Customer Experience (CX) and User Experience (UX) attract the interest of businesspeople in Japan. Google “Customer Experience” in Katakana, and you get 50 million search results. User Experience – over 4 million. We also noticed that many companies are conducting customer research on their products and services. We recognize that companies are trying to enrich their customers’ experiences.
There is a gap…
Looking back on our daily lives, we do not have good customer experiences every day. In Japan, it is relatively easy to find consumer products that offer good user experiences. Store clerks are polite. But what customers remember is the overall customer experience. No matter how good an individual service experience is, if the various elements of the service are not joined up, it can ruin the overall impression.
The product is not stocked!
One of the poor customer experiences comes from a lack of product distribution in retail outlets. When we want to see a new product up close, sometimes it isn’t sold in nearby stores. Online stores are convenient, but they don’t satisfy people’s desire to check the product with their own eyes. For example, when I bought a new hair oil, I visited four supermarkets and drug stores to find it. Because it was a new product, I wanted to check its appearance and smell before the purchase. I was happy with the product I bought, but visiting various stores to buy it was tiring. In addition, I may not repurchase the product if the shop does not carry it next time.
Lack of coordination
Another case of poor customer experience is a lack of coordination between products or service providers after the purchase. Here is my experience. When I had an issue with my portable Wi-Fi router’s internet connection, I called the call center for help. The operator advised me to go to an electrical shop because they couldn’t fix the device. So I did as the operator told me the next day. The shop clerk asked me to contact the manufacturer directly because they couldn’t fix the device. I searched for the device manufacturer and found that they were closed on that day. Oh, but I cannot wait. So, I searched for solutions online this time and found that the battery was the problem. Then, I bought a new one and put it in the router. The wireless router worked perfectly. I am now happy that the device is working again, but I feel angry every time I look at it!
Siloed channels undermine customer experiences
These two cases look different, but the underlying cause is the same: a lack of collaboration to deliver a total customer experience. No matter how good the product is, it’s a problem if people can’t buy it at stores. It is also a problem for customers when they search high and low for the right contact to resolve an issue. Of course, each customer experience with products and service centers is critical. However, what matters for customers is a better overall customer experience. Customer experience research should also look to capture the totality.
These problems are not unique to the consumer markets in Japan. While Japanese companies are typically very attentive to detail, many do not extend beyond their business territories to enrich the overall customer experience. Customer research focused solely on a single product or service does not address such customer issues.
Their problems are opportunities
Considering this problem positively, we can turn this problem into an opportunity. There are opportunities to break down silos in channels and integrate them to bring enriched customer experiences. It may not be easy, but there are needs and opportunities ahead.
It’s not all bad news, though
Finally, I would like to note that not all experiences in Japanese markets are positive. Let me share my positive experience with one pharmacy. I went to a pharmacy to pick up a prescription but found that they did not have it in stock. Then, a pharmacist in the shop said, “Let me find a pharmacy that has it in stock.” She called several nearby pharmacies and found the one that had stock. She gave me a handwritten map to get there. With the help of the pharmacist, I had a great experience even though I did not buy the medicine there. Perhaps this tells us that customer service is not just about well-designed systems but human kindness and spontaneity.
I am sure I will come back to the shop.