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| Responsiveness and Customer Service |
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| In addition to continuously improving product quality, Sony is taking various steps to improve its responsiveness and service capabilities with the aim of enhancing customer satisfaction. |
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Improving Customer Information Centers
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| Sony established its first Customer Information Center in 1963 in Japan to respond to customer inquiries. This function is now available worldwide. The Customer Information Centers provide prompt responses to customer needs every day of the year. In Japan and Hong Kong, these centers obtained COPC-2000*1 certification, an international standard for call centers. Having obtained such accreditation from international organizations for its customer-centered approach, Sony will seek to raise its standards by attaining this level of customer service in every country. |
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| Customer Information Center (Japan) |
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| *1 COPC-2000 is a management standard specifically for call centers and fulfillment (delivery) work based on the American National Management Quality Award. |
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Number of Inquiries Received from Customers (Fiscal 2006)
(Thousand)
Region |
Number of Inquiries Received
(telephone, e-mail, letter) |
| Japan |
3,577 |
| North America |
5,465 |
| Europe |
1,594 |
| East Asia*2 |
3,614 |
| Pan-Asia*3 |
1,472 |
| Latin America |
1,022 |
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*2 Coverage area: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
*3 Coverage area: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania |
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Using the Internet
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Sony uses the Internet as an effective tool for communication with customers. In addition to enhancing the content of its websites, which include product-related news and frequently asked questions (FAQ) sections, the websites offer downloads of manuals and provide prompt information about products and services, including support services. In Japan, Sony strives to provide easy-to-use services. For example, Sony provides services designed to give first-time personal computer users greater confidence. Operators advise personal computer users while remotely monitoring their screens via the Internet. Users may also reserve a time when operators will call back and give guidance over the telephone.
New undertakings include the Web Malfunction Diagnosis service, launched in February 2007, which enables customers to diagnose what is wrong with their television, DVD recorder or other audiovisual equipment. Simply by accessing a dedicated website and filling in a multiple-choice questionnaire, customers can narrow down the possible causes of malfunction, obtain rough estimates of the cost and length of time needed to repair their product and submit a request for repair services.
In the United States, customers can request and check the progress of repair services online. |
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Repair and Service Network
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| Currently, there are more than 6,000 Sony service locations worldwide, including Sony service stations and those of authorized repair agents. To ensure prompt responses to customer needs, Sony strives to improve its repair and service operations by carefully benchmarking against other leading companies. Sony is also shortening distribution and repair times and reviewing repair fees in regions around the world. |
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Sony Service Locations (Fiscal 2006)
Region |
Number of Repair Centers |
| Japan |
687 |
| North America |
1,316 |
| Europe |
1,624 |
| East Asia*4 |
365 |
| Pan-Asia*5 |
1,393 |
| Latin America |
661 |
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*4 Coverage area: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea
*5 Coverage area: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania |
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Training for Customer Service Staff
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| To ensure its ability to provide a uniformly high standard of customer service worldwide, Sony provides e-learning-based training programs for customer service staff, including Sony employees and those of authorized repair agents, thereby facilitating the sharing of knowledge. In another effort aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of raising customer satisfaction, Sony organizes contests to test the technical knowledge and customer service skills of employees who advise customers making telephone inquiries, staff service reception desks, and provide in-home repair services in Japan and other parts of Asia. |
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