LG Electronics today launched its new Care and Delight campaign and service busses, both of which are aimed at increasing its after sales service.

The company elaborated that the campaign intends to reduce the hassle and inconvenience normally associated with products that need to be repaired or serviced, while offering a “more caring approach” to any problems its customers may experience.

This it aims to do through several key components. One of the more innovative of these is the introduction of mobile workshops, contained in busses.

Repairs on wheels

Glen Greenwood, the general manager for LG’s service centre department enthused that the busses are a first for the African continent. “These busses are solar-powered mobile repair workshops that travel to various locations around Johannesburg offering customers easy access to repair services,” he explained.

The busses, which are outfitted with a waiting room, workbenches as well as a broad variety of spares, will travel to publicly accessible areas such as shopping centres, where users will be able to bring their LG products for on site repair.

When products cannot be repaired immediately, they will be taken away and returned at a later date, depending on the damage incurred and the technology required to handle the repair.

The busses will offer service to the Johannesburg and Pretoria areas, as well as Cape Town and Durban, depending on demand, and service bus schedules will be published on the LG website. Greenwood explained that where a bus was dispatched to a known hotspot area, LG would employ the services of a security company to escort it.

 

Centres of Service

Another critical component of the campaign is a new service centre in Johannesburg, which caters for LG products under warranty, as well as older goods that are in need of repair. Greenwood explained that the Johannesburg service centre was one of four across the country that handled LG products exclusively.

LG product users will be able to drop off small items at the service centre, which is based in Stone Ridge Mall in Edenvale. Customers will be able to arrange for larger items, such as fridges and washing machines, to be collected. Once repaired, the appliance will be returned to their home.  

The company reassured that the service centre was equipped with the latest consumer electronics repair technology, and boasted some of the most qualified technicians in the country. This was complemented by a fleet of mobile vans which could be dispatched with necessary parts and enable workmen to perform repairs in users’ homes where possible.

Extended Hours

The company added that customers will also have access to 150 associated service centres around the country qualified to handle LG products. These would similarly be able to handle both goods under warranty as well as older items in need of repair. LG stressed that each of these centres is registered with the company and undergoes stringent LG-managed quality measures, so as to ensure the highest quality service.

Additionally, a training academy, which is envisioned to provide opportunities for employment to members of previously disadvantaged communities, has also been established. Another part of the campaign is the extension of call centre (0800-54-54-54 ) hours, from 7 am to 10 pm during the week, and 8 am to 5 pm on the weekend.

To the point

 

All in all, it is heartening to see a company going all out to address a problem offered bemoaned as being sorely lacking in this country – namely, after sales service that goes out of its way to put the customer first. If LG keeps its promises, it’s an initiative we can heartily appreciate.