Sunday, August 14, 2005

Checking receipts

A Japanese friend told me about an article in a magazine she has that compares American and Japanese reactions to certain situations.

The magazine says that Americans tend to scrutinize their shopping receipts while Japanese tend to just toss them.

I completely agree with this, as a generalization. It's actually quite funny for me because here in Japan, the clerks are very careful about making sure you get your receipt. It's almost a ceremonial conclusion to the transaction.

If you leave without your receipt it's like slowing down and kicking your date out the car door. The cashier sort of stutters a moment then finally goes "Uh, ok, I see" and puts the receipt somewhere with a shrug. Yet right next to the register is a small bin where you can throw the receipt out, right away. And everyone does. People think it's funny that I keep mine. I don't frame it or anything but maybe I'll want to return something or in case some food went bad.

Here's a photo of a restaurant cash register. It may be hard to see but there's a small silver box in front and just to the right for you to toss your receipt into.

Anyway, the magazine went on to say, (are you ready for this?), the reason that Americans check their receipts (drumroll please) is because unlike in Japan, ***American cashiers are likely to make a mistake with the charge.**** (crash of cymbal.)

This is one of the patterns that at the moment I call "America is just a notch above third world." See previous blogs about PO boxes and hospital mixups.

Let me put it another way. If the article had been comparing Japan and Germany it would have found that Germans check their receipts and, I'm soooo certain of this, would have concluded that Germans are careful, thorough and methodical. ("Just like we Japanese. Oh except for the fact that we throw out our receipts without a glance.")

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