Shopping and other forms of torture

Hello G'Day everyone,

Today we will be discussing the shopping culture in Japan and obviously we will compare it to Poland (sorry Canada, I did avoid shopping as much as I could when I lived there).

Alrighty, let's do the outline and comparison in bullet points so it's just easier to read. 

Customer service - is the customer really always right? 

We all know all too well that the customer service (CS) in Japan is just exceptional, from the way the workers are greeting you, through how they treat and help you to even walking you outside the restaurant just to wish you a safe travel home. When the last thing happened to me, I was just awe struck. I dare even say that I felt a bit out of place at the moment. But that's the way it is here.

If I were to describe the Japanese CS, I would use only two words: Hospitable and Respectable.

The Japanese staff is known for their politeness, absolute unwavering attention to their clients and they will go out of their way just to assist their customers. Also, there is no tipping culture. I know I know for us westerners it's a:
 

When it comes to Poland, I would say that the customer service is usually depending on the quality of the place (although not always). So when shopping for a suit, you may expect a higher degree of respect and attention to the client, when compared to shopping for at some chain for a t-shirts. 

To put it simply - the more you will pay for the products the better the customer service. 

"Japanese quality"

It is not uncommon to find a very high quality products just slightly more expensive than the regular ones, since that's what customers care about. A sleek design, nice packaging and durability are the main traits of the Japanese products. Japanese are more willing to pay a bit more, if the brand is trusted and provides those qualities. 

Us Poles, we care mostly about getting things done and our market adjusts to that. You surely can find more expensive high-quality products, but predominantly the biggest share of the products are in medium category offering a balance between quality and price. However, it is also popular to buy cheap products (Temu made it incredibly easy) if they are not meant to last for a prolonged period of time.

To put it simply - Japan is more quality sensitive, while Poland is more price sensitive.

Kombini the king - types of shops 

Japan offers a wide array of shops, from elegant Depato, 24/7 Kombinis and cheap 100 yen shops like Daiso. And "Let him who is never shopped at Kombini at 2AM among you cast the first stone" - I think that's what Jesus said in The Bible, I'm not an expert.

The point being, that this shopping structure allow the Japanese to pick and choose an establishment based on their actual needs, making shopping more efficient. 

Poland is quite similar, yet without the Daiso-like store, since they would be swept clean within first 2h from opening. We do have a cheap options, but not that cheap. 

Savoir-acheter - the etiquette of proper shopping behaviour 

Japan has very strict and clear rules regarding shopping: you shouldn't hand money directly to the cashier, no wet umbrellas inside the store and no bargaining (no bargaining no fun, as my arabic friend would say). 

Now that's the part when my Polish pride dissipates... It's a doggy dog world out there, so no rules apply especially when there is a huge discount. See the video down below for the reference. 

Alright, thank you so much for your attention, it was a rather lengthy post. 
See Ya in the next one!