Friday, March 7, 2008

サービス

I'd like to discuss something new to me, I came to Japan and learned a new concept called 'service'. Have you heard of it?

Japan is all about service. The moment you walk into a store, you are greeted and attention is on you. This includes fast food restaurants, clothing stores, convenience stores, etc. In my experience, if you need help with anything, there is someone available to assist you. And usually they assist you before you ask!


Recently, I went into a department store to buy a suit. The moment my foot hit the floor, someone (a gorgeous someone) was there to ask me what kind of suit I was interested in, what I needed it for, and so on. She immediately ran (quite literally) to find appropriate sizes, colors, anything I asked for. She even went so far as to put on my belt when I was trying the suit on...I'll admit, that was a little awkward. Upon leaving the store, that gorgeous person followed me outside and continued to bow as I walked away. Thats just a taste of the service in Japan.


More service: Most people in Japan don't have cars, so when you buy something at Yodobashi camera for example (like Best Buy but 7x the size, selection, and service) you can opt to have it shipped to your house-Free of charge I'm told. That might not be so much service as convenience, but its pretty awesome.


Even little things surprise me. For instance, when you buy ice cream or cake (which there is a WHOLE LOT OF in Japan) it is typically packed quite carefully with dry ice in a cardboard box. That way the fancy cake design stays intact and the sweets stay cold. Typically free of charge by the way.


I will be heading to Osaka soon to buy a custom suit, so I'm sure I'll have heaps to report on service.

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