OSF6 Textbook

First page Table of contents 1 Next page Last page

OSF6 Textbook

6 In a Shop

One Step Further ACTIVITIES

Here are some more responses from the Ibunka Survey on the topic of communication in shops. We can see that most responses fall into two basic patterns.

)25 7($&+(56

92&$%8/$5<

SURVEY

LOOKING FOR PATTERNS

CULTURAL PATTERN A: &XVWRPHUV DQG VWD΍ RQ HTXDO IRRWLQJ ΖQ VRPH FXOWXUHV VKRS VWD΍ DQG FXVWRPHUV communicate more or less as equals. The tone is UDWKHU IULHQGO\ DQG ZDUP

CULTURAL PATTERN B: Customers treated as “royalty” In other cultures, the customer is treated with UHYHUHQFH DQG VWD΍ JHQHUDOO\ XVH SROLWH LPSHUVRQDO ODQJXDJH DQG EHKDYLRU WRZDUG WKHP

Read through the Ibunka Survey responses below. Highlight in one color the words and phrases that hint at &XOWXUDO 3DWWHUQ $ &XVWRPHUV DQG VWD΍ RQ HTXDO IRRWLQJ DQG LQ DQRWKHU FRORU WKH SDUWV WKDW UHȵHFW Cultural Pattern B: Customers as “royalty.” You can work and discuss this in pairs or small groups.

In Japan, where I grew up and where I live, the shop staff greet and thank customers very politely. Their behavior is often impersonal. Sometimes it's so polite and commercial that I feel it’s XZUJWƳHNFQ . However, in rural areas, there is more human communication. In France, where I've lived, shop staff are not always polite nor pleasant, but as a rule there is some eye contact and some “human contact”. I feel that it's very warm. There are always greetings and thanks from both sides, and that's pleasant. -DSDQHVH IHPDOH LQWHUSUHWHU KDV OLYHG LQ )UDQFH 1 In Japan, many foreigners face the confusion of, "Do I reply to irasshaimase?" In most of our own home countries there’s a kind of obligation to reply to staff greetings, but in Japan, where shop staff are so very friendly and helpful, we are not required to respond. Though I spent some time in Japan, I always made a point of acknowledging the staff who took the time to greet me as I entered their store or section. Whether it was a smile, a nod or a konnichi wa, I felt that I owed the staff as much. $XVWUDOLDQ PDOH WHDFKHU KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 2 To share an anecdote YMJ ƳWXY YNRJ . JSYJWJI YMJ KTTI XJHYNTS TK F IJUFWYRJSY XYTWJ NS Japan, I was shocked. I couldn’t understand why everyone was shouting and making so much noise. I could guess that they were bragging about the freshness or quality of the food, but I didn’t understand why they would need to do that. &DQDGLDQ PDOH FRPSDQ\ HPSOR\HH OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 3 4 I lived overseas for a long time so I had reverse culture shock upon returning to the U.S. Once in a supermarket, the clerk asked, "Paper or plastic?" I wasn't sure what the question meant. She laughed and rolled her eyes and then held up two bags, a paper bag and a plastic bag. She looked as though she thought I was either a smart aleck or an idiot. $PHULFDQ PDOH SXEOLVKHU KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 4 1 2 3

LPSHUVRQDO VXSHUȴFLDO SOHDVDQW IURP ERWK VLGHV

FRQIXVLRQ D QRG WR RZH a DV PXFK

DQHFGRWH WR EUDJ

UHYHUVH FXOWXUH VKRFN XSRQ UHWXUQLQJ WR UROO RQH V H\HV

DV WKRXJK a VPDUW DOHFN

Ʉ One Step Further Ʉ I Ʉ8QLW Ʉ I ɄΖQ D 6KRS 84

In the States it depends on the store, but overall it’s a lot more relaxed, and some staff do use humor to keep things light and casual. I also think the staff will try to read the body language of the customer and their initial reaction when they are spoken to, in order to see if they should carry on a conversation or leave the customer alone. $PHULFDQ PDOH WHDFKHU KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 5 .S (MNSF . KTZSI YMFY XMTU XYFKK YJSIJI YT GJ "clingy" and followed me everywhere, pressuring me to buy something. They openly showed their disappointment when I didn't buy anything. )UHQFK IHPDOH WHDFKHU KDV OLYHG LQ &KLQD DQG -DSDQ 6 In my experience, XMTU XYFKK NS (MNSF \NQQ YW^ YT FHYN[JQ^ UZXM HJWYFNS NYJRX GZY HZXYTRJWX generally ignore them and buy only the items they want. &KLQHVH IHPDOH FROOHJH VWXGHQW KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 7 In Japan I felt like as a culture they are all about hospitality. I can remember the staff working at a McDonald’s were just as cheery and nice as the staff working at the nicest department stores. This isn’t to say anything bad about McDonald’s, but if you’ve been to a fast food restaurant in the States you probably found that not everyone working there is actually happy to be working there. From what I saw, Japanese people take pride in everything they do and want to do it to the best of their ability. $PHULFDQ IHPDOH EDVNHWEDOO FRDFK KDV OLYHG LQ 7XUNH\ DQG -DSDQ 8 +NWXY YMJ HTZSYW^ \MJWJ . LWJ\ ZU ITJX STY MF[J F XNSLQJ ZSNƳJI HZQYZWJ *[JS FRTSL people who belong to the same ethnic or linguistic culture, behavior varies. As for interactions between staff and customers in shops, I think it really depends on the shop. At neighbourhood shops and family businesses, the interaction is more personal. At chain stores the interaction is more impersonal. &DQDGLDQ PDOH WHDFKHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 9 It's normal in France for customers to say hello to shop staff when entering a store, and say goodbye when leaving. The shop staff also do this, when they are not engaged in discussion with a colleague. The service varies a lot from one shop clerk to another, but salespeople do not hesitate to give personalized advice and joke with their customers even if they are not regulars . ƳSI NY [JW^ UQJFXFSY )UHQFK IHPDOH WHDFKHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 10 One of the things that was hard to adjust to was the end of a purchase, and leaving a shop or convenience store. In America, the customer says, "Thank you," when receiving their change or a receipt. That may be the end of the conversation, or the staff may say something like, "Have a nice day," to which the customer should reply, "You too." In any case, the customer speaks last. In Japan, the shop staff always see you out \NYM F YMFSP ^TZ If you say it back, they say it again. This can result in endless loops. Leaving without responding to them used to make me very uncomfortable. Now, I've learned how to say thank you at the same time on my way out the door! -DSDQHVH IHPDOH FDUHHU FRXQVHORU KDV OLYHG LQ )UDQFH DQG 0RURFFR 11

WR NHHS WKLQJV OLJKW LQLWLDO UHDFWLRQ WR FDUU\ RQ a

FOLQJ\ WR SUHVVXUH a WR a

LWHPV

KRVSLWDOLW\ FKHHU\ WR WKH EHVW RI RQH V DELOLW\

HWKQLF YDU\ IDPLO\ EXVLQHVV SHUVRQDO

WR EH HQJDJHG LQ a WR YDU\ IURP a WR a UHJXODUV

WR DGMXVW WR a FKDQJH

WR VHH a RXW WR VD\ a EDFN ORRSV RQ WKH ZD\ RXW WKH GRRU

Write a paragraph on the topic of communication in shops. Include your opinions and reactions to the cultural patterns you found in these survey responses.

EXPRESSION

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Ʉ8QLW Ʉ I ɄΖQ D 6KRSɄ I Ʉ One Step Further Ʉ 85

Page 2

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs