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Many foreigners are impressed by the high level of convenience of the Japanese society when they arrive in Japan. However, after a while, it seems there are many foreigners who feel that it is overkill and too much.

What Westerners often find is that such a high level of convenience in Japan is possible due to a high degree of standardization often based on a manual. While it is dependable, works well and provides fair treatment to everybody, some people find that they are deprived of any space to think for themselves and to choose different levels of services. What if they don’t want the full service? Can they ask for something different?

Fair treatment of all customers is a huge drive in Japan and that’s why Japanese people standardize the service level. A recent challenge is how to treat fairly so many old people who can not access Internet with vaccine registration.

It is always a reverse culture shock to experience the service quality in other countries. People at cashiers are often chatting despite a long que in a supermarket for an example.

The question is how such a high level of service is financed in Japan? In other countries, a high level of service is too costly. It will be reflected on the price and you have to go to a premium place for a good service. But in Japan, even every normal gas station provides almost like a Formula 1 pit service without extra charge.

Services are often not financed in Japan. It’s possible due to free labor the Japanese offer through self-sacrifice.

In Japan, based on the client/customer as a God concept, service is often included in the standardized package without extra charge.

Convenience is a function of customer service in Japan, and clients and customers take it for granted.

The position of client companies is too high in Japan. As a result client companies often demand vendors to deliver free services which vendor companies are obligated to deliver for customer satisfaction. Thus vendor companies burden their employees by asking them to work extra to meet client’s demands . In other countries, the relation between client and vendor is much more equal.

Overserviced culture in Japan started with genuine hospitality. But gradually it became too much. And it became a burden and unhealthy obligation tormenting many people due to the abuse of power by clients/customers.

This “client/customer is God” mentality is strongly embedded in the Japanese education system. For example already in school sports, the Senpai / Kohai (mentor / mentee) mentality enforces the Kohai to clean-up after the Senpai. Although such an attitude itself is a noble one, the practice of obligatory free service should be reviewed for its relevancy and whether it is appropriate. Not only the business practice but also the education system have to change.

So what should we do in Japan from now on? Well, providing service without getting rewarded is almost like slavery. So companies should either start charging for services and stop offering so much free services. Do not include service in their standardized package and don’t make it taken for granted. Even tipping practice may be a good means to reward and recognize the services delivered by each individual.

If you want to offer convenience, you need to standardize it for fairness and limit choices for people to choose. If you want to offer choices, it will be difficult for you to offer fairness and to standardize. Balancing the two is probably the best answer.

Due to the increasing services business - in particular SaaS, etc. in the IT industry - the (monetary) value of services is getting more visible. This might lead to changes in the service culture of Japan as well.