Japanese-style Customer Service: the Art of Kikubari

It’s humbling to hear what Japanese say about American customer service. On the positive side we’re “kind”, “friendly” “charming” and “warm”. But we can just as easily be mean, scary, obnoxious and aloof. As I alluded to in the previous post, America is indeed a culture of extremes: when our service is good it’s really good; but when it’s bad, it’s really bad. Most Japanese would rank average American customer service well below the average in Japan.

Japanese customers are notorious for not complaining when they feel mistreated (while they quietly stew in their own juice). Here’s what they tell their friends and family when we’re not around: Americans don’t always keep their promises; don’t apologize for breaking promises; make excuses; don’t know how to properly speak to customers; and are not considerate.

What level of customer service do Japanese get in Japan? A personal experience at a Japanese hotel tells the story: on the way to meet the chairman of a company that employed me at the time, I walked for twenty minutes in the sticky heat of Japan’s late-July summer. I entered the lobby of the Otsuki Hotel drenched in sweat. The chairman had not yet arrived so I found a sitting area to wait.

Meanwhile an observant clerk behind the check-in counter noticed my discomfort, and took it upon herself to bring me a glass of cold barley tea and an oshibori towel. She anticipated my needs and fulfilled them proactively, the ultimate in Japanese-style customer service. The Japanese call this “kikubari”.

The value of the employee’s thoughtful gesture was immeasurable. The cost to create this wonderful experience was a cup of tea.

What similar high-impact, low-cost measures bring instant value? Review the complaints listed above then educate your employees to do the opposite. Specifically, commit your organization to:

1) keeping promises
2) apologizing when customers are inconvenienced
3) taking action to solve problems rather than making excuses
4) learning to greet customers in a respectful way
5) being observant and paying attention to detail
6) learning and practicing kikubari

All this requires training, of course. But it cuts much deeper than training. Business leaders must be humble enough to acknowledge the need to improve. Only after leaders deepen their own understanding of customer values and expectations can they ensure the knowledge is properly deployed throughout their organizations. Education is essential for opening minds to the creative possibilities and guiding employees on effective ways to connect with Japanese customers.

But improvement ideas must ultimately come from the hearts and minds of employees. If guided properly, employees will create and enthusiastically implement customer service practices that exceed expectations.

The foundation of any improvement strategy is staying true to your organization’s values. Japanese guests seek authenticity; the last thing they want is their American hosts acting like Japanese! Always be who you are. Kikubari is a natural and beautiful way to put your customer-service values into practice.

Human relationships have the power to overcome rising costs, aging facilities, even the inevitable cross-cultural faux pas. Human bonds cemented by acts of kindness add precious value to the customer experience that money can’t buy. If your business can develop more quality ways to connect with Japanese customers on a human level, you gain a powerful strategic advantage over competitors vying for the same market.

Copyright © Tim Sullivan 2008