Having worked in a Japanese office for years, I have noticed this behavior thousands of time:
- An important customer rings the reception's bell.
- An employee 10 to 30 meters away (who has an appointment with the customer, or who must lead them to the meeting room) need to go greet them.
- Instead of walking normally (or running if it were really urgent), the employee walks with very small and fast-paced steps, making a characteristic sound akin to dragging their feet on the floor. All in all, the employee does not move faster than when I see them walking normally.
It happens with both males and females, maybe more with the latter. Occasionally it even happens when an employee is talking on the phone with a customer. I believe this is for politeness, but feel free to correct me (post a comment or edit this question) if I am mistaken on that. I don't think I have ever seen this behavior outside of professional settings.
Just like there is a word for お辞儀, is there a word to describe this behavior?
If there is no word, what expression is usually used to describe it?