One of the first things that I experienced in Japan was the customer service, our first restaurant outing was the first time I saw this first hand. I had heard KJ talk about how polite everyone was and how they bowed at 90 degrees. Everyone knows that bowing is a sign of respect in Japanese culture, but I didn’t to know to what extent they performed this act. At first it was very strange to see a person bow as you left a restaurant or even McDonalds, but soon it became very natural. I felt like when I returned a bow I was responding with respect. It seems that America has lost its emphasis on customer service in certain industries, such as food service. Fast food in Japan has much of this customer service that has been lost in America, it was very strange the first time someone bussed by tray in a McDonalds. This experience was difficult at first because I thought to myself “I can bus my own tray,” but then I thought about how this is something that has been lost in America. It seems that we have become accustomed to the poor customer service and occasional attitude we encounter when dining. It seems that in America we see fast food as a quick meal, where we can fulfill our hunger quickly, but in Japan they focus on service and providing “good food quickly.”
