No More Omotenashi

Nana Gushiken

Have you ever seen customers complain about something at cash register of a store or other business? I think many Japanese people have witnessed this behavior. If the workers are wrong, you should tell them about it because a customer’s input can be a good thing for their service. In this way, a company can develop better services as a business. In fact, though, most complainers are wrong. They are simply rude and feel the need to express their emotions. The problem is that Japanese workers can’t really say anything because they’re too nice. Costumers complain more, then they demand higher quality service. That’s why Japanese workers should serve in easier manner.

Japanese workers look at customers like gods; this is called “Omotenashi” spirit. It leads customers to be rude because “Omotenashi” is too much about service. It’s good to be nice to customers but treating them like gods is not the best way to operate a business. Customers are also humans. We should just treat them like humans. There is no need for all the extra stuff. People often like to say that “simple is the best,” so workers should serve their customers in simple, friendly and honest ways.

Customers have the advantage over everything when it comes to service. Japanese customers feel entitled when they shop because of how they are treated. They complain way too much because they know they will be treated well by the workers. There was case before about customers make strange accusations at workers in convenience store. The customers demanded dogeza (extreme apology on the knees), so the worker complied, but the customer still didn’t accept the apology, and he misplaced anger. He demanded money and cigarettes in cartons. Sometimes, customers make mistakes, but Japanese workers are too nice. They can’t say customers are wrong, but they can only say, “I’m sorry.” Customers are always right.

But, as I worker myself, I want customers to reasonable and honest when they wrong. I think that’s for a connection between individuals. I learned that way of thinking from working at an American-styled establishment. When customers are rude, I can tell them something like that’s not good or that’s not correct. Then, they realize that they are wrong. Even if they become angry, they leave then and there, and the next day they tend to return to apologize about their behavior.  This means to be human and honest. Also, it means to state what is wrong is wrong.

I also work at a Japanese-styled convenience store, and I often feel that Japanese customers think they’re like being our bosses. If they wait too long time, they show anger. I can understand if we make them wait because we are slow or are talking too much. But when I was a cash register, one of my customers said that I lost her point card. I said, “I’m gonna check lost property list, so wait a second.” When I was checking it, she moved and said, “Did you find it?” I said “no, I can’t find it. You can take new one.” Then I came back to the register. The man yelled at me, “I was standing in line. You gotta say something to me!” I was talking to the woman about her point card, so I couldn’t say anything to him. I thought, “You gotta say something to me like excuse me.” This one reason why I don’t like Japanese customers. They are too used to being treated like gods. Foreigners would never yell. But when that was happened I couldn’t say anything because customers are like gods. I could say only “sorry.”

So many Japanese customers tend to lose their common sense as they make demands for high quality service. They complain about very small things. This causes many Japanese workers to suffer great stress and sometimes the result is a sense of hopelessness and suicide. We should live an easier working life. To that end, I propose that we all step back and really think about reason and how we can apply reason to our everyday interactions with people in the places that we go to buy and sell.