Customer Delight

The SMS service, or the SMS-based call intimation system, ensured that service engineers were intimated of service calls by the call centers via SMS.

The system ensures that whenever the call center receives a call, an SMS is sent to the customer with a job code. Simultaneously, an SMS is sent to a service engineer assigning him that job.

In addition, there are other SMS-driven applications for institution or corporate customers who have been given dedicated numbers. Their calls for service are instantly SMSed to a branch office and an engineer, to ensure stricter follow up of a complaint.

The SMS service initiative worked well, and has several benefits. It provided an auto confirmation of complaint number to customers and ensured that all calls were tracked till closure. It also reduced errors caused by transferring calls manually.

From the SMS service stemmed another initiative that made it possible to have greater control over service engineers -- thereby increasing LGEIL's ability to keep their customers happy. This came in the form of the 211 program.

Under 211, service engineers have to return a customer's call within 2 hours of a complaint being lodged. They have to ensure that they can give their customer 1 hour of their time in the next 1 day.

"211 was implemented not only to better turnaround time. After McKenzie did a customer satisfaction survey for us, we came to the conclusion that we were not interacting enough with our buyers. We were not asking about their feedback -- after a job or before it. This was what prompted the 211 program. When we implemented it, we realized that it also bettered the delivery function. 211 has helped LG with its customer relationships,' says Santosh Das, head of customer service, LGEIL.

The company backed 211 up with 120 tele-callers. Their job was to provide LGEIL with feedback on how the 211 program worked for them. It meant about 150 thousand calls a month and was a substantial investment for the manufacturer. But LGEIL's management ensures that customer feedback is passed on to engineers and going forward, engineers will be evaluated on its basis.

The result? In another Businessworld survey on consumer satisfaction -- this time in 2007 -- LGEIL scored first place for its ability to resolve customer problems on a first call and for the skill of its helpline personnel.

Another initiative is the 'Voice of the Customer (VOC)', which gives LGEIL all the interaction that is needed to keep customer relationships healthy. "For VOC our motivation was getting good customer interaction and in the process, getting a good customer feel," says Das. "It will affect the business in the long term."

VOC helps figure out which regions in LGEIL's empire are facing problems. "We try to track customer calls, note their location and frequency, find out common problems, and how service centers respond," says Prakash. "We wanted customer information, complaint details, resolution details. We even wanted to see how service engineers react and whether customers were satisfied with their behavior."