KODAK Service & Support Organisation Excels in Customer Satisfaction

August 16, 2006 - The latest independent research commissioned by KODAK Service & Support throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EAME) to assess customer views of the organisation shows that the level of customer satisfaction is high and constantly rising.

The study (carried out in November 2005) found that overall 88% of customers surveyed in the individual EAME countries1 were totally or very satisfied2 with Kodak's service and support offering, an increase of 3% compared to a similar project undertaken in July 2004 3.

When asked whether they would be happy to recommend KODAK Service & Support to their business partners and associates, 97% of the individuals interviewed said they would, an increase of 1% compared to the June 2005 study. Importantly, 94% of customers with purchasing responsibility commented that that they were likely to repurchase a Kodak service plan, with almost a third saying it was 'extremely likely.'

Colin Cooke, KODAK Service & Support's EMEA business development manager, said, "The results of the study confirm that we're on the right track and continuously improving. The customer satisfaction figures were high anyhow, but continue to get higher. Over the last few years, we've put more focus on reacting quickly, training and employing qualified staff. If any issues arise we can often resolve them on site - within the scope of our "just one visit" policy - thereby reducing machine breakdowns to an absolute minimum."

According to the study, 82% of customers overall were totally or very satisfied with their local Kodak representative's availability, with the figures rising to 88% in the UK, and 100% in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. In some regions, the results show an improvement of more than 40% since the July 2004 research was first carried out.

Customers were particularly impressed by the professional and friendly manner of Kodak's service engineers when actually onsite which is reflected by the 100% satisfaction rating given throughout the EAME region. This is the third time in a row that independent research by IFF has found this.

Similar positive evaluations included customer satisfaction with response times to calls (98%), engineers' level of equipment training' (100%), ability to repair equipment in one visit (97%) and time to repair problems (97%).

Cooke says, "A service organisation that proves its reliability in these areas enables its customers to plan their business better and optimise their resources, working hours, and production procedures. Alongside fast repairs, these factors are critical to ensuring successful business performance underpinned by the service organisation."

For the fourth time in a row, the IFF research shows that 99% of customers are satisfied with how Kodak's products support their businesses.

Cooke adds, "We're really proud of the positive praise from customers received for our on-site service. The high level of satisfaction makes it clear that our service approach fulfills our customer's requirements very well."

KODAK Service & Support - the world's 'Best Support Organisation 2006'

The accomplishments of the KODAK Service & Support organisation have led to it to being voted 'Best Support Organisation 2006' at the International Business Awards, recently held in New York in June 2006.

Nicknamed the Stevies from the Greek word for 'crowned', the New York Post described these international awards as "the business world's own Oscars". They represent the only global, all-encompassing award for excellent performance in the workplace, with votes made from companies worldwide. At the third annual International Business Awards, Kodak Service & Support was selected from more than 700 nominations in 30 countries. The Stevies are awarded in a total of 40 categories.

"We're delighted to have been honored with this distinction," concludes Cooke. "It recognises our commitment to providing a broad range of services any time and anywhere. For us, service covers everything from repairs during the warranty period to installation and integration work and help desk functions for DMS products and storage solutions. This award pays tribute to our team's technical expertise and our expanding global presence."

1 316 telephone interviews were carried out in the countries listed, with the numbers in brackets indicating the number of interviews completed in each: Belgium (29), France (50), Germany (75), Austria (9), Italy (18), Netherlands (30), Switzerland (30) and UK (75).
2 A 7 point numeric scale was used with 7 representing 'totally satisfied' and 1 'totally dissatisfied.
3 The study was carried out in November 2005 (fieldwork competed between October 25 and November 15, 2005), with previous studies occurring in June 2005, November 2004, and July 2004.