Tokyo Heart

Heartful Service in the USA

Yesterday I was the recipient of some surprisingly great service here in San Francisco. I couldn't get one of the new (?) parking meters to accept my credit card so I popped into a Wells Fargo Bank around the corner at Columbus & Green to get some quarters. The gentlemen at the first desk, just to the left of the door, immediately greeted me and asked how he could help. I asked if they had a change machine and rather than just directing me to a counter clerk he jumped up from his desk, took my dollar, and went over to the clerk to get the change for me. And he did this all with a smile and even thanked me for coming into the bank!

Unexpected service - a pleasant surprise.  Oh, and by the way, I'm not even a Wells Fargo customer. But, you can bet that if I'm opening a new bank account in the future, or if anyone asks me where to open an account, I'll direct them to Wells Fargo.

Later I stopped in my neighborhood drycleaner to pick up a couple of items. The young lady there, a (I believe) Korean immigrant, greeted me with a friendly smile and didn't tell me I was a bit too early (I was) and went looking for my clothes. She kept me "posted" as she got them ready for me to take away and she didn't just say an empty thanks as I paid - she looked at me and made sure to smile & make me feel like a welcome and valuable customer.

If only a few more businesses here in the USA could learn and train their employees on this level of service. The places that do definitely get repeat business from happy customers.

Everyone always comments on the "great" service they get when they visit Japan. True, Japan does have good service, but take it from one who has lived in Japan for nearly 19 years, that service is not always "service with a smile" or "service from the heart" service. It is more like what I call "duty service."  But, at least it's service. The places that do give the best, and "real" service are typically the smaller personally owned businesses like the little restaurant near my Tokyo office, "Milieu" - great place for casual French food, some coffee, or just a place to sit outside under the big umbrella with a glass of wine and a good cigar.

Next time you're in Japan pay attention to the service. Sure, you'll probably be impressed, but I mean pay attention to whether it's "giri" (obligatory) service or is it Service From The Heart!?

Filial Hearts

Last week I was talking with a friend in San Francisco and she was telling me about her mother who is suffering from dementia. This friend is Asian and the topic of filial piety came up as we talked about how she and her family are having their mother remain at home rather than in a care facility. They do have a care giver who comes in for half the day so that makes it easier, if having a family member with dementia can ever be called "easy," which I think it cannot.

Later I was reading a posting by a friend in Singapore who was lamenting the lack of care that the family's maid is able to give her parents, who are aged, and from what I could understand may be in the early stages of dementia or perhaps just old age forgetfulness.

Filial piety; after all my years in Asia I do, of course, understand and respect it.  However,maids as caregivers? Sorry, I'm not on the same page with anyone who thinks a maid who is not trained in this area of specialty skills should be considered a care giver. Hire a maid to clean the house, iron the shirts, and help with the kids. Hire a trained care giver to do the care, especially if medical issues are involved.

I lived in SE Asia for over 11 years and during the time we lived there we did have a maid to come in to help with the cleaning, ironing, etc. However, never once during that time did I think of a maid as being a qualified care giver (but, of course, we didn't need any physical care either).

While many of the Filipino maids who work abroad have quite a good education, with many of them holding college degrees they are not, generally speaking, trained as care givers or nurses. Neither are the Indonesian maids who work in many SE Asian countries.

Japan is getting to be old, folks (pun intended) and the government in Japan has recently allowed trained Filipino nurses and care givers to start coming in to Japan to help take care of the aging population, especially as many of them don't have family to take care of them, or they have family who won't - or can't - take care of them.

However, Japan is also making it as difficult as possible for these trained care givers and nurses to spend much time in the country. If you care to see the requirements have a look at this article in the Japan Times or this Blackship article. 

So, what do you think? Should maids be considered as care givers or are they maids and care giving should be done by those who are properly trained? Will Japan be a nation of old folks taken care of by robots (or nobody) or will Japan pull its head out of the immigration sand & open up to more nurses coming in?