Sunday, June 3, 2007
Driving in Japan Part 3: Take Gas Stations, For Example
Japanese courtesy is amazing. People in service industries recognize that they are in, well, the service industry. They really do want to help you as much as they can, and are troubled if your needs are not completely satisfied.
Take gas stations for example. A visit to refuel your Minica is an experience in itself. As much as I try to conserve gas, I find myself pulling into a convenient full service Eneos station about 3-5 times a month. Getting gas is troublesome for some, but I find myself always looking forward to the visit!
The first thing you may notice when you enter the station is that the staff has been waiting for you. They race towards your car like a pit crew, shouting greetings and waving encouragement. Once you have placed the proper location, they inquire about what type of gas and how much, would you like a cloth to clean the inside or your windows, do you have any trash for them to collect, is your ashtray full, and would you like a box of tissues? Then they proceed to fuel your vehicle while continuously shouting greetings, cleaning all exterior windows and mirrors. Somehow, at the same time, they are also simultaneously checking tire pressure, engine oil and windshield wiper integrity. All in under 2 minutes!
If there is someone there who speaks English, he or she is propelled forward to make small talk with me while I wait. Then they collect the bill, and ask which direction I will be turning when leaving the station. Depending on how busy they are, they will stop traffic so I can pull out. Once, two staff members stood in the road, one in each lane, blocking traffic so that I could continue on my emergency mission of visiting Mr Donut.
The welcoming feeling truly encourages repeat business, at least in my case. Realize, there is NO tipping expected. People are not turning on the charm to increase their income. If you ever feel compelled to tip in Japan, please don't. Instead of money, please just don't be an ass to them. Just because someone is busting their ass to fawn all over you does not mean they do not deserve courtesy and respect.
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2 comments:
Funny how different two "modern" cultures can be. Even in the era of full service gas stations (which, by the way, are all that exist in New Jersey, seriously, you can't pump your own gas in that state)in the US it was never to that extreme. I wonder why Americans did away with service like that. Perhaps it is because we don't want people knowing what we are buying...or perhaps it is because American sales personnel are incredibly pushy and overly solicitous. And I guess it does take longer at the gas station if you get full service. Hmm.
eeepers! Why is this blog post in bold? Arrgh!
Anyway, Stacked Librarian, you are right about New Jersey! It is illegal to pump you own gas. You must wait for the apathetic "pump specialist" to amble out from the shop and refuel your vehicle. Too, too tiresome, darling!
But here is a tip to hurry them: act like you are unaware of the law and try to pump yourself! Nothing will tear them away from their soap operas or ball games faster than an ignorant out-of-towner getting out of their vehicle and happily picking up the gas nozzle.
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