From a Japanese perspective, the customer is God.

According to the American businessman: “Westerners, particularly the French, tend to go by the ideology that the customer and customer service are on an equal footing. This takes root through the idea that one is exchanging money for a service and the view that both are equal components. In this way, it is seen as fully acceptable for the person providing the service to declare from the outset that they refuse to do something as they see fit. However, in Japan customer service is paramount, which also has the benefit of keeping the customer happy and maintaining healthy mutual relations.”

Nevertheless, he does have one suggestion for improvement when it comes to Japanese business ethics. “The reservation of both the customer and supplier not to offend the other party is perhaps a little too strong. In order to produce the best result, speaking one’s mind more is what’s required.”

For the Japanese, the company conference room is not a place for discussion but rather somewhere to report progress.

From a Westerner’s viewpoint, a meeting room is a place for discussion about current work projects and serves as place to dedicate time to reach a conclusion about something. Many westerners find the idea that Japanese workers use the conference room simply to report findings rather bewildering.

However, one French businessman takes a more positive approach to this style of conduct. “This is all part of Japan’s product efficiency and when you think about it, contacting the parties involved and reaching a decision before the meeting can actually have the benefit of making everything go more smoothly in the meeting room itself.”

On a negative note, he commented that due to the nature of the Japanese meeting room, even when asked their opinion, few people ever feel inclined to respond honestly.

A delay in reaching a decision is a not a reflection of a Japanese person’s inefficiency.

At first I was a little taken aback by what I thought was criticism of the speed at which Japanese work, but as the second French businessman explained, “It is difficult to deny that the Japanese take time to reach a decision, however this is by no means a reflection of inefficiency. Rather, it has to do with a difference in the decision making process.”

He then went on to give an example. “Let’s say you have a financial budget of 500,000 yen. You are looking to request the work of an outside company and have two months to complete the task. Imagine that you have the option of considering four different companies. Company A estimates that it can complete the work in two months for 500,000 yen. Company B estimates 2.5 months at 480,000 yen. Company C estimates two months at 490,000 yen. Lastly, company D estimates over a course of a month and a half that it can complete the project for 50,000 yen.

“In the case of the French company, company A and B would be dismissed as possible contenders almost immediately, with only C and D remaining. However, from a Japanese perspective one would consider each company on their individual merits. Increase the budget by 500,000 yen or extend the work for an extra two weeks, are factors that would also enter into the consideration process. Ultimately, the priority lies with the company that provides the best service. Therefore for the Japanese, the entire decision making process takes considerably longer.”

Theoretically, calculating one’s budget and the completion period also takes time. The French therefore view paying too much attention to which company to use a waste of time. In other words, a French company treats the job at hand with great importance and upon reaching a decision is reticent to negotiate or return to a previous deliberation process. However, by looking back on their decisions and considering how it could affect the overall result, the Japanese demonstrate a clear focus on the end result rather than the decision-making process itself.

UNIT 17. Logistical Services

Lead in: types of logistical services

Vocabulary: key terms

Reading: third party logistics and challenges of air cargo

Grammar: adverbs, prepositions

Speaking: services

Translation: key terms

Case Study: decision-making in logistics

Writing: email, essay

Culture: doing business in Russia

Lead in