Wonderful Customer Service Day (Kandou Sekkyaku no Hi)

What Is Wonderful Customer Service Day?

March 22nd is "Wonderful Customer Service Day" (Kandou Sekkyaku no Hi) in Japan. It was established by Asukatee Three Co., Ltd., a company that plans and develops touch-panel self-ordering systems for the restaurant industry. The date comes from a Japanese wordplay reading of 3-2-2 as "saabisu (3) niko (2) niko (2)," meaning "service with a smile" ("niko-niko" is the Japanese sound for smiling). It expresses the hope that customer service that truly moves customers will bring smiles not only to customers but also to the people working in the shop. The day was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association, although its registration is said to have since ended.

The Idea Behind "Service Niko-Niko"

This day grew out of the idea that by letting machines take orders, staff can spend more time on the kind of hospitality only people can provide. The "niko-niko" smile in the wordplay includes the smiles of the staff themselves, not just the customers.

• Origin: A wordplay reading "3-2-2" as "saabisu, niko, niko" (service, smile, smile)
• Established by: Asukatee Three Co., Ltd., developer of the touch-panel ordering system "e-menu" for restaurants
• Purpose: To spread customer service that moves customers and to bring smiles to both customers and staff

Orders to the Panel, Attentiveness to People

Touch-panel ordering systems can prevent order mistakes and save staff the trouble of going to tables to take orders. That frees up time for careful explanations when serving dishes, conversation with customers and small gestures of attentiveness. The company's system is said to have been installed in more than 2,000 restaurants, including sushi restaurants, izakaya chains and pasta shops. With labor shortages continuing today, the idea of leaving to machines what machines can do and focusing people on hospitality has become ever more familiar.

"Moving customer service" may bring to mind something extraordinary, but what stays with us is often a small kindness: a staff member who remembered our name, paid attention to our preferences, or quickly offered help when we were in trouble. Not only in service jobs, but also in dealings with coworkers and business partners, a word spoken from the other person's point of view tends to leave a lasting impression.

Ways to Spend the Day

• Recall a recent time when you were delighted or moved by service at a shop, and tell family or coworkers about it
• At a shop you visit often, say "thank you" to a staff member who treated you well
• Look for moments in your own work where you can add a kind word or an extra touch for customers or business partners
• Observe how touch panels, self-checkouts and other systems at nearby shops are changing customer service

Smiling Service Starts With a Smiling Workplace

Moving customer service does not come from manuals alone. Smiles reach customers only when the people serving them can enjoy their work. On March 22nd, remember the wordplay "service, smile, smile" and think about heartfelt service, both as someone who receives it and as someone who provides it. Why not start today with a "thank you" and a smile for the people around you?