japanese business
Japanese businesses are struggling to keep up standards
KUMIKO HIRANO has noticed a disquieting change when she goes to her neighbourhood konbini, one of Japan's ubiquitous convenience stores. "No one is around and I have to use a loud voice to get someone to serve me," says the 48-year-old worker in Tokyo. This might not seem a big problem, but Japan prides itself on the standard of customer service, which approaches the level of bespoke attention elsewhere. Taxi drivers, who often wear white gloves, sometimes get out to bow when they drop off a passenger. Staff in shops and restaurants are unfailingly polite.