Japanese Railway to Workers: Do You Pass the Smile Test?

I can’t count the number of times European friends and visitors to the U.S. have remarked on American workers’ penchant for wishing them a “nice day” after they make a purchase or eat a meal—wishes almost always delivered with a big smile. To Europeans I’ve met, that American custom was always regarded as either quaint or kooky or both.

I wonder what they would make of this bit of news about a Japanese railway company trying to improve customers’ experiences: Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. has begun using a scanner to assess the smiles of its employees.

From the story:

The device analyzes the facial characteristics of a person, including eye movements, lip curves and wrinkles, and rates a smile on a scale between 0 and 100 percent using a camera and computer.

Employees will be required to scan their smiles before work each day and carry around a photo of their brightest smile so they can try to repeat it. (Via FP Blog)

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