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BY
LARRY GETLEN
PHOTOS:
DAVE KING
The Ultimate Goal
FOR SONY OPERATIONS
AND TECHNICAL SERVICES , KEEPING
ITS CUSTOMERS SATISIFIED IS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE
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 One
of the chief goals of Sony Electronics is
to consistently exceed customers' expectations.
With this in mind, Sony Electronics' Business Solutions & Systems Company (BPC) recently completed
the first large-scale customer satisfaction
survey of its Sony Operations and Technical
Services (SOTS) service centers. Customers
were asked to rate the service centers on
a scale of 1.0 to 5.0, with 1.0 being "did
not meet expectations" and 5.0 being
"exceeded expectations." The survey
results demonstrate that Sony nearly attained
its objectives. The results also show there's
room for improvement, so Sony is jumping on
the opportunity.
Repairs happen. Top-of-the-line products
and systems sometimes break down or eventually
wear out, and require servicing. When Sony
Electronics' professional equipment falters,
the SOTS service teams strive to get it
up and running immediately and to ensure
that every service experience is as hassle-free
as possible. Yet, do the SOTS service centers
consistently deliver first-class service?
Last year, Sony Operations and Technical
Services decided it was time to find out.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Sony Operations and Technical Services'
repair centers received and returned some
14,000 pieces of equipment to dealers, system
integrators, and end users from November
2000 to April 2001. Once repaired, each
piece of equipment was returned with a customer
satisfaction survey card. Customers were
asked to rate, amongst other things, their
Sony product, the quality of service, service
center location, and the knowledge and courtesy
of service center personnel. By May 2001,
1,300 customers had completed and returned
the customer satisfaction survey cards.
Every response - from rave reviews to strongly
worded complaints - was reviewed. The complaints
were forwarded to SOTS' regional service
managers, who were responsible for following
up on each complaint with a phone call or
letter.
Numbers don't lie, but they don't tell
the whole story either. So, SOTS hired the
Omega Group for assistance. SOTS signed
onto the Omega Group's Customer Satisfaction
and Retention (CARE) program, which conducted
a random survey of 180 field and
contract customers. One on one, Omega Group
researchers asked customers questions about
the quality of SOTS customer service, such
as "Was the unit working properly when
you received it back from service?"
By the end of April, SOTS had tallied and
tabulated the responses to the customer
satisfaction survey cards and the random
survey against a five-point grading system,
then it began the work of getting behind
the numbers.
"The goal was to understand where
we do well, where we don't, and the nature
of the problems our customers are encountering.
This would help us to find the proper remedy
and build or, in cases where there were
complaints, rebuild strong customer relationships,"
says Bobby Lee Lawrence, Vice President
of Marketing, SOTS.
WHAT THE NUMBERS REVEAL
S ony
Electronics was aiming for a 4.0-"above
expectations"- or better result from
the customer satisfaction survey cards and
the one-on-one random samples. "This
was our first customer satisfaction survey.
We wanted to be realistic, but we also wanted
to set the bar high," says Lawrence.
"On a number of measurements we were
close to the 4.0 mark. Customers rated our
performance as very satisfactory in many
areas. In fact, they said it distinguishes
us from our competitors in the marketplace,
but we can do better."
Sony Electronics products scored a 3.8
for their reliability, features, and functions.
Satisfaction with field service engineers
was similarly high. Customers rated SOTS
a 3.9 on its ability to arrive on-site when
promised, 3.8 on its ability to resolve
problems in a timely manner, and 3.7 on
parts availability. SOTS' service centers
rated 3.7 on their ability to listen and
understand customer issues, to provide quality
repair services, and on their knowledge
and experience.
Turnaround time, however, came in at a
disappointing 3.4. Also, some customers
said their equipment wasn't always properly
repaired the first time. And the location
of service centers was also a sore point
for some customers. Yet, while the majority
of respondents rated SOTS as meeting their
expectations in these areas, Lawrence and
his SOTS colleagues saw room for improvement.
WHAT SONY'S CUSTOMERS SAID
Feedback doesn't get much more positive
than what the Omega Group researchers heard
from Naomi Baker, Service Coordinator at
Clark-Powell Associates, a Winston-Salem,
NC, high-end broadcast dealer. "If
all the manufacturers I work with had service
departments like Sony's," says Baker,
"I would be happy and wouldn't have
to worry so much.
"Even when parts are back ordered
or something is overlooked, the service
team tells me the truth about the status
of my repair," says Baker. "They
are prompt in finding a solution, and our
relationship is honest."
Pentax Precision Instrument Corporation,
a manufacturer of medical equipment, which
bundles together Sony Electronics medical-grade
monitors and mavigraph printers in its endoscopy
equipment packages. When customers sent
Sony equipment to Pentax's Midwest Service
Center in Elmhurst, IL, for repair, Field
Service Representative Tim Eicherl coordinates
the service. "If it's something our
people can't handle, the hardware goes to
Sony and comes back fixed," says Eicherl.
"The system works."
On the other hand, customer feedback doesn't
get much more negative than some of the
complaints SOTS received, which included
comments like "takes too long,"
"had to send it back for repair,"
"very hard to reach someone in customer
service," and "could not fix the
problem." A small number of customers
who participated in the random survey had
these types of complaints, which SOTS takes
very seriously.
TARGETING THE ISSUES
"When you're measuring satisfaction,
it's important to understand each customer's
perception and expectation," says SOTS'
Lawrence. "You also have to look at
every aspect of the repair process, which
is what Sony Electronics did. That's the
only way to get inside the issues and come
up with the right solutions."
Responses were broken out by month and
region, and some interesting patterns emerged.
For example, customers were rating service
at one repair facility very high, yet they
were also complaining that the facility's
repairs did not meet their expectations.
An analysis of the repair approach, specifications,
and cleanliness of the facility revealed
that the issue was excess dust residing
in the equipment. Cleaning the units for
loose dust particles before returning them
to customers has significantly reduced the
number of repeat repairs.
During the last year, SOTS closed some
of its service centers. An analysis of responses
of the complaints about location revealed
that they came from customers who had been
dropping off and picking up repairs at the
recently closed facilities. Also, some customers
felt that SOTS had inadequately kept them
informed about the closures. Despite the
fact that the reorganization of facilities
was undertaken to improve the efficiency
and quality of repairs, some customers'
perception was that Sony had cutback on
service. Also, these customers were unhappy
about having to ship equipment to different
service centers.
A study of the repair process also uncovered
two factors that negatively impact on turnaround
time. First, the repair estimation process
is sometimes slow and can cause significant
delays. Second, and most significantly,
SOTS engineers needed additional training.
"If engineers are trained to a higher
level, it should take less time to successfully
handle repairs," says Lawrence. "And
this should improve satisfaction across
the board."
TAKING ACTION
In July, Sony Electronics introduced a
new nationwide training program. Developed
by SOTS' training staff in San Jose, the
program was launched at the service center
in Norcross, GA, and is rolling out across
the country. All SOTS repair engineers are
required to take the course, and the training
sessions will focus on the equipment that
is most frequently serviced at SOTS facilities,
as well as new products and services. In
addition, the training will be ongoing.
Performance targets have also been established,
by category of service and product, for
all service personnel. SOTS is also investigating
ways to increase its service availability
and field presence in key market locations.
In addition, SOTS is establishing a nationwide
network of certified third-party service
programs.
Will these actions improve SOTS' service?
Definitely. When will customers see positive
changes in turnaround time and repeat repairs?
ASAP. In fact, SOTS will conduct follow-up
customer satisfaction surveys on an ongoing
basis to help it better meet customers'
needs. In addition, updated survey cards
will be included with repaired equipment
when it is returned. Moreover, SOTS will
contact all of the customers who completed
the first survey. This time SOTS will ask,
among other things, how its service stacks
up to the competition.
"The motivation behind the surveys
and actions we're taking is simple. Sony
Electronics' goal is to deliver world-class
service. To do that we must retain the customers
we have and win back the small percentage
who said they weren't satisfied," says
Lawrence. "We'll have to work hard
to continue to improve upon where we are
today. But that's the only way to reach
our ultimate goal, which is to be the best."
COMMITTED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE
Underscoring its commitment to customer
service, Sony Electronics' Business Solutions & Systems Company last September announced
that it will open a professional service
center in Burbank, CA, establish a network
of third-party service providers throughout
the country, and introduce a new, online
parts ordering system for customers of its
professional products.
"Sony is committed to helping its
customers protect the investments they make
in our products," says Dan Wiersma,
Senior Vice President of Marketing for Sony
Operations and Technical Service (SOTS).
"Our new Burbank facility, our new
network of certified service providers,
and our online support will put us even
closer to customers, regardless of location,
who have come to expect unparalleled quality
and service from Sony."
The new Burbank facility, relocated from
Cypress, CA, will offer a more geographically
centralized location supporting Sony professional
customers in Southern California. The new
operation is one of three strategically
located Sony professional service centers
nationwide, including operations in Teaneck,
NJ, serving the New York metropolitan market,
and Norcross, GA. In addition to Sony's
professional service centers, Sony is cultivating
a network of certified third-party service
providers throughout the country to support
geographically dispersed customers. The
network of certified service providers will
be modeled after the Sony professional centers,
offering genuine Sony parts, fast turnaround,
technical expertise, and product specialization,
as well as exceptional customer service.
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