Sony 2006 Annual Report Download - page 47

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A Sony Customer Information Center
Hotline contacts generally cover issues relating to employment,
labor, work environment, information management, environmental
protection and accounting. All contacts received are investigated
for the purpose of verification. In certain cases, these contacts
have prompted investigations that have resulted in the monitoring
and review of internal organizations and procedures, respectively,
and the strengthening of enforcement of internal rules.
Improving Quality
Sony is wholeheartedly committed to earning the satisfaction, trust
and confidence of its customers by improving product and service
quality from the customer’s perspective. Sony sees its ultimate
goal, as well as its obligation, as being a highly trusted partner for
its customers.
In line with this belief, we are engaged in a variety of undertakings
aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction. In 2001, for example, we
promulgated the Sony CS Charter to firmly instill the importance of
customer satisfaction awareness, while in 2005 we implemented the
Customer Viewpoint Initiative.
Quality Standards and Quality Management System
Sony recognizes enhancing quality as a crucial management task
and is striving to incorporate quality and reliability improvement
considerations into product development, planning, engineering,
production, sales and service activities. To improve our product
quality management system, in 2004 we formulated corporate
quality standards that outline minimum requirements for all Sony
products. We have also established the CS Strategy Committee,
which comprises Sony’s president, the heads of electronics
divisions and the top executives in charge of manufacturing and
marketing, and meets regularly as the ultimate decision-making
body for customer satisfaction- and quality-related issues in the
electronics business. Through our Customer Information Centers,
which allow customers to express opinions or report malfunctions
at any time after purchase, we are able to promptly and accurately
identify problems and work with design and engineering groups to
make appropriate improvements. We have also established the
Product Quality Information Channel, a reporting channel the
objective of which is to gather product quality-related information
and opinions from Sony Group employees, thereby helping us to
detect problems early and respond promptly.
Customer Service System
Sony established its first Customer Information Center in Japan in
1963 to provide customers with timely and appropriate responses
to their inquiries. Customer Information Center services are now
available worldwide. To further improve the quality of service,
Customer Information Centers in Japan and Hong Kong obtained
COPC-2000* certification, an international standard for call centers.
We have built a global service network encompassing more than
10,000 sites. At these sites, we focus on providing training pro-
grams to improve repair skills, sharing product information and
promoting better communication between repair technicians and
customers. We are also taking steps to raise customer satisfaction
by, among others, shortening distribution and repair times and
reviewing repair fees.
*COPC-2000 is a management standard specifically for call centers and fulfillment
(delivery) work based on the American National Management Quality Award.
Environmental Activities
With the aim of contributing to sustainable development, Sony
formulated the Sony Group Environmental Vision and is promoting
environmental management activities throughout the Sony Group.
Guided by this vision, Sony is undertaking numerous activities from
a medium- to long-term perspective and has formulated a new
action plan, Green Management 2010, which stipulates key
medium-term targets to be attained by 2010.
A New Global Environmental Management System
To date, Sony sites throughout the world have pursued and
obtained certification under ISO 14001, the global standard for
environmental management systems. In the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2006, however, we completed the shift to a new,
integrated Group management system, under which 402 sites