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Japanese Change Trays

japantimes.co.jp

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Re: Japanese Change Trays

#161

Post by lloeki »

danbruc wrote: post #71

They are also in use in Germany and it never occurred to me that they may not be used all over the world. They are called [Zahl|Wechselgeld][teller|schale] [1] which translates to [paying|change] [plate|bowl]. They can not be found in every shop but probably in the majority. Some people use them, some don't. And it is more common to present the change in them than the payment. The obvious purpose is of course to easi…

Used in France too, in a variety of sizes and shapes, from a rubber mat on a counter, to a small plastic bowly thing with a clip (securing the bill, or banknotes) in restaurants (in which case the back and forth protocol for change operates as described in the article).

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#162

Post by Yizahi »

ZanderEarth32 wrote: post #6
peterwwillis wrote: post #3

Restaurants in the US use small trays to confer bills and money all the time. What makes this Japan-specific?

These are used everywhere in Japan, not just restaurants. At a convenience store, department store, the museum, train station, etc. I've never seen them outside of a restaurant in the states.

But what is the point of using a movable tray in a shop or museum and so on, where employee has a cash or cash machine right next to it? And if the tray is just a place to put cash before other person takes it - such trays are used everywhere in the world.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#163

Post by drostie »

Yizahi wrote: post #160

"Instead of handing your payment to the clerk, or setting it on the counter by the cash register, here you are generally expected to put your payment into a tray that is presented expressly for the purpose. The clerk takes it away and returns it with your change." Either I'm missing something from the context or author is mistaken. Trays and boxes in multiple forms and sizes are used everywhere in restaurants in Euro…

I think you're confusing things a little: we're not talking about restaurants per se here.

I don't know whereabouts in Europe you are, but you have to imagine a store like H&M where you generally place goods on a countertop to purchase them. In Japan, those countertops usually have a nondescript tray also lying on them, and it is considered impolite to hand your payment directly to the cashier--instead, while putting down all of your goods for purchase, you simultaneously put your payment into the tray.

There are of course restaurants where they'll hand you a bill and you bring it up to the counter -- at least in the US. For example, in the Kansas City, Missouri region you'll see this both in the sit-down tex-mex chain-restaurant El Maguey as well as smaller sit-down cafes (the one that's coming to mind is City Diner, which is by the River Market). But that's not quite what we're talking about here.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#164

Post by arrrg »

danbruc wrote: post #71

They are also in use in Germany and it never occurred to me that they may not be used all over the world. They are called [Zahl|Wechselgeld][teller|schale] [1] which translates to [paying|change] [plate|bowl]. They can not be found in every shop but probably in the majority. Some people use them, some don't. And it is more common to present the change in them than the payment. The obvious purpose is of course to easi…

Often they are just not used, though.

Probably contrary to the Japanese custom as described in the article I personally always feel slightly self-conscious when using them (to hand someone the money). It feels distant and maybe a bit impolite to me, though I don’t know how shared that feeling is. (Please note that I’m not claiming that using the tray is somehow inherently impolite or distant. When it comes to etiquette the concept of universal truth is even more problematic than it otherwise already is.)

My usual approach is to hand over the money directly if there is little time and the cashier is already looking at me, expecting the money, and to put it on the tray if the cashier is currently still doing something else and I have a bit of time to properly prepare the money while the cashier is looking elsewhere. (It basically gives me a proper place to put the money when the cashier cannot yet directly take it.) I’m not sure how shared my feeling and my approach on this are among others.

Also, in my experience cashiers differ wildly in how they will use those trays to hand you your change. Some will use them, some just won’t. I never payed any attention as to whether there’s any pattern to that, though. I mean, is the proper use of that tray part of the instructions when starting somewhere? Is it just personal preference?

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#165

Post by timboisvert »

The difference between the west and Japan in regard to change trays is that in the west (US, Canada, Europe, etc.) they're often available in a small subset of cash payment scenarios, but in Japan they're always available in every cash payment scenario. Not to mention that even when they are available in the west, they're rarely used, but in Japan they're always used. I've lived in the US, Spain, and Japan for considerable periods of time, and the level to which they're available and customarily used in Japan is what makes them such a noteworthy use case.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#166

Post by _mgr »

Currently travelling through Japan for the first time. They ask if you have now finished placing the cash that you wish to pay with. This means I have been able to put notes in the tray and then shuffle through my coins attempting to get rid of as many 5Y and 1Y coins as I can. Cash in such a modern technology forward country is still weird. I have already broken my wallet due to the over use of the coin pouch. Prior to coming here it had never been used. New Zealand, where I am from adopted Eftpos over 25 years ago. We are already chip and pin, and pay wave has found its way into most POS areas. Japan is behind here but in a way I find to be very enjoyable.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#167

Post by joezydeco »

ars wrote: post #141
joezydeco wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like the elevated trays in a lot of the German supermarkets and department stores that have the built-in scoop for holding change. Wish I could find a picture of it.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahlteller

No that's not what I was thinking of. More of a small elevated shelf next to the customer where the cashier places the receipt and change.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#168

Post by waynedrops »

_mgr wrote: post #166

Currently travelling through Japan for the first time. They ask if you have now finished placing the cash that you wish to pay with. This means I have been able to put notes in the tray and then shuffle through my coins attempting to get rid of as many 5Y and 1Y coins as I can. Cash in such a modern technology forward country is still weird. I have already broken my wallet due to the over use of the coin pouch. Prior…

Any chance you will be in Sendai? Ill buy you a beer :)
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