New Flight Attendant on Japanese flights - basic customer service phrases?
 

Hi there,

So I'm going to be a new flight attendant on Japan-American flights and I'd like to really learn some proper Japanese customer service phrases to use with our Japanese customers.

I've passed the san-kyuu JLPT, so I know most of the basics on Japanese, but I'd like some advice on this specific subject, especially since my keigo is weak, at best.

I know some phrases like "Irasshaimase" and "Kashikomarimashita", but I don't even know the proper way to ask someone "Can I help you with anything, sir/ma'am?".

Any help from expert/native speakers/other flight attendants would be amazing!

Cheers,
DJ

Something I've wondered whenever I see this type of question on JF: What happens when you ask なにかお手伝いしましょうか and they start yammering back in speedy, complicated Japanese? Presumably you'll respond with 少々お待ちください and run off to find a Japanese flight attendant, right?

This is something I honestly don't understand. I've never had to work in the Japanese service industry, but personally I'd be worried that after I drop some sweet keigo, the response is going to be something way over my head. Then you cause yourself embarrassment and inconvenience the client by making them ask the question twice (after thinking you were going to solve the problem and waiting for the solution, only to find the delay was to find a translator).

But maybe JLPT3 is good enough for this. I don't know. It may just be a hangup of mine. I did it when I was teaching English, but that was because if I couldn't say it in Japanese, I could switch to English and it would be acceptable (and if I didn't understand, I could just say "tsk tsk, in English!").

Braver than I, I guess.

Might be a good idea not to let your customers think you know more Japanese than you actually do.

This is deep and is excellent advice for foreign language learners in general.

And when would a flight attendant ever say this? Do you guys run a in-flight sushi bar or something? :)

Right, it is good advice not to mislead customers... however, how am I ever going to learn if I don't start with even the most common phrases?

And yeah, I thought "Irasshaimase" might not be the appropriate phrase to use on a flight... but what phrase -would- be good?

Perhaps some more specific phrases would make the question more direct? Like...
"The boarding gate for this flight to Tokyo has changed, we are now assigned to gate 2"
"Would you like a drink with dinner? Would you like ice in your drink?"
"The captain has announced that we have lost hydraulics and will be making and emergency landing. Please review the location and operation of the emergency exits".

Speaking from my own experience with domestic flights, they usually just say one of the three greetings of the hour and bow when they greet the passengers at the door.

Thinking about my flight over, I think I got こんばんは'd aboard along with a 'あしもとご注意ください’ then people were wafted left or right depending, but I can't remember the exact phrase.

I think it might be worth OP learning a few general phrases like she asked instead of questions. Things like, 'please put your seat/tray/window blind up' 'please go back to your seat/ put your seatbelt on' and 'please wait while I fetch a Japanese speaking member of staff'.

I think I know the plain forms, but I wouldn't like to provide it in keigo in case I mess it up. ^^

Well, since you're actually ON the aircraft, why would you need to say this? Unless you're part of the ground/gate crew, you wouldn't need to learn how to say this.

Connecting flights? Considering she/he picked that specifically to ask, maybe that's actually something she/he has to say often enough.

By your assumption, which could very well be true, I just hope they aren't learning this for the same reason!

Then again, since this definitely isn't JAL he/she is working for, I myself wouldn't have to worry about this, since that's all I fly....