In an exclusive interview with TimesTech, Mr. Rahul Goel, Senior Director of Service & Engineering Center at Canon India, delves into the transformative journey sparked by ‘Henkaku.’ From innovative customer-centric services to a robust service network, Canon aims to enhance customer satisfaction and support. Mr. Goel sheds light on recent technological advancements and Canon’s vision as an “end-to-end digital imaging solutions provider,” signaling a commitment to efficiency across diverse industry segments.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: How has Canon’s service infrastructure evolved, especially in the context of the ‘Henkaku’ transformation in 2023, and what key changes have contributed to this evolution?
Mr. Rahul: In 2023, our journey towards growth commenced with the implementation of ‘Henkaku,’ as our core strategy, signifying transformation. This strategy became the driving force behind our evolution across three crucial dimensions: product and service offerings, corporate infrastructure and workflow, and organizational structure.
This ‘parivartan’ or transformation unfolded within our service offerings significantly, marked by the strategic integration of various verticals. This deliberate move was aimed at streamlining our delivery services, ensuring a more cohesive and efficient experience for our clients and customers alike by enhancing our reach over the country.
TimesTech: What specific initiatives has Canon undertaken to enhance customer satisfaction and support in its service and engineering operations, ensuring a customer-centric approach?
Mr. Rahul: Aligning with our principle ‘Delighting you always,’ we are steadfast in our commitment to constantly serving as a reliable support pillar for our customers and partners. Embracing a customer-centric approach, we focus on providing exceptional service, leveraging our latest innovations. Our efforts aim to enhance operational efficiency, minimizing machine downtime and mitigating its impact on daily business operations. This has been enabled through the following approaches:
Innovative Customer-Centric Support Services: At Canon India, our focus has always been on customer satisfaction. We are committed to providing exceptional products and services by incorporating innovative technologies into our customer service initiatives. In 2024, our focus will majorly be on remote and predictive maintenance.
Streamlining Customer Experience: Utilizing cutting-edge product designs, we deliver seamless e-Maintenance experiences enabled by automation to analyze detailed machine status data. Our innovative technology includes automated forecasting services allowing customers to benefit from proactive measures, thereby minimizing monitoring efforts.
Ease of obtaining services: We see business challenges as opportunities for transformation. Our strategic approach prioritizes customer delight by embracing technology for agility to meet increased demand for user-friendly services. Users can reach out to us via omni-channels, be it our website, 24 X 7 support via WhatsApp, eBusiness Portal, customer support over email and of course Canon Contact center.
TimesTech: What key components contribute to the robustness of Canon’s service network, considering the diverse product folio and market presence?
Mr. Rahul: At Canon, we closely monitor industry trends to effectively meet customer needs nationwide. We believe in providing high-quality training and fostering a skilled workforce. Canon’s Technical Excellence Center in Noida is a state-of-the-art facility that offers top-notch training on all Canon products. It serves as a learning hub, providing the latest technical training and demonstrations to ensure our customers stay up to date with the latest advancements. The center is also home to the largest darkrooms in Asia for cameras.
Our printer segment is supported by over 300+ Authorized Service Centers, covering 95% of India’s pin code geography. In the production printers’ segment, we have the fastest service and highest uptime with support available at 125+ direct locations. Additionally, we also have an extensive Camera service network, including 6 Master Service Centers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Cochin, and Kolkata, which Canon owns and operates. We have advanced facilities and 9 authorized service franchises, with 235 camera collection points across the country. These numerous touchpoints ensure our consumers are never left alone when in need of a servicing need. Our goal this year is to expand our network through strategic partnerships to provide excellent services to our customers.
We have maintained a stellar 9.9/10 customer satisfaction score in the B2B space for the past two years. Our onsite service delivery network has 240+ staff across 40+ locations, providing exceptional support to our clients. We also have a network of 235 partners, extending our support to 1200+ locations.
TimesTech: Can you share recent innovations and improvements in Canon’s service delivery, particularly in leveraging technology to stay at the forefront of service excellence?
Mr. Rahul: At Canon India, we have made significant advancements by leveraging Smart eServices to redefine our service support. Smart eServices constitute a suite of value-added services meticulously crafted to enhance the overall experience of our corporate customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their devices. Key capabilities and benefits of Smart eServices include Rapid Installation, Remote Monitoring, Predictive Scheduled Maintenance, Remote Collaboration through Merged Reality, and Performance Analytics. These services streamline the distribution of device settings, monitor consumables usage, proactively identify potential issues before they escalate into major problems, facilitate remote collaboration, and empower customers to access self-service options.
TimesTech: How is Canon realizing its vision as an “end-to-end digital imaging solutions provider” across various market segments, and what impact does it aim to have on efficiency in major industry segments?
Mr. Rahul: We have always been focused on bringing forth innovative technologies and products to help customers streamline infrastructure and achieve increased efficiency across various sectors. In addition to maintaining our legacy in consumer and professional cameras, we have expanded and fortified our position in the industry as the sole brand in India offering a comprehensive range of digital imaging products and solutions. Our offerings spanning Business Imaging Solutions, Professional Printing Products, Consumer printers and Imaging cater to a variety of segments, including Healthcare, Government, Surveillance, Enterprises, Educational Institutions, and more. Our trusted customer base for 25+ years is a testament to our commitment, a core factor that has propelled us to maintain industry leadership across various segments. This year, we will continue accelerating growth in these new segments and establish ourselves further as an end-to-end digital imaging solutions company.
