Is customer service cultural?
I read this article about how customer service is different in Japan.
The example that the blogger (Bill Blew) gave was about his Honda salesman (also named Mr. Honda) who came by Bill’s house a month after he bought the car and asked how everything was. That is completely unheard of in this country and I would be very surprised if it happened to me. It is definitely a lot different than my car buying experience.
There are very few people in this country that will show up at a person’s house just to make sure they were happy. The dealer that sold me my car didn’t even call me a month later to see how things were. I wasn’t expecting a call and was delighted that I finally had my car.
The Japanese have a very different work ethic and culture than Americans. They just look at business and how things are supposed to be done differently. There is a divide in other countries as well. Take India as an example. In India, working in a call center for a big company like a Dell or a HP is a high prestige job. In the United States, it isn’t. That is a cultural thing if you ask me.
I also feel that people in some countries (i. e. the Philippines) are on average very hard working. I’ve dealt with several Filipinos and in all of my experiences, I have been really impressed. It is obviously a small sample of their population and there will always be exceptions (good and bad), but from my experience, I have been really impressed with their work ethic and talent.
I feel strongly that how a country’s culture looks at customer service and dealing with people is important. The Japanese have a very different attitude than their American counterparts. Their culture is very much about respect and I have no doubt that their culture of respect plays a big role in their providing great service.
So I ask the question – is customer service a cultural thing? Or do you think it is more a person to person thing? Was Mr. Honda an exceptional salesman because he was Mr. Honda or do you think that Mr. Honda was an exceptional salesman because he was Japanese? Partly or fully?
Note: I am generalizing. I’m basing the information in the above post on my personal experiences and what I’ve read. Feel free to share your opinions and experiences in the comments.