Qatar to get LG Electronics' Customer Information Centre by year end

The dual-language CIC, which will operate on proprietary LG software, means that one-stop product service will be just a single call away for LG customers in Qatar.

Qatar will join a regional network of CICs which are currently inn 12 countries across the Middle East and Africa.

"The launch of the Qatar CIC will be in line with our determination to provide customers with the best possible facilities for customer care," said Mr Y.R. Roh, Managing Director, LG Electronics Middle East Company Limited (LGEME), LG's service subsidiary for the Middle East and Africa.

"Our research shows customers want easy access to product information, to details on where they can purchase, what promotions are taking place, recommended prices and product maintenance. All this will be available via one call to the CIC.

"Once a customer calls the CIC, they will receive a return call which will ask them to rate the service and their satisfaction level."

The launch of the CIC will mean that LG will provide service access for customers in Qatar for 16 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"We are actively pursuing an aim of providing same-day service for our customers," said Roh.

News of the planned Qatar CIC comes as LG Electronics launches a customer charter for the Middle East and Africa as its regional management prioritises customer service.

The six-point regional customer charter pledges: to listen to customer suggestions; to formulate decisions and actions with the customer in mind; to provide an honest service where promises are met; to provide a timely service; to aspire to deliver 'Customer Delight' and to provide service excellence in line with LG's 'Digital Technology' theme.

"LG's customer service strategy was launched over 10 years ago when our company laid down a management credo of value creation for customers," said Mr M.B. Shin, President, LG Electronics Middle East and Africa Operations. "This has now become a focal point of our management philosophy and research shows LG is now being perceived as a leading after-sales carer.

"In this region where the best of service is now a core competency of LG, we have average brand awareness of 50%, individual product market share of between 25-30% and we believe that heightened customer service will help bring more customers into the LG fold."

Currently LG Electronics has 1,520 service centres in 55 countries throughout the Middle East and Africa.

LG says customer care service is a pillar of its ethos of respecting customers.

"Currently we organise three workshops a year in over 20 countries throughout the Middle East and Africa which are attended by around 2,000 service providers," said Mr Roh. "These workshops are aimed at improving, not just the technical know-how of our service providers, but also their customer care manners."

Now LG is looking to launch a cyber CIC service throughout the region by the end of this year.

"We intend that the planned open-web CIC for end-users will operate in both Arabic and English and that customers will have 24-hour access to LG service centres. They will be able to register a request for a technician and will receive both e-mail and SMS confirmation of the date and time of the appointment," explained Roh.

"Overall we are so confident that we can deliver on our service charter commitment that next year we will provide a 'No Delight, No Payment' service."

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