Retail Japanese help

[TerenceLau]

UPDATED QUESTION ON #10

Hi.

I am an intermediate learner of Japanese. I work at an American retail store with a lot of Japanese traffic. I am looking to pick up some phrases (preferably in Keigo since school doesn't teach a lot of that) for different situations.

I have a lot of things that I want to say. But let's start with a few first.

1. You want to let your customers know that the store is closed now.

すみませんが、閉店の時間です。
(keep a civil tongue) 大変申し訳ございませんが、閉店の時間です。

2. (At the register) "I can help the next customer in line."

2.お次の方、どうぞ。

I have never been to Japan. Therefore I am interested in learning their retail culture as well. Anything would be new to me.

Thank you for all your help.

[KyleGoetz]

1. すみませんが看板なんです。 or something to that effect: “we are closed”の検索結果（16 件）：英辞郎 on the WEB：スペースアルク

2. つぎの方、どうぞ。 “next please”の検索結果（44 件）：英辞郎 on the WEB：スペースアルク

I wouldn't say either of these are really keigo, but that's what people say.

[un2000]

1. すみませんが、閉店の時間です。
keep a civil tongue,大変申し訳ございませんが、閉店の時間です。
2.お次の方、どうぞ。

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by TerenceLau

Hi.

I am an intermediate learner of Japanese. I work at an American retail store with a lot of Japanese traffic. I am looking to pick up some phrases (preferably in Keigo since school doesn't teach a lot of that) for different situations.

I have a lot of things that I want to say. But let's start with a few first.

1. You want to let your customers know that the store is closed now.

2. (At the register) "I can help the next customer in line."

I have never been to Japan. Therefore I am interested in learning their retail culture as well. Anything would be new to me.

Thank you for all your help.

Not all retail clerks speak or are they expected to speak the same way in Japan. How you speak depends largely on what you sell and what price range your merchandise is in.

[TerenceLau]

Thanks for all the help. I think I have a firm grasp of what it is to say now.

Not all retail clerks speak or are they expected to speak the same way in Japan. How you speak depends largely on what you sell and what price range your merchandise is in.

I work at The Gap so the products would be in the middle price range. I hear things about how (Japanese) customers are the gods of retail stores and things about how the younger generation doesn't keep up with keigo anymore. A part of me wants to learn that aspect of the language, and you know, just to be proper.

I may have other things that I want to learn to say. I will update with questions in the original post in the future.

[KyleGoetz]

Be careful when you blurt out Japanese that the customer isn't Chinese! Hell, my wife's family is from Taiwan, and she once told me that if, at a restaurant, the waiter blurted out something in Chinese, they would be offended (and that's the language they speak!). I think the implicate is that "I don't think you're good in English, so I'll switch to XYZ other language."

[TerenceLau]

I see and I agree. I am from Hong Kong and I speak Cantonese fluently. I hardly ever use it at my job unless the other party is helpless in English. I hold the same mentality toward using Japanese as well. It's just that my "survival Japanese" is quite limited. Haha.

On the other hand, my managers who only know English, push me really hard to use my Japanese in building connections with each Japanese customer. I always have a difficult time explaining myself in that regard. In a way, it sounds like an excuse to not do something.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by TerenceLau

I see and I agree. I am from Hong Kong and I speak Cantonese fluently. I hardly ever use it at my job unless the other party is helpless in English. I hold the same mentality toward using Japanese as well. It's just that my "survival Japanese" is quite limited. Haha.

On the other hand, my managers who only know English, push me really hard to use my Japanese in building connections with each Japanese customer. I always have a difficult time explaining myself in that regard. In a way, it sounds like an excuse to not do something.

Man, if your managers expect you to be bilingual at work, I hope you're getting paid way more than the average salesperson!

[TerenceLau]

Man, if your managers expect you to be bilingual at work, I hope you're getting paid way more than the average salesperson!

Very unfortunately not. Though I want to improve my Japanese for myself.

[TerenceLau]

What is the word for hem or hemming? How would you say "our store doesn't have a hemming service" or something similar to that regard?

For tonight the shopping mall is having a fashion event. My store is giving out 40% off of the most expensive regularly priced item (within the transaction), then 25% off for the rest of the regular price items.

Here's my take on it. Please lend me help correcting my sentence and making it natural sounding. I'd much appreciate if you could provide any easier way of conveying the message.

一番高い正価の商品が４０パーセントを割引していただ けます。その他の正価の商品が２５パーセントを割引し ていただけます。