what you want, they will simply order it for you. If they can’t do that, they will do everything in their power to get you what you want. If they don’t, they feel they have failed you and will do what they can to offer you something else to satisfy your needs.

I remember shopping one day for a gift for my mother. She loved to collect tea cups, so I went to a little tea shops I would pass on my way to school. It was a tiny little store with only the store owner inside – a tiny older woman who didn’t speak any English.

She came over to see if she could help me, and through hand gestures and broken Japanese and English, she understood I was searching for a gift of a tea cup. She showed me various selections and though I didn’t have a clue about tea cups, I surmised she was explaining the difference of each.

Eventually I picked one and she took if from me to ring up. She delicately wrapped the cup and saucer in tissue and placed it in a box. Thinking that was it, I started to reach for my package, but she stopped me. She pointed to colorful paper and ribbon and motioned for me to choose. When I did, she then wrapped the box flawlessly in the bright sheets and topped it off with a squiggly bow.

I smiled and said my thanks and was prepared to leave when she stopped me again. Motioning to a little area off to the side, she pointed out a small table low to the ground with a tea set upon it. I noticed steam coming out of the pot, and realized I had interrupted her tea when I came in. But before I could apologize, she pointed to me, then her, and then the table. I understood she meant was inviting me to share a drink with her, and I graciously accepted.

How often can you say you’ve experienced this type of treatment? In my experience, it’s a rare day that I have people so effortlessly going above and beyond to help me in my customer ventures – and certainly doing so simply out of sheer want and kindness.

The point here I’m making is number nineteen from the “Top 25 Things You Should Do in Customer Service” list – going above and beyond. The Japanese have taken going above and beyond to a new level. So much so, that it is a standard practice, “the norm” if you will, for their culture. To do anything less would be considered shocking and beneath them.

Going above and beyond for your customers is nothing new. But it’s something that we don’t practice nearly enough in the United States. The Japanese have adopted so many things they admire about the West. Maybe now is the time to start taking lessons from our friends in the East.