Amazing Transportation Services in Japan for Ultimate Customer Satisfaction (2)

Following the previous article Amazing Transportation Services in Japan for Ultimate Customer Satisfaction (1) this article outlines train/underground services in Tokyo, Japan that impressed the inspectorate members from the UK and France, the professionals in underground train operations, in a recent TV programme. 

 

There are also a few points added by the author from commuting everyday by trains and from taking trains at weekends that she finds useful.

 

Similarly for bus services, the key words of the underground train services for maximum customer satisfaction are “Omotenashi おもてなし” in Japanese, for comfort as well as speed and safety.

 

1. Accurate information about “time” on platforms

 

These help people to make a move with minimum time, which can be paraphrased as providing speedy services.

 

 

1) Detailed timetable

 

The inspectorate member from the UK immediately pointed out something quite different from the ones in his home country.  He said the timetables in the UK indicate the time of the first and the last train of the day, and others are simply stated “every 10 minutes” for example. 

 

In the case of Japan, all information is clearly indicated, just like the timetables of buses.  One reason for this is that there are more trains in rush hours than other time of the day.  The inspectorate members found this very easy to understand and customer-centric.

 

2) Estimated time to arrive and which car is the “best”

 

There are two things that the author finds it helpful though it was not mentioned by the inspectorate members.

 

One is that there are usually a poster on many platforms which has station names and how many minutes it is estimated to arrive at each station.  This is good in Japan when people are always on the move with tight schedule.

 

Another is the poster with list of station names, chart of train cars indicating which cars are nearest to exit/lift for which station.  This is extremely useful to minimize time to get out of the station or change trains, especially when there are as many as 10 cars or more for a train in Japan to accommodate as many passengers in a train far more cars than the trains in other countries.

 

2. Multi-functional electronic video display in train cars

 

In each car of trains just above the doors, there are electronic video displays that provide variety of information, accompanying the train announcements, one after another.

 

1) Information about the next station

 

Usually the video first shows all the names of the station in that line with number of minutes required to get to each station for some line like JR (Japan Railway) Loop Line in Tokyo, the name of the next station (usually in Japanese then English) then which trains to change there if any, then which door will be open when the train arrives at the next station (this door or door on the opposite side).

 

Also, should there be any delays even by a few minutes for some reason, it is displayed accompanying the train announcements.

 

2) Information about other lines

 

In addition, some displays also provide information such as which other line(s) is/are delayed for what reason.  This is very useful when people take multiple trains to get to the destination and the delayed train is one of the trains they need to take – they can immediately plan what alternate route to take.

 

3. Initiatives for ultimate safety of the passengers

 

These might be a little “too much” from western standard but relevant in Japan.

 

 

1) Thorough inspection of tunnels

Decrepit tunnels may result in concrete waste falling down, leading to disastrous accidents.  Thus, they would conduct thorough inspection of tunnels taking as long as 1 year each, and do maintenance as appropriate.

 

2) Thorough checking of loose bolts

 

They would check each bolt by hitting it by a hammer and the sound it makes one by one.  This used to be done also in the west but not anymore because with today’s technology bolts rarely get loosened.  So, the inspectorate members were astonished and asked why.  The answer was “we want to be 100% perfect for 100% safety for our passengers.”

 

3) Continuous training

 

Trains not in service are used for training drivers.  Training menu includes hiding eyes of the trainee and drive at a specified speed, and stopping the train at the specified place at the platform with 100% preciseness.

 

4. Last but not least – for ultimate hospitality

 

These might be very Japanese, ofおもてなし hospitality sprit.

 

 

1) For comfortable ride

 

The inspectorate members first could not understand why they would shave the metal wheels because that is never done in their countries, but understood and was impressed.  When this was complete, they were fascinated at the “beauty” of the wheels as if they are brand new. 

 

The true reason of this is to minimize the risk of making the ride bumpy – the Japanese train staff explained that should they leave the wheels with slight scratches, the scratches may get worse and make the ride bumpy.  This means they would not be providing comfortable rides to passengers.

 

2) To be connected online underground

 

Similarly to free wi-fi- services on Shinkansen Bullet Trains between Tokyo and Osaka, free wi-fi services are provided in platforms of key stations of underground trains. 

Amazing Transportation Services in Japan for Ultimate Customer Satisfaction (1)

In a recent Japanese TV programme they had a group of bus professionals from the US, the UK and France inspecting bus services in Japan, who were so much impressed, saying “there are so many things for us to learn from”. 

The things the inspectorate members were impressed with are all for customer satisfaction, with three keywords – speed, safety and hospitality or “Omotenashi おもてなし” in Japanese which was the key word used in the presentation to win Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

To the author, these show what kinds of services are required to win customer satisfaction in the Japan market for service companies but on the other hand some might be a little “too much”.  What do you think?

1. For maximum hospitality

The inspectorate members were amazed at the hospitality provided to the passengers through the bus announcements

1) Bus announcements providing ample information

When buses in many other countries do not necessarily have bus announcements, the inspectorate members were overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of information provided with this service.  These announcements are usually in woman’s voice.

The announcements not only provide what the next stop is but also what key places are near the next stop (e.g. school, hospital) as well as transfer information.

2) Bus announcements providing reminders

There are even announcements to remind passengers such as “the bus is to turn right thus will make a rocking motion, so please hold on to straps or hand rails.” 

And, to distinguish such announcement from those providing information about the bus stop, these announcements are in a man’s voice.

2. For speedy services

The inspectorate members were amazed to see the time schedule of the busses because especially at the rush hours buses arrive at a bus stop every 2 or 3 minutes, when it is something like every 10 or 15 minutes in their country.

Such operation is feasible in Japan with speedy services enabled by the following.

1) Multi-functional fare payment machine

An extremely smart, multi-functional fare payment machine is located next to the driver.  This is to provide speedy services even when Japanese buses are run by only one driver similarly to those of many other countries in a very tight time schedule.

The machine can offer change as soon as when the passenger puts coins in it, just like the vending machines of train tickets and drinks.  The machine also can change money when the passenger does not have coins.

It can handle for the fare just for one passenger each.  It can do so for up to 60 passengers at a time; therefore, if there is a group of passengers the payment can be done with minimum time.

The machine also has another unique function, which is explained in the next section.

2) IC card reader

IC card has been quite popular in Japan when riding trains and subways for years now, and the same IC card can be used in riding buses today.

So when a passenger gets on the bus from the back door and wants to pay by IC, she/he simply touches the IC on the IC reader just like she/he does so when getting on the train.  She/he again touches the IC reader on the multi-functional fare payment machine when getting off the bus from the front door near the bus driver.

3. For passenger safety

The inspectorate members were amazed at some systems they learned from first-hand experience they would not find in their country, all for safety of the passengers, which are the below.

1) So many buttons to inform “getting off at the next stop”

As soon as they got on a bus, the US member of the inspectorate started counting the number of buttons that passengers press to inform the driver that they are getting off the bus at the next stop.  Surprisingly, there were as many 35, located at variety of places - relatively high up for passengers standing up and low down where passengers seated can reach without standing up.

The inspectorate members asked the Japanese bus company staff why there are so many buttons.  The answer was “so that passengers can press the button with ease, not losing balance, when the bus is still on the move.  This means safety for the passengers.”

2) Door designed for ultra-safety

The French member of the inspectorate did an experiment about the back door (where passengers get on) and was extremely impressed with its cleverness, making it ultra-safe for passengers.  When the door started to close, he put his arm at the position that his arm would likely be jammed.  Then the door immediately opened again.  He did this experiment many times and the result was the same.

This was because a sensor is embedded in the rubber part of the door where it shuts.  As soon as the sensor detects something, it delivers the signal that the door needs to be opened instead of closed.  This is quite helpful when the driver cannot see the situation at the back of the bus, around the entrance door area.

3) Systems to monitor drivers’ skills daily

Each bus driver, before leaving their office, has a short 1:1 briefing of the route they drive for smooth operation followed by going through a check list for safety.  In doing so, they repeat a phrase of reminders that are differently every day, such as “avoid sudden braking”, “keep to appropriate speed”.

When the driver gets on the bus, he sets a recorder that records everything about how he drives, including how brakes and accelerators are used, speed and so forth.  And when he returns to the office, he brings back the recorder with him and places in an equipment.  Then immediately the “result” is displayed by graphs and charts together with the score.  In this way, his driving skill is monitored every day.

4) Training to detect veteran drivers’ possible negative habits

When in other countries like France where once the driver passes to be qualified he is never trained as the French member of the inspectorate clearly said, in Japan they regularly provide training to drivers including experienced ones to “guarantee” safety as much as possible for passengers.

The training is done on a bus with a special system, with which the points where the driver sees are monitored and displayed on a screen real-time.  Other information about how he drives are also recorded and visualized real-time and thus the trainer can immediately detect any possible negative habits of the driver. 

This is helpful when the experienced drivers find it difficult to be aware of any habits after having being in the role for so many years, which could impact negatively from safety perspective.

New Product Yet Not New with Marketing 101 in Japan

The previous article Commercializing Products Seasonally Meeting Japanese Customer Needs outlined how companies in Japan, both Japan domestic companies and multi-nationals operating in Japan, especially of BtoC, are commercializing products seasonally to meet Japanese consumers need who always expect “something new”.

 

Developing and commercializing new products so frequently in a timely manner requires much investment, budget, people and time. 

 

Is there any way of developing and commercializing a new product with virtually zero investment?

 

Yes, there is.

 

That can be done by developing a new product yet now new thus almost zero investment.

 

1. What is an example of “the new product yet not new”?

 

It is the beer in the photo, a very “clever” way of commercializing a “new” product for consumers which the author came across recently when she dined out for lunch one weekend. 

 

The photo is of a beer of Kirin, a major Japanese beer company, a new product that came out for this autumn.  The photo is a kind of POP that was placed on the table of the Italian restaurant where the author dined for lunch. 

 

It says “new product for this autumn”.  However, the beer itself is not necessarily new at all.  It is actually their regular beer, hence “new product yet now new”.

 

2. What makes this product “new yet not new?”

 

To the author, the company managed to commercialize this product by “marketing 101” to make a difference.  This is an example of what a company can do with almost no additional investment leveraging very basics of marketing.

 

 

 

1) Concept and positioning

 

The concept of this product as the author understands is “Kirin beer provided to customers in autumn, with almost zero product development cost”.

 

In the similar way, the author understands the positioning is “seasonal product sold only in autumn 2014 under a new naming and new label”.

 

2) Value proposition

 

The author understands the value proposition is something like “enjoy autumn in the similar way as enjoying beauties of nature with red and yellow leaves outdoor while enjoying beer indoor”.

 

3) Naming

 

With the concept, positioning and value proposition above, they have named the beer 秋味, whose literal translation is “autumn taste”. 

 

This naming makes consumers think the beer itself is brand new.  It also helps consumers to “enjoy autumn atmosphere and breeze even if they are indoors as if they are enjoy autumn outdoors”. 

 

4) Label on the bottle

 

In order to offer the value visually aligning with the naming, the label is designed with red and yellow leaves, the symbol of outdoor autumn.

 

All beer bottles have labels and their size is usually the same so the only investment is planning and designing of labels.  There is no need for new production line or equipment.

 

5) POP

 

They have created the POP, aligning with the label.  It is of maple leaf shape with back ground of maple leaves in red and yellow.  The naming is also clearly written.  And of course, they have also the Kirin CI logo.

 

What they included is the copy saying “beer exclusively sold in autumn”.  Campaign selling a product or for a limited time or doing a bargain for a limited time is a tactic often used in promotion.  They have adopted this tactic to the fullest although they have not specified “until when”.

 

In addition, they have added the price per glass, which is 700 JPY.  Therefore, this POP acts as an eye-catching menu providing all information covering AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) model.

 

Planning, designing and making the POPs require some investment; however, it is far less than mass media advertising campaigns.  Also, this kind of POPs are often found in fast food and other popular restaurants in Japan so this kind of promotion is something handled without difficulty in Japan.

 

3. Would this marketing tactics work in Japan?

 

It may well not work in other parts of the world, but yes, it works in Japan, targeting Japanese consumers.  It is because they take it for granted that for foods and beverages as well as fashions, new products are launched seasonally.

 

This marketing tactics is based on what people in Japan tracditionally enjoy in autumn called Momiji-gari 紅葉狩り.  In Japan, autumn is when people enjoy beauties of nature, or red and yellow leaves in mountains, Japanese gardens, gardens of temples and shrines and parks.  That is why we have many products and services featuring this tradition in Japan.

Commercializing Products Seasonally Meeting Japanese Customer Needs

Key points to meet expectations of Japanese consumers, often said to be difficult to please, are outlined in the previous post 5 Product Requirements to Meet Japanese Consumer Needs.

There is one more critical point in developing and marketing products to Japanese consumers in success, especially in BtoC businesses.

That is, “something new”.

This is why in the Japanese market there are varieties of products coming out so frequently, with different design, colour, functions/features and so forth.

This is not only in fashion industry which products need to align with the seasons, nor consumer electronics, mobile phones and smart phones.  This is also for fast foods, beverages, sweets and snacks, and menus in popular restaurants. 

Companies in Japan, both Japanese and multi-nationals operating in Japan, make much investment in almost every season in order to meet needs of Japanese consumer needs, who constantly expect “something new”. 

Also, there are some products such as sweets only sold in a particular region; in Japanese we call them 地域限定品.  This is a tactic to provoke tourists to buy the products and such products turn out to be great souvenirs.

1.Sweets and snacks

When it is spring and strawberries are in their high season, there are variety of new sweets and snacks of “strawberry-flavoured” sweets, snacks and cakes being commercialized for a limited time.  Also March 3 is Girl’s Day and May 5 is Boy’s Day, and products associated with the days usually come out.

In summer, it might be of water melon and “summer orange”, popular in Yamaguchi prefecture.  And every summer we have variety of new summer cold desserts coming out which are sold at super markets, convenience shops, cafes and restaurants.

And in autumn, peaches, Japanese pears, grapes, Japanese persimmon and chest nuts are in their high season, and new products using them are commercialized. 

In winter, products associated with Christmas and New Year comes out.  Products associated with Christmas tend to be something western and products associated with New Year tend to be something Japanese.

2.Fast foods

McDonalds, not only have Japanese taste burger called Teriyaki as one of their regular menu, develops new products almost every season which are sold for only a limited time. 

Previously they commercialized a very simple burger with low price which was named “100 JPY burger”, and also a product which they added a small toy for foods targeting small children.  Some fast food shops do campaigns making alliances with entertainment companies.

In summer they had commercialized a burger using avocado. 

And recently many fast food shops have been using mushrooms, one of the foods in high season in autumn, in commercializing new products for autumn.  The attached photo is of McDonalds, using mushrooms with theme of Moon-Viewing 月見, the Japanese tradition on September 15.

3.Pizzas and lunches sold in convenience stores

Mushrooms are also used in commercializing autumn products among pizza shops.  The attached photo is of a pizza delivery flyer in which they feature their new “autumn” product named “Autumn Premium Quarter Four” with mushroom topping, to be sold until November 16.

 Autumn is also when Tricholoma Matsutake (a kind of mushroom we get in autumn, with great odor, and expensive) is in high season.  Matsutake mushrooms are used in commercializing new portable lunches (in Japanese called Obentoお弁当) and sold in convenience stores and supermarkets for a limited time, as well as appearing in menus in high class restaurants. 

Bamboo shoots are obtained in spring and are used in a very similar way as Matsutake mushrooms in commercializing new products of lunches in convenience stores and super markets as well as commercializing new cuisines in restaurants.

Crabs and giant pacific oysters are in their high seasons in winter.  Pizza shops often commercialize new products using crabs as their topping.  Lunches sold in convenience stores in particular sometimes feature crabs and oysters for their new products in winter.

4.Beer

Summer is when people enjoy beer the most, and “beer gardens” enjoying cold beer chilled in refrigerators outdoors as well as indoors is a major entertainment in Japan.  So in summer, all Japanese beer companies usually commercialize new products.  They usually differentiate by taste, how it is felt when drinking (beer going down the throat) and so forth. 

This year “premium” was a key word or concept in beer companies developing and commercializing new beers like the one in the photo. 

There was also a beer company that partnered with Seven Eleven a convenience store company, and a tourism company in promoting their products.  The author received a coupon of the new beer from the tourism company she used in going on a vacation with which she could buy the new beer at a Seven Eleven store near her house during the time specified on the coupon.

Beer companies also commercialize new products in winter, developing products with appropriate naming and new can or beer label suitable for winter.

5.Menus in restaurants

Combining the above approaches, as a few examples already given above, restaurants often develop new seasonal cuisine to make their menu a little different every season.

The most distinct ones are probably found in summer, autumn and winter.

In summer, they commercialize many cold cuisines like cold noodles like thin wheat noodles, cold noodle (topped with egg, roast pork, bean sprouts, tomato, and cucumber), cold soba or buckwheat noodle called ざるそば and cold ◾wheat noodle called ざるうどん and even cold spaghetti.

In summer they would also have cold desserts in their menus.

In autumn, high class restaurants and hotels would commercialize Matsutake Kaiseki, Japanese full course using Matsutake mushrooms.  We call them 秋の味覚, literal translation is “great autumn food”.  Hotels with hot spring public baths or Onsen 温泉often commercialize a package product of Matsutake mushroom full course lunch or dinner with hot spring bathing services.

In winter, similar Japanese full course cuisines and package products using crabs and oysters called 冬の味覚 (literal translation is “great winter food”) are commercialized at high class restaurants and hotels.

When Japan is blessed with 4 distinct seasons, it is a requirement to commercialize products fully leveraging what we are blessed in each season in order to successfully commercialize products meeting Japanese consumers.