CUSTOMER service is something we tend to take for granted these days. Everyone expects good service to be part of any transaction and it is what some might call ‘simple courtesy’.
But it wasn’t always that way and even as little as a few decades ago the notion of providing good service was not something natural to things like shopping transactions.
Also, what we mean by the word ‘service’ can vary enormously across different cultures. In Japan, for example, the service culture is based on the traditional Japanese values of politeness and extending hospitality to strangers. Interestingly though, there is no such word as ‘customer’ as everyone is considered as a ‘guest’. This is particularly apparent in the hotel, events and corporate hospitality sector where treating everyone as an ‘honoured guest’ is part and parcel of the business ethic as well as a matter of simple courtesy.
At times of global recession and business uncertainty, organisations from every business sector and of all shapes and sizes have to learn to adapt in order to survive.
Whatever the external economic situation might be though, one of the most important challenges facing managers will be continuing to focus on the customer. Maintaining high levels of customer service is often difficult in troubled times but that is where cultural differences become more apparent. Those cultures in which customer service is natural and traditional will have no difficulty maintaining standards whereas other organisations and cultures that consider ‘good customer service’ as an ‘add-on’, will have more trouble maintaining basic levels of good service.
Similarly, in today’s service-orientated culture any cutting back on service standards can reflect badly on the organisation with long-term negative effects. Although it might seem incongruous, adopting a deliberate policy of trying to improve customer service in tough times can actually be very advantageous because, quite simply, clients and customers have long memories.
Company training in Japan includes aspects such as how to deal with problems and complaints in such a way that combines the provision of a satisfactory solution with the opportunity of building better customer relations. It encourages keeping accurate customer records (so that repeating the same questions will not always be necessary). Training will also be focused on anticipating what clients and customers might require and offering it to them before they have to ask!
Very innovative!
Moving towards a more ‘service oriented’ culture should be central to every organisation’s strategy and we can all learn a lot from the Japanese model of hospitality. Everyone likes to be treated with courtesy and respect and the companies that understand this simple concept will be the companies that will thrive and survive.
Good customer service though is not always about just being polite. Consider, for example, the Japanese rituals aassociated with food. Shared meals offer the perfect opportunity to network but they are also shrouded in etiquette. A western visitor to Japan is likely to be open minded about food choice but may not be used to eating at low tables on tatami mats. A simple solution – the same beautiful food, elegantly served in the same Kyoto restaurant but this time at a table with chairs. The result is a success because the basic traditions are maintained while the one truly challenging cultural bridge is successfully crossed.
Service though should not always be a one-sided transaction. Taking time to understand the conventions and rituals of other cultures is important. In Japan the way in which business cards are exchanged or the presentation of small gifts is culturally important and western visitors should make the time to understand these subtle nuances when transacting business.
The Japanese are so focused on good service levels that even the toilets in Kyoto are hi-tech. This includes heated seats to ensure everything it is at just the right temperature when you sit down!
Japanese service levels? I think I’m warming to the idea…
By James Kent
Kyoto Convention Bureau