What made you decide to join ZenGroup?
In my previous career, I spent many years in the English education industry supporting learners. While searching for a new role where I could leverage my experience and language skills in an international environment, I discovered ZenGroup.
I decided to join the company because I was drawn to the idea of being a bridge between Japan and the rest of the world right here from Osaka. The opportunity to deliver Japanese culture and products to a global audience through cross-border e-commerce was incredibly appealing to me.
Could you tell us about your daily responsibilities?
As a Section Manager in the Customer Support Division, I handle a wide range of tasks including overall team management, coordination with other departments, and preparation for future changes.
Since ZenMarket receives hundreds of inquiries from all over the world every day, I am building a system that customers can use with peace of mind, balancing speed and accuracy. I value establishing operational flows and judgment criteria so that we maintain a consistent quality regardless of who handles the inquiry, rather than relying solely on individual capabilities.
When is the busiest time of year?
Inquiries are particularly concentrated during periods when purchase volumes increase, such as Black Friday and before Christmas. Inquiries also temporarily increase when new campaigns are launched or service changes occur, so we try to identify anticipated questions in advance and prepare our support structure accordingly.
Could you describe the typical customer profile you handle?
Since we are used by customers all over the world, the age ranges and purposes vary greatly.
Some are buying collection items they’ve sought for years, others are choosing anime goods as special gifts for their children, and some are purchasing seasonings that are hard to get outside Japan. The fact that each customer’s background is different makes this job challenging, but I feel it is also what makes it interesting.
As a ZenGroup CS member, you interact with many customers.
What are the key points or principles you prioritize in your service?
I am mindful of incorporating the spirit of “Zen” found in our company name into my daily interactions.
While striving for simple explanations that are neither too much nor too little regarding customers’ troubles or anxieties, I cherish providing support that conveys a detailed Japanese sense of care. As a team, we hold this value as a shared understanding and aim to provide the same sense of security, no matter who handles support.
How do you utilize your language skills in your current role?
With the improved accuracy of translation tools and generative AI, simple translation tasks are increasingly covered by tools. On the other hand, my language skills are useful for grasping nuances and emotions, and for adjusting expressions based on cultural backgrounds, which I feel adds a “human touch” to messages sent to customers. I also use these skills to share awareness with the entire team so we can provide support that takes not just language, but cultural backgrounds into account.
In order to maintain high performance, how do you and ZenGroup support your physical and mental well-being?
ZenGroup has an environment where employees can work without strain, such as stress checks and a flex-time system. Regular company events also serve as good opportunities to refresh. In team management, I am conscious of monitoring the situation to ensure workload doesn’t pile up on specific individuals and making early adjustments.
Personally, I try to switch my mindset and refresh by traveling on weekends to change my environment.
What are the main differences between the ZenGroup CS team and the teams at other companies you have experienced?
I think a major characteristic is that we are an international team supporting 19 languages with members from various nationalities. It is rare to have an environment where you can work while utilizing your native language and cultural senses while being in Japan, and I feel that because we have diverse perspectives, we are able to realize flexible and high-quality support.
Could you describe the work environment and atmosphere at ZenGroup and within the marketing department?
During work, individual working styles are respected, such as listening to music to focus on checking inquiries and responding to messages. During breaks, people relax in their own ways, such as going to lunch with colleagues, taking naps, reading, or playing table tennis. Outside of busy periods, we often leave on time, and I feel it is an environment where it is easy to switch between concentration and relaxation.
In what ways have you felt personal/professional growth after joining ZenGroup?
I have had many opportunities to learn through practice about automation and the use of AI tools, which I had no knowledge of before joining. I learn a lot from making CS operations more efficient by combining existing workflows with new tools, and I feel my growth daily.
Has ZenGroup supported your personal/professional growth?
Utilizing the internal language exchange system, I resumed learning French, which I had previously studied but stopped. Also, I feel there is an environment that supports the desire to learn, such as self-study environments using meeting rooms freely and free English and Japanese classes.
What do you like most about ZenGroup?
Personally, I like that I can feel the “world” close to me while being in Osaka.
The experience of working towards the same goal transcending nationality and cultural differences is very valuable, and decision-making is done while flexibly incorporating diverse opinions. I believe the synergy born from the combination of various cultures and personalities supports ZenGroup’s growth.
