Sony has assigned CS Officers to coordinate customer support operations in markets around the world where its products are sold, in cooperation with the Corporate Executive in Charge of Product Quality and Safety and regional headquarters, and has established a network of service bases with the aim of enhancing the quality of its services on a global level, through which it provides services tailored to the needs of local customers.

With the aim of providing high-quality services to customers around the world, Sony provides training for employees and staff of service partners involved in customer response activities worldwide to promote common solutions. In Asia, including Japan, Sony also conducts technical- and customer relations-oriented contests for employees staffing telephone help desks and service counters and visiting repair personnel, as a way of increasing motivation to bolster customer satisfaction.

Sony established its first Customer Information Center in 1963 in Japan to respond to customer inquiries. Today, Sony has Customer Information Centers worldwide, enabling it to provide prompt responses to customer needs that reflect customers' perspectives, thereby helping Sony to enhance the quality of its customer service.

Number of Inquiries Received from Customers (Fiscal 2010) (Thousands) Region Number of inquiries received (telephone, e-mail, letter) Japan 4,560 North America 5,010 Europe 2,560 China (mainland) and Hong Kong 2,840 Pan-Asia*1 3,730 Latin America 1,470

Sony also uses the Internet to communicate with customers. In addition to enhancing the content of our websites, which include product-related news and frequently asked questions (FAQ) sections, the websites offer downloads of manuals and software updates, as well as provide prompt and easy-to-understand information about products and services, including support services. The website has earned high marks in, among others, independent studies of effective support websites. For example, in Japan Sony provides services designed to give first-time personal computer users greater confidence: Operators are able to guide personal computer users while remotely monitoring their screens via the Internet with the users' permission. Customers can also submit a request via the Internet to have support personnel dispatched to their locations to assist with installation and set-up.

Sony uses customer feedback to enhance its Internet-based customer services. One recent example is the addition to the Sony website of pages that offer easy-to-understand guides on how to connect multiple devices and obtain even greater enjoyment once devices were connected.

Currently, there are more than 6,700 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 shortening distribution and repair times and reviewing repair fees in regions around the world with the goal of enhancing overall customer satisfaction around the world.

Many Sony products were damaged during the Great East Japan Earthquake and the North Nagano Earthquake. In line with pertinent legislation covering customers in the worst hit areas, we provided replacements even for products no longer under warranty.

Sony Service Locations (Fiscal Year 2010) Regions Service Network (Number of Service Locations) Japan 920 North America 1,596 Europe 1,365 China (mainland) and Hong Kong 453 Pan-Asia*2 1,655 Latin America 708