The Olympics will soon be held in Tokyo. A Japanese newscaster made an appealing performance about the services Japan can offer visitors at the Olympics. The slogan she used as part of the effort to impress the Olympic committee members is “OMOTENASHI” or hospitality which was well received by people as shown through their imitations of her. However, good treatment is easy to claim but difficult to show in action.
Today, Hoshino Resort is one of the best and most popular hotels in Japan. It’s surprising that the percentage of guests returning to avail themselves of the services of the hotel during last year was close to 50 %. During the time where many hotels are having a hard time with the declining number of customers, this figure is amazing. How are they doing this?
The answer is throwing away manuals. One staff member is assigned to cater to each customer. There are no rules on how to treat people. Each staff member must take the initiative and decide what is necessary to please the customer.
Conversation with their clients gives them a lot of hints. As one example, when a female staff member was asked to bring more tissues, she brought herb tea and honey along with tissues. She already knew that the customer was suffering from hay fever through the conversation, so she prepared these things to ease the symptoms. She customized the service. It was very natural that her client appreciated it. I can relate to this since I know there are some who are sensitive to the needs of others and can respond accordingly. At that time, I cannot help but feel that’s what I want to imitate.
Even though, hospitality is wonderful, I think it should not be blatant. If it is too clear, it might invite negative effects, and someone could be annoyed with uninvited or presumptuous services. There is an old story in which Mitsunari Ishida was liked by his boss Hideyoshi Toyotomi by his unique actions. He served tea to Hideyoshi three times in a day. He changed the temperature of the tea he served a little every time. When Hideyoshi was in a rush, Mitsunari served tepid tea to drink easily. Hideyoshi admired Mitsunari’s sensitivity. This event was one of the reasons that he was promoted later. I think Mitsunari was great, at the same time he was lucky enough to have a boss who noticed his efforts.
I believe hospitality can be an exquisite balance between those who give and take. Again, I insist it should be done in a subtle way. It’s difficult if you think too much. The most important thing is your heart and the will to try to treat others with respect.