PEDIGREE – Good Customer Service

PEDIGREE – Good Customer Service

A Pleasant Experience of  Prompt Grievance Redressal and Efficient Customer Care

By

VIKRAM KARVE

We complain whenever we suffer indifferent customer service or our grievances are not redressed in a prompt manner.

However, on the few occasions when we do get good customer service we take it for granted.

That is why I am writing to tell you about the excellent customer service by Mars International India Pvt Ltd – the manufacturers of Pedigree Dog Food.

A few months ago I attended a Dog Show in Pune. I visited the Pedigree Stall. A Pet Nutritionist advised me on the diet for my pet dog Sherry and enrolled her in the Pedigree Nutrition Club. (You can see Sherry in the picture with me in the top right hand corner)

A few days ago I received an envelope containing pamphlets regarding pet dog care and some discount coupons for Pedigree Dog Food.

However various shops which stocked Pedigree refused to honour these discount coupons saying that they were not aware of this scheme. I, therefore, visited Reliance Mart Aundh, one of the largest departmental stores in Pune, and to my surprise even Reliance Mart refused to redeem the Pedigree Discount Coupons.

I returned home and sent an email to the Head Marketing (Pet Care) and Head Business Development of Mars informing them that Pedigree Discount Coupons were not being honoured in Pune.

Within an hour of sending my email I received a call from Customer Care of Pedigree Hyderabad asking for details.

I was pleasantly surprised when just a few minutes later I received a call from the Pedigree Distributor in Pune who requested a convenient time to personally visit me at my residence. In the evening, he sent a representative who redeemed my coupons in cash. He also gave me details of a nearby pet store which would accept Pedigree discount coupons in future. 

I must say I am impressed by the prompt and efficient customer service provided by Mars India. I had sent my email precisely at 12:56 in the afternoon, received acknowledgement and responses within one hour, and the entire issue was resolved by evening. I felt a sense of satisfaction that my “grievance” was resolved so promptly within one day which is quite exceptional in the present-day Customer Care Scenario in most organisations which I have dealt with.

An Efficient Customer Service Management System or Grievance Redressal Mechanism comprises five aspects:

1. It must be easy for you to lodge the complaint. This can be either on phone or SMS or by email or on the website. (In today’s world of the internet, online grievance management mechanism is a must and the days of writing letters, submitting written applications and using snail-mail are a thing of the past)

2. Your grievance must be acknowledged in a prompt manner. This is best done by a prompt call or SMS or an email giving you a reference token number to enable you to monitor the progress of redressal of your grievance / complaint.

3. You must be kept informed and updated regarding the status of your complaint and it must be easy for you to monitor the progress of the grievance redressal process.

4. Your grievance must be resolved to your entire satisfaction in a time bound manner. A sincere and transparent attempt must be made by the customer care department to achieve “customer delight” by a mutually agreeable reconciliation of the complaint and insidious attempts to browbeat, bully, harass or confuse the customer must be avoided.

5. Your feedback and suggestions must be sought. As a part of continual improvement a good customer care department always asks for post grievance redressal feedback and suggestions, acts on the comments of the customer and keeps the customer informed. Rather than just ring up the customer, it is better to obtain feedback by email or in a prescribed format. This enables the customer to give comprehensive feedback and ensures that the feedback is properly recorded for future action.

Well, I must say that, at least in my case, Mars India have accomplished the first four steps brilliantly. I am sure they will solicit my feedback and suggestions too.

In conclusion, I congratulate Mars International India Pvt Ltd for their customer-responsive culture and wish Pedigree all the best.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and he is currently working on his novel. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts. 

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com        

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.