Decoding The Language Barrier When Assisting International Customers

Last month I took up a clerk job for a Japanese grocery store. One of the major requirements were to have some knowledge of the Japanese language. I didn't have to be fluent, but have enough understanding for basic queries and conversation. When working in Waikiki, multilingual applicants will have an advantage in job placement over others, but how well would I stack up? After working here for a month, there were some things that have helped me tremendously in helping customers from Japan.

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The aim of this article is not to teach the words and phrases,
but to give a brief deconstruction on how culture affects language.

Notes: I'm 3rd generation Japanese (one full Japanese grandparent). The Japanese in this post is written as Romaji (roman characters/English alphabet) because my speaking ability is above my writing, and this post is not meant as a translation. I have two years of college Japanese, and many friends who speak casually. I live in Hawaii, where a melting pot of words and terms from multipIe languages became a recognized dialect known as "Pidgin". When I received my worker's permit at 15, I have been working on my customer service skills.

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Don't Get Discouraged By Native Speakers

One of the scariest things when learning a second language is the fear of not communicating well enough... Or worse being put down for not "knowing enough". It is not a contest by any means. In fact, native speakers of the language you choose to learn will be encouraging you just by seeing that you have taken an interest in their language and culture. I cannot tell you how many people lose it when they realize the brown girl speaks Japanese, they are always like "woooo nihongo joozu!~" (Your Japanese is skilled!)

"Nihongo joozu de wa nai to omou~" (I don't think my Japanese is good~)

All of our managers speak English as their second language, and know about as much English as I know Japanese! This sets up a lot of interesting and insightful interactions among staff c: I am called "Shello" or "Kona-san" because Sheryl is hard to pronounce for them, and I was asked to provide a nickname. We spend a bunch of time gesturing and creatively explaining things just amongst staff, this has been an eye-opening experience! The effort to understand is more important than anything else, and as long as your are willing to try- You will always be met halfway.

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Many Gestures are Understood

When I first joined the team, I noticed that there would be times that our line would get out of control due to a cashier getting stuck in expressing a concept with a customer. This can be frustrating, because the cashier only wants to help and the customer only wants to be helped. I wanted to see if there was something that could be done about it.

Instead of calling for the next person, I actually raise my hand straight up to signal the next person in line with a big smile on my face. During our busy hours this helps keep the line moving, and my regulars that live/work in Waikiki are entertained. I don't have to say a word. We have people from not only Europe, Australia, and Canada, and the continental US, but Japan, Korea, China, and Singapore too! Nothing is more direspectful than saying; "Omatase itashimashita!" (Thank you for waiting!) To someone from Korea! By using positive body language, I not only remove the need to blindy communicate, but also create an inviting atmosphere for my next customer.

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The Japanese Language is Beautiful

"Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should" holds true here. I could do what my coworkers do by asking if they need a bag in Japanese ("kuro wa irimasu ka?"), but I don't. I smile as big as I can, look them in a bag and ask, "Would you like a bag?" Usually met by a blank stare, sometimes an "ehhhH?" Then I will follow up by casually asking "Fukro aru?" (have a bag?) or "fukuro hoshii?" (want a bag?).

I don't like the way that phrases are expressed sometimes, as words can say a lot about who a person is and their personality. Saying "kuro wa irimasu ka?" is literally; "Do you need a bag?" If I can say it the way I want to intend it but still get the message across, I will! Instead I say "Fukuro hoshii?" Kuro by itself means black but in the first context it is assumed to be bag, so I need to say the whole word when casually addressing it. In school it is stated that saying hoshii is useed when talking to a child and can be rude otherwise! No way, it's actually extremely casual (between friends) and the first example using "aru" (have) is asking if they brought a shopping bag with them. The second sentence means (do you wish for/desire a bag?) Because in this sense, I am not implying anyone needs anything! Generic phrases don't do justice, when you want to express a genuine thought.

By being friendly and creating intimate space with my customers, I help them faster and get many bows and thanks everyday! I talk and treat my customers like they are my friends. My shifts go by very fast. It becomes fun trying to figure out how to say something with my limited word vocabulary! I think my favorite one is asking if putting a reciept into a bag is okay. Holding the bag and reciept in hand, I'll look over and say; "Kami ga naka de ii?" This literally means; "Is the paper inside okay?" (kami can be used for paper, hair, or god depending on context, and naka de implies "inside of something", ii means good/okay) It's automatically understood!

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Context Is Everything

I've never gotten in trouble for speaking in slang/casual Japanese at work instead of being formal, because of how I use my words. My visage, open body language and attitude reflect that I am not looking down on anyone, but in fact am looking intimately at everyone like they were a childhood friend. My customers really enjoy this and are grateful to have me be the one helping them.

A fun thing to note, is that I drop the question particles "ka" and "no" altogether, in school this tells us that I am not asking but telling. That's not an absolute rule. If you inflect your speech and lengthen your last syllable as though you are asking, then it is actually implied as a question instead! Again, how you carry yourself is a big part of if something is seen as rude or not. Good customer service is not limited by a country, and building a good rapport leads to a memorable experience.

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As always, thanks for stopping by- and I hope you learned something cool today!

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