Customer care tops list of Canon’s ’12 priorities

CANON Marketing (Philippines) is looking at more than 20 percent growth in sales this year as it puts more emphasis on customer care services, putting up a factory in Batangas and introducing new, innovative products.

Last year, the Japanese firm posted a 17 percent growth despite setbacks like the tsunami in Japan and the flooding in Thailand. Today, Canon leads the market in most product segments.

In his speech during the inauguration of its Visayas Customer Care Center  at The Gallery in Mabolo, Cebu City,  Allan Chng, president and chief executive officer of Canon Marketing (Philippines) said that Canon is pouring more investments in the country to improve their products and simplify their customers’ lifestyle.

This, he said, is true to their promise of “delighting customers always.”

The factory is seen to employ 5,000 people, said Chng who inaugurated the Visayas Customer Care Center together with Hisahiro Minokawa, president and CEO of the Canon Hongkong Company.

“We are upgrading some of our regional offices as we celebrate our 15th anniversary. Cebu, being the number two city in the Philippines and has a huge contribution to Canon,” Chng told reporters.

Apart from the Visayas Customer Care Center in Cebu, other new service centers being inaugurated are those in Manila, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon and Mindanao.

Chng added that Canon is now the country’s market leader in most of its product segments like cameras and printers. For the camera segment, he said Canon has garnered 60 percent market share.

He attributed their market leadership on their focus on people, customers and producing new products.

“We invest in research and development. Ten percent of our revenues goes to R&D,” stressed Chng.

Minokawa also said that they are constantly finding ways to improve operational efficiency under the Kaizen philosophy. Canon continues to be customer-focused in its operations, he said.

But aside from this, Minokawa said Canon also helps in social and environmental activities.

Jojo Avila,  director for regional operations, said among the beneficiaries of their social and environmental advocacies are the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao and Operation Smile.

Meanwhile, Ryan Esguerra, Visayas Operations head, also said they will be holding a Canon Expo on May 4 at the Ayala Center Cebu where an array of products from cameras to business imaging solutions will be exhibited. /Thea  C. Rinen