Intex focus to reach out to a large customer base,has developed a wide network of 1600 distributors, 80,000 + dealers and 125 brand stores – Intex Smart World covering 90 cities across 25 states.
Why After sales is key for Intex?
In today’s competitive market, especially in the mobile handset industry, the hardware and software features of various phones are mostly the same and so to keep hold of key consumers, after-sales services is a very crucial element. It has become a key factor among the users in deciding which phone to buy. Customer support, repair and after sales services go hand-in-hand with the product quality and influence the response of customers in buying the product. Good after sales services help form a positive perception about the brand and makes it more reliable.
The advantages of offering after-sales services can be mainly categorized into:
- Competitive Advantage – services or benefits that are not provided by others
- Differentiation – setting yourself apart from other competitors
- Customer Satisfaction – keeping constant communication with your customers
- Customer Loyalty – Customers tend to purchase again and recommend the brand to their colleagues
Lastly, a happy customer will purchase the brand again leading to an increase in the top line of the company.
How your services are different from other brands?
After-sales service is a differentiating advantage for brands. At Intex, regular customer connect with the senior management has helped develop a healthy consumer confidence in the market, that as a brand, we are serious about achieving customer delight. Our initiatives have helped develop a customer oriented culture where every service employee feels the pride in delivering an excellent customer service. Good after-sales services help build consumer connect with the brand. As a matter of fact, the relationship with the customer does not end with the purchase of the phone rather begins from there, which is essential to keep consumers happy and ensure retention and repeat purchase.
What are the new initiatives by Intex in the after sales market?
We aim to provide the best of services to our customers and we have various new initiatives to create long lasting memories for customers. Via such initiatives, receiving regular customer testimonials has become a trend.
The name of the Initiative is IMD i.e. I Made a Difference. I made a difference is a program where any employee/service partner shares a customer satisfaction story which he/she feels is a result of excellent customer service or a best practice.
Following are few examples of best services / practices offered to customers –
- In case there is a repeat complaint, it is taken up on priority and handled using a process called as C1AL i.e. Customer First Analysis Later. Under this program, the moment we get a repeat complaint, the query is served on war footing level and the customer I updated at every stage till the query is completely resolved. Analysis of the same is done only later on.
- Regularly measuring Transactional Customer Satisfaction and capturing customer feedback has helped us find out the root causes of issues and thus taking actions on these causes to eliminate them completely.
- Senior Management is regularly connected with customers to understand their real pain and this gives confidence and trust to customers about organization’s commitment towards them.
We have also taken few preliminary steps in the direction of Virtual Service Centers. Providing customer remote trouble shooting at our contact centers has initiated practice towards virtual services.
Can you please tell us about your current service center network?
Intex Services has in April 2017 reached the milestone of opening its 50th MICP or Master intex Care partner in Ahmedabad – Gujarat. The 1st MICP was also opened in Gujarat in Rajkot in 2014. At present, Intex MICPs are spread across 24 states and 30 cities led by west, north, east and south zones. Intex Service network spread across 1000+ cities across pan India with a network presence of around 1500+ service partners (ICPs) and 100+ Exclusive Intex Care Partners, called as EICPs.
Our focus is to reach out to a large customer base. Intex has developed a wide network of 1600 distributors, 80,000 + dealers and 125 brand stores – Intex Smart World covering 90 cities across 25 states.
Please tell us about how your mobile handset service division is impacting the business?
At Intex we have a practice of capturing NPS (Net promoter score) wherein we find out the number of customers who are loyal and ready to recommend Intex to their known ones. With this we aim to create Intex as a brand differentiator. With these initiatives, even retailers and other channel partners started recommending Intex to their customers and have helped the company to increase revenues on a sustained basis.
There is a pressing need to develop a Customer Experience Framework & Best Practices to ensure a consistent Service Delivery and achieve Customer Delight through an integrated approach involving people, processes & best practices. We strive to improve the customer experience and achieve service provider excellence by our various initiatives.
Soon, we aim to cater to these 5 areas where Intex would be focusing in the next 6 months –
- Our major focus would be on Employee engagement as we follow the “Employee First” philosophy and believe that only an engaged employee can deliver a delighted customer.
- Another area of focus would be “Customer Experience by Leadership”, where top management would be personally involved in meeting and interacting with customers. We understand that due to this, down the line staff will feel pride in providing an excellent customer service.
- To make Intex Service as a sales enabler and positioning service excellence as a brand differentiator.
- Another key area of focus for 2017 would be “Process for everything and everything with Process”.
- We believe whatever can be measured can be improved. With this theme, we are going to give lots of focus in measuring customer voice from various channels and a systematic mechanism to improve and sustain customer delight.
Additionally, we are investing in various ways to create robust after-sales services
- Company is investing in the development of a modern CRM to ensure Omni-Channel presence and match customer’s information from every single channel and update in real-time.
- Investment in various digital modes of interaction with customers e.g. application based registration of customer’s Installation requests, Capturing Customer feedback using a digital machine, IVR based remote interaction with customers and collaborations with various technological partners to manage and improve field services in an effective and efficient manner.
- Investment in setting up Business Excellence teams to ensure sustenance of service excellence practice.
- Company is investing heavily on its back-end support, i.e., Repair Factory and multi presence Warehouse and distribution network.
- A Newsletter on CDIT & Mobile is prepared by the Intex Technologies Services Team on a quarterly basis which is circulated amongst Internal and External Fraternity. External Fraternity here includes Retailers, Distributors & Service Partners. The Newsletter comprises of various information related to new practices, CSAT positioning, performance record, rewards & recognition to the employee of the quarter. We believe in valuing and appreciating our employees for the hard work they apply to best serve our customers.
· VOC (Voice of Customers) is shared amongst the services team in which both positive and negative feedback is circulated amongst the team on a weekly basis. This helps the team in analyzing the collective feedback and work towards improving the service.