So there’s this global myth that Japanese companies offer the best service in the world — hyper-polite staff, attention to detail, the customer is god, etc. I used to believe it too.
But after living here for years, I’ve come to realize that this reputation is… kind of a giant lie.
Yes, Japanese service looks good. You get bowing, polite language, perfectly scripted apologies — all the stuff that doesn’t cost companies a yen. They can train and guilt employees into being endlessly polite while paying them low wages.
But the moment a company has to provide service that costs real money — like returns, repairs, compensation, fixing their own mistakes — the quality drops off a cliff.
Some examples:
- AMEX Japan sent me a letter with the wrong payment due date. The mistake caused me to miss my payment and pay interest. They refused to refund the interest. Just endless 「申し訳ございません」 — the kind of apology that costs them nothing.
- When I transferred money from abroad, the bank held my funds and made me repeatedly call different departments and submit tons of personal documents because of their outdated system. I lost profit from the delay. Outcome? → More free 「申し訳ございません」, zero compensation.
- Tried to return a defective product? Prepare to fill out multiple forms, go through “investigation,” maybe get a coupon weeks later — if you’re lucky.
Meanwhile, in the US (where I lived before), yes the workers may not bow, but if a company messes up?
They’ll:
✓ Refund immediately
✓ Compensate for inconvenience
✓ Automatically admit responsibility without making you beg
That, to me, is actual good service.
In Japan, companies act like if they apologize enough times, the problem magically disappears. And often consumers just quietly accept it.
Anyone else feel the same way?
Is this just my bad luck, or is the “Japanese service is the best” thing just a well-marketed illusion?
by xijinpingdie