I wrote the following post in mid-April, when I was back in Japan for a couple of weeks. It seems like a fitting way to bring this "Customer Experience in Japan Blog" to a close. In a couple of days, I'm going to put one more post here, to give you some exciting news about a new Forrester Customer Experience blog. However, for now, let me leave you with these thoughts from my visit to Japan --
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This week I'm back in Japan for a short visit. I'm presenting the results of some work that I've been doing for clients in Tokyo and taking the opportunity to see old friends and tie up loose ends.
My friends and colleagues know that I love Japan. If they ask me why, I sometimes mention things like the friendship, hospitality, courtesy, and "koujoushin" (aspiration for self improvement) that I sense here. However, since this is a "Customer Expeirence" blog rather than a "Sentimental Expat" blog, I'm just going to list a few of the good things about Customer Experience in Japan that have struck me in the last few days:
(1) Craft and tradition
From the guy who makes tatami mats in an open workshop at the end of my street to the chef who prepared my tempura lunch today, there is a wealth of skill - and a population of artisans who are devoted to achieving a kind of perfection in their fields. When I hold a handmade cup or a that was made by one of these artists, I'm delighted that there is still a living to be made by craftsmen and women in a modern, industrial country. I think that the idea of "craft" also influences the way people approach "ordinary" jobs. There's a respect for skill and an expectation that employees will devote attention to learning and internalizing that skill before going on to do things their own way.
Here's a tempura master and a young employee at Kiya (makers of fine chefs knives since 1792).
(2) Engineering and precision
It's true that not everything in Japan has been built well (understatement). But I often feel that Japanese firms are constantly engineering solutions to problems that most of us had just given up on as immutable facts of life... From the washlet toilet seats to bicycle silos to allow bicycle storage in cramped urban conditions. I love the fact that I can plan my journeys to the minute because the trains all run on time (and now I'm starting to sound like some kind of fascist).
Here's an urban bicycle silo (at Shinagawa) under construction:
And lest I be accused of over-sympathizing with Japan's national obsession with construction, let me post a picture of one of the great crimes of concrete - This is the express-way flyover that utterly obliterates the view of the historic Nihonbashi bridge, and transforms a downtown riverside neighburhood into a transportation hub, thing ...
(3) Commitment to courtesy and hospitality
In almost every business I visit - from the head office of a major enterprise to a banal branch of a fast food restaurant - I find everyday courtesy to be pretty astonishing. When I lived in Japan, I stopped noticing it. It became my expectation that people should greet each other nicely and treat customers with respect and hospitality. I ceased to be amazed when an employee somewhere would go way beyond the call of duty to help me out. (On the contrary, I became frustrated that some stores were not flexible). Of course, it's a shame that the same decency doesn't extend to all aspects of life. )People don't automatically extend courtesy and hospitality to strangers on the train, for example). But after a short absence from Japan, I was so struck by the this ability of Japanese firms to instill the importance of good manners and hospitality into the front line employees.
It's a strange feeling to be back for a visit rather than being back from a trip to some other place. ... Being here under these circumstances has brought many things into relief. I feel somewhat "inside out". I am observing Japan with a renewed curiosity. Things that would have barely registered on my consciousness a few weeks ago are really hitting home... Having said that, I'm a little worried that my observations are not so insightful - For example, I know that Japanese service can really be a let-down in some areas. If you've ever lived in Japan and dealt with financial institutions, hospitals, and other complex services... you will know that there are some areas where Japan has significant room for improvement.
My friends Carl Kay and Tim Clark wrote a book that explores the opportunities for companies who can deilver better service than existing Japanese providers - They called it "Saying Yes To Japan". and it's a great read if you want to explore the difference in the "little" things that Japan does well and the "big" things that it doesn't.
Please post a comment if you disagree or if you have other examples of the things that make up Japanese Customer Experience. I'll be delighted to read comments on this.
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That brings me to the end of "Customer Experience In Japan". Please expect a final post on this blog in a couple of days -- I'll be writing to introduce you to a new Forrester Customer Experience Blog, which will be even more wonderful in every way than this one.
