The Brand Reporter [December 1 -15, 2004]

Marketers of automobiles and high-value durables know that potential customers need to be reassured of after-sales service. But a post-sales service for something as unexciting and low-value as a lock? Well, the Godrej & Boyce ( G & B ) Locks Division is taking a shot at it all the same with a toll-free response number for customers.

It recently launched a 24-hour toll-free response number, 1600 22 55 11. This service is available in all major metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune. The other helpline number, 9628 100100, is available in the cities of Banglore and Hyderabad. Through these helpline, G & B offers access to services such as installation of locks, repairs, emergency door opening and key duplication to its customers. The company relies on its vast service network of 160 distributors in 110 cities.

In the Rs 1300-crore locks industry, the bulk of it in the commodity end, the company is hoping that after-sales service can be built up as a key differentiator. Before the helpline began, service was provided through a common pool of technicians at G & B branches.
Six years ago, G & B decided to involve its sales distribution team in after-sales service and made them sales cum service distributors. The idea was allow to customers to get their after-sales service needs addressed from the place where they bought the lock. “ Once this system of service delivery was in place, we were ready to launch the 24-hour helpline, a single window to address customers’ pre-sales requirements and after-sales service needs,” says B K Rajkumar, business head and vice president, locks division, Godrej & Boyce.

This is how it works: When the call-centre receives a call, the customer service representative allots the caller a ticket number. The call is forwarded to the dealer, who attends to the customer. After a stipulated period of time in which the dealer should have completed the service request, feedback is taken from the customer with respect to the service provided. Only once this is done is the call treated as complete. While a normal call is attended to in two working days, emergency calls are serviced within two hours of being logged. The service, however, is not free. Emergency calls are charged at Rs 200 from 9 am to 7 pm and Rs 300 from 7 pm to 9 am. Installation charges range from Rs 90 toRs 160 (depending on the of lock) while repairs cost Rs 50 at a service station, nad Rs 75 more for on-site calls.

The Godrej Locks division has also launched 37 Ultra Key Duplication facilities in 20 cities to facilitate over the counter key duplication services for its customers. To ensure quality of service, it conducts regular training programmes for distributor technicians and carpenters attached to retail outlets. Over the last three years, Godrej has trained 400 distributors and technicians all over India and around 6,000 carpenters in installation methods and repair techniques.

While 80 per cent of the market ( by value) is unorganized, Godrej Locks enjoys a market share of around 30 per cent in the organized segment. Competition includes brands such as Dorset, Europa, Ramson, Harrison, Golden and Link. The company’s products are available in about 13,000 hardware outlets nationwide.