Cory has a great post about useless customer service in England. He chronicles how inflexible people in England can be about following 'the rules'. I have written about this before, with all sorts of problems and service inadequacies being blamed on 'the system' in jolly old England.
Good timing, really, because Dad and Marlene have been marvelling over how great Japanese service is. The department store staff always smile, they wrap your gifts beautifully, and at the hotel we stayed at in Nikko a small Japanese lady half my size insisted on carrying our rather heavy bags. Apparently, it is not like this in the UK, giving me further proof that a Garner revolution in customer service is needed when we eventually go back to Blighty.
Posted by Gary at May 14, 2004 11:05 AMGary, Japan has a lot of the same problems with customer service that the UK has, imo.
I believe that the tatemae of Japanese customer service is that it is better, mainly because of the politeness of the society and the efforts people go to wrap your purchases, etc.
But if you ask Japanese businesses to make exceptions, change policy, etc. you run into the honne of Japanese customer service, which is to say that it is not very flexible.
That's my experience so far...
Posted by: gen at May 14, 2004 11:41 AMIt is deadly trying to make exceptions in Japan, I agree. Fortunately it is rarely necessary.
As for good service quality I keep reminding people that it is very pleasant to be at the receiving end, but imagine yourself providing that service. That's why this American-style content-free waffle in customer service does neither work with staff nor customers in Europe.
Posted by: Dirk at May 14, 2004 05:40 PM