Turning Japanese: What can Western service brands learn from the concept of 'omotenashi'?
Last week, we attended Think Hospitality and Propel’s Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Tech Masterclass at none other than Google HQ. A ride up the glass lift, past the awe-inspiring post-it note creations adorning the windows of each level, and we found ourselves in Space Oddity (the Event room, not the song).
There, technology and business leaders were brought together to share experiences and consider best practice for the future of hospitality. But one talk that really pricked up our ears was Paul Willis’ on the Japanese principle of ‘Omotenashi’ - the world’s most impeccable form of customer service, found only in Japan.
‘Omote’ means public face (i.e. the image you want to present to outsiders), and ‘Nashi’ means, quite literally, nothing. Combine the two and we have a perfect definition - not so much of the word, but of its essence
Omotensashi is a type of service that comes from the bottom of the heart. It’s selfless, given with no expectation of thanks.
The fact that there isn’t a precise translation of the word into English perhaps points to the fundamental flaw of our customer service: that it’s inconsistent. The Japanese expectation of service is extremely high - if they have one bad experience at a shop or a restaurant, they won’t go back. But this goes far beyond the basic teaching that “the customer is always right”. Omotenashi is an understanding, a cultural code of conduct; if the result ensures a great experience for a guest, no task is too menial.
Omotenashi was a largely unknown concept in the Western world until Christel Takigawa, at the 2020 Olympic Games invitation, pioneered the term by heralding it as the core attribute of Japan’s legendary hospitality. But the spirit of the term omotenashi has its roots in Japanese tea ceremony. Like those ceremonies, in Japanese service industries, processes are turned into rituals, with that precision being both an art form and a guarantee of quality.
So, what’s the difference between our notion of client service and omotenashi?
‘Omotenashi’
For us, in the West, ‘service’ tends to refer to the relationship between the service provider and the customer. These relationships are considered valuable due to the promise (or hope) of a monetary transaction. But omotenashi is performed without an expectation of anything in return. Not even tips, which isn’t the done thing in Japanese culture.
This makes the concept of omotenashi somewhat intangible. It exists as much in the things not done, as in the things that are. But that’s the point - the Japanese notion of hospitality demands that it be invisible. The guest should never be able to discern that they are being waited on; this would only load the server’s action with false intention, and steer the relationship into transactional territory.
Confusing a relationship in this way would be considered problematic in Japanese culture, which stresses the importance of new encounters. The spirit of omotenashi has guided the way individuals host a guest, how customers are treated at restaurants, and how business partners treat each other.
What are some examples of omotenashi and how can you incorporate them into the way you and your employees conduct themselves?
One of the most obvious examples of omotenashi in Japan is the service at restaurants. It’s friendly and efficient and arguably unrivaled anywhere else in the world.
In restaurants, servers don't usually come to check on guests or take their order until they’re called. While to us this might be considered bad service, in Japan giving the customer freedom and choice as to when they place their order is a key indicator of respect.
The way food is plated and served is masterfully (and subtly) choreographed. Chefs are trained to anticipate the way a customer eats - what they’ll reach for first, the pace they might be eating at - in order to ensure they’ll leave feeling sufficiently satisfied.
In retail, if a customer visits a shop and doesn't buy anything, they’ll be treated by staff in the same way they would if they were a paying customer. As determined by omotenashi, everyone receives the same amazing politeness and service.
In industries such as retail and hospitality - both very hands-on and with a historically high staff turnover rate - paying close attention to detail and anticipating a customers’ needs isn’t always easy. This isn’t helped by the fact that we’re living in an increasingly technological world which often undervalues the importance of human connection. It’s no surprise, then, that quality customer service can be hard to come by. So, why not borrow something from the concept of omotenashi? After all, people are the core of your business.
Lara Businaro
