Home Appliance Industry Strengthens Brand Image Abroad through Local Product After-Sales Service and Donations

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Home appliance companies are steadily building their brand image by strengthening after-sales services such as product repair and maintenance overseas, as well as conducting local donations.

According to the industry on the 20th, Samsung Electronics recently opened a dedicated repair center in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, a Southeastern European country, and is providing product services there. Since there were no dedicated repair centers in Bosnia, products were managed at multi-brand repair shops, resulting in inconsistent service quality. For the same reason, Samsung Electronics has established and operated seven dedicated repair centers only in Southeastern European countries since 2016. Samsung Electronics has received positive responses by conducting UV sterilization of repaired products and events during festivals at local dedicated repair centers to prepare for COVID-19.

LG Electronics has also expanded its on-site system air conditioner service from three Asian countries?Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore?to six countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia. Major parts that may take time to procure are always stocked in dedicated vehicles, and when customers request service, engineers immediately dispatch to the site. Therefore, if customers request service before 3 p.m., service engineers visit on the same day whenever possible, saving time required for parts procurement and completing repairs within two days.

Moreover, the industry is also enhancing brand image overseas through donations and contributions during the COVID-19 crisis.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics donated diagnostic kits and masks earlier this year to countries that were unprepared for the spread of COVID-19. Samsung Electronics donated more than 4 million dollars through local community nonprofit organizations in New Jersey, California, Texas, and other areas in the United States.

Winia also supported masks, food supplies, and its own products in Latin American countries such as Chile and Peru, where the COVID-19 spread has not stopped. In particular, Winia provided refrigerators for medical staff in COVID-19 designated wards in Chile and fully automatic washing machines for the hygiene of firefighters stationed at fire stations in Santiago, Chile, due to strengthened isolation measures.