Formal to Client
Workplace · Greeting
You
本日はご来社いただきありがとうございます。よくいらっしゃいました。ご案内いたします。
ほんじつはごらいしゃいただきありがとうございます。よくいらっしゃいました。ごあんないいたします。
Thank you very much for coming to our office today. Welcome. Please allow me to show you the way.
Romaji: Honjitsu wa goraisya itadaki arigatou gozaimasu. Yoku irasshaimashita. Goannai itashimasu. / Reply Romaji: Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Reply
よろしくお願いいたします。
よろしくおねがいいたします。
Thank you. I look forward to our meeting.
Gesture & etiquette
Bow at 30 degrees upon greeting the client. Maintain a professional smile throughout. Walk slightly ahead of the client and to the side — not directly behind. Open doors for them and pause to let them enter first. If there is a wait, offer tea or water immediately: 'Ocha to omizu, dochira ga yoroshii desu ka?' (Would you prefer tea or water?).
Welcoming an external client at your office requires the highest level of keigo (polite language). 'Yoku irasshaimashita' (you have come from far away — welcome) is the formal greeting for a guest who has traveled to you. Walking slightly ahead to lead them ('goannai itashimasu') is the expected host behavior — never let a guest wander or stand waiting alone in a reception area.