It took me several years before I realised what was happening simply because it had never occured to me, even in my dream, that such a good thing can exist in this world. Yet, I have carefully and deliberately observed such events once I suspected that such a custom exists here in Japan.
Here are a few of the cases I have seen:
Case 1
A fashionable girl bought a large chocolate milk shake at a fast food joint at the beach. The shop assitant accepted her cash and delivered her order on the tray before her. The girl proceeded to move to her seat with her tray of drink. However, as she was busy wrestling with her wrap, handbag and wallet, she clumsily spilt the entire cup of milk shake onto her front.
Without a word, the shop assistant appeared with a mop and table cloth to clean up the mess on the floor and helped the girl to wipe herself up as much as possible. While she was still cleaning herself and feeling very apologetic and distressed, the shop assistant had returned to behind the counter and presented her with another cup of chocolate milk shake, identical to the one she overturned, at no additional charge.
Case 2
A family was buying lunch at a ramen stall in the food court of a service area by the highway. Their little boy was playing a fool, and not surprisingly, overturned his bowl of hot ramen on the counter onto himself. He burst into tears and his parents, greatly alarmed, attended to him immediately. The shop assistant at the ramen stall inmmediately appeared with a mop and towel, and duly presented the family with a replacement bowl of ramen, all without extra charge or a word of complaint.
Case 3
A family bought burgers and soft drinks from MOS Burger in a shopping centre food court and were sitting at the table, ready to dig in. Just as they started eating, one of the children carelessly knocked over a huge cup of cola drink while drinking. The MOS Burger staff noticed the commotion and immediately appeared with a mop and table cloth. After the cleaning, she brought to the table another cup of cola, as huge as the one the child was drinking.
All these done with a smile, at no charge and without being asked.
Is there anywhere else in the world that provides such service?
