UK insurer eager to enter China
BRITAIN-BASED Standard Life Insurance Co, the second largest insurance services provider in the UK market, is waiting to discover whether it will be given a licence to set up a joint venture in China.
Business goes on-line and to chainstores
THIS year Shanghai plans four or five commercial projects in which it expects to co-operate with foreign investors.
Office products' market growth spurs investment
THE US-based Avery Dennison Co, a world leader in the manufacture of pressure sensitive materials and office products, last week announced it was set to increase its investment in the China market by another $40 million.
Global participants sign up for ProPak 2000
PREMIER packaging and processing trade show - ProPak China 2000 - is due to be staged at INTEX Shanghai from May 24-27.
Services to duel for eastern US
DESPITE a 0.9 per cent decrease in the composite freight index for China's export containers, some services have reported brisk business.
Local job network extends to West China
CHINA Human Resources (HR) Market (Shanghai) is to establish its second representative office in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province next month.
Dell launches series of workstations
DELL Computer Co, global computer software maker, on Thursday launched its latest family of Window NT-based Precision Workstations on the Chinese market, the company's eighth largest market.
IBM breaks through the language barrier
SURFING the Internet has caught on in a big way in China, but the preponderance of sites in English prevents many from using the service to its full capacity.
Increased office space lures business to Pudong
PUDONG office market is booming for a number of good reasons which include a gradual concentration of high quality buildings in certain areas and governmental policies.
Mobile phone fight for customers
By Huo Yongzhe
INTENSE competition in the fledgling IT market in China has powered technical innovation and the gradual reduction of the prices, good news for consumers. However, a glut in products and a market densely populated with competitors may contain its development as the Chinese market matures. Company think-tanks in the field are therefore turning their attention to how to foster good customer relations long-term. "Apart from bringing high quality products to our customers, we have to be able to provide a life-long and panoramic service for all our customers," said Louise Chen, director of market operation for the Central China Region of Ericsson (China) Co Ltd Consumer Products. She said that Ericsson's customer services are not only limited to after-sales repairs services. The telecommunications company has also kicked off a series of new services nationwide at all of its 25 customer service centres and more than 40 authorized customer service centres. "Apart from these customer service centres, Ericsson has also launched customer service vans in remote rural parts of the country," said Chen. "We want to give our customer a concept that our mobile phone does not only mean the handset, but rather the handset plus customer services," said Ng Wai Cheong, national customer service manager of the company. Despite of these measures, Competitor to Ericsson, Nokia also has a comprehensive service network consisting of 150 stores by the end of 1999, and the number will increase to 200 by the end of 2000. In addition, Nokia offers "special customer service days" for face-to-face consultancy and repairing services, according to Gong Wenfei, a spokeswoman of the company. Mobile phone users in the Chinese market had increased to 43 million by the end of 1999, and in the next 10 years it is expected to jump to more than 2 billion. Motorola is promising "a one hour service" for its phones within warrantee from its 27 service vans and 130 over-the-counter stores nationwide. In 1998, Motorola launched 142 authorized service centres nationwide, said Deng Guanghua, director of customer service department of North China under the Beijing-based Motorola (China) Co.
Copyright 2000 by Shanghai Star. All rights reserved.