Policy
The Sanwa Group aims to be a company that continues to be chosen by society by conducting business activities from the perspective of our customers at all times and reflecting feedback from customers in product and service improvements.
Support System in Japan
The Sanwa Group's Domestic Network
The Sanwa Group supports people in their daily lives through its extensive service network covering around 500 locations(divisions) nationwide. We provide products and services, from sale to installation and after-sales service to satisfy all customers.
Sanwa Shutter Corporation
Sanwa Shutter Corporation has operated a 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year service and repair request receiving system called FTS (Full Time Service) throughout Japan since 1983, a first in the industry. The company is focused on creating an environment in which customers can use its products with safety, security and convenience.
Customer Feedback (Customer Center)
The Sanwa Group has been an industry leader in establishing customer centers, which we believe provide valuable opportunities for communication with customers. All customer feedback received at these centers is added to a database and shared throughout the Sanwa Group for use in improving customer satisfaction.
No. of customer inquiries
FY2018: 15,622
FY2019: 15,134
FY2020: 15,097
FY2021: 13,918
FY2022: 11,888
72% of all of the inquiries made related to our products. We are revising and improving the content on Sanwa Shutter Corporation's FAQ web page based on browsing patterns and customer evaluations.
No. of general repair-related requests
FY2018: 138,693
FY2019: 135,012
FY2020: 130,695
FY2021: 130,906
FY2022: 129,774
At all times, we operate multiple sites to raise our response rates and, as part of our BCP initiatives, for maintaining a high response rate: over 95% on average every year. Further, we update our FAQ site and our How To videos to help customers solve problems by themselves. After natural disasters or after long vacations, we increase the number of operators at the repair reception center. We also work with our sales departments to raise customer satisfaction levels and to proactively head off customers’ complaints and demands.
Implementation of customer satisfaction surveys
In fiscal 2020, Sanwa Shutter Corporation conducted a customer satisfaction survey among users of our repair request receiving service. This survey includes responses from several perspectives: evaluation of repair reception centers,repair service centers and technicians, as well as an awareness and satisfaction of Full Time Service (FTS), prices, and a brand evaluation. We will utilize the results of this survey to improve the quality of our services, including repair services, and further enhance customer satisfaction.
Business Etiquette Training
Sanwa Shutter Corporation has established a system aimed at enhancing business etiquette among sales personnel, installers and office employees in the Company’s blocks or branches in which supervising directors of offices and branches who have passed written and interview examinations are appointed business etiquette leaders. These leaders provide guidance on how to improve etiquette to employees under their control.
Training to Improve Etiquette
Training sessions for installers have been held since fiscal 2017 to improve etiquette so as to create a positive impression and garner the confidence of customers, which should in turn lead to further orders.
During the training sessions, participants learn about basic etiquette and rules regarding routine inspections on-site as well as health and safety issues. The training often involves roleplaying and a video is taken to show the facial expressions, language and attitude of each person when they talk to reaffirm the importance of first impressions.
Initiatives at Overseas Subsidiaries
Initiatives at ODC (North America)
The sales system in North America is focused on selling products through distributors, and not directly to end users. The distributors, dealing mainly in Overhead Door Corporation (ODC) products, play an important role in creating value for the group. ODC celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2021, and its distributors, with a sales network of about 450 companies throughout the US, are often referred to as “Ribbon Distributors” in line with ODC’s ribbon logo. With the goal of continuously strengthening its relationships with the Ribbon Distributors, ODC uses feedback gained from regular dialogue and information exchanges with the distributors to improve product quality and develop new products.
Initiatives at NF Group (Europe)
NF Group regards a rate of claim expenses against net sales as a common KPI, assess it by country, and the results are shared with all the companies. Factory production officers and quality control officers work closely with departments that handle claims to reduce the number of claims and claim expenses, thereby aiming to maximize customer satisfaction.
In addition, NF Germany conducts customer surveys every year, where higher levels of quality connect to greater customer satisfaction. The Company is also working to further expand its scope of business and build its brand by establishing the image of “Easy to do business with Novoferm.”