Cover Page

Students Name: Panchal Sagar Pravin

Class: TYBMS Division: B Roll no: 23

College Name: Mithibai College, Vile Parle (West)

Academic Year: 2010 – 2011

Topics: Infoline Services – An industry review

Project Guide: Prof. (Mrs.) Pallavi Mhatre

Declaration from the college

Declaration from the student

Acknowledgement

This is project is a comprehensive study of concepts and the working of Indian Infoline

Industry. I would like to acknowledge the immense contribution by my project guide

Prof. (Mrs.) Pallavi Mhatre, Mithibai College. I would like to thank her for proviing the required

guidance while preparing the project and adding her vision, mindsets and eve4n her marketing

skills to make the project even more informative.

Also, this project would not be well articulated without the due inputs and very crucial

information and insights provided by the Mr. Jangam G., Sales Manager, Times Yellowpages

and Ms. Sneha, Telesales Team Leaders, Times Yellowpages.

I would also like to mention a special vote of thanks to one of the executives of Just Dial

Service, Mr. Gunjan Gupta for providing various inputs while plotting the information in the

project and even has put in some essential mentioning in the project.

Executive Summary

Infoline Industry has been helping people round the globe in various daily concerns, even

in India to source various contact details of many commercial entities. My personal experience

as a user of these services has been very good. Moreover I have also been very fortunate to be a

part this industry for a fairly long period of time.

The key objective of this project is not only to study the concepts, working, developments

and innovations in this industry, but also to have a reality check on the satisfaction level and

mindsets of the users and the human force of this industry. Also this project studies the

contribution of the sales and call centre executives in the functioning of these services.

Comments and the visions of the service authorities of Infolines are also considered in this

project report.

The study also encompasses brief about the industry, its history, evolution, marketing –

public relations – advertising strategies adopted, working of the human force, innovations and

developments and even the complaints of users and clients of Infoline service. Moreover a case

study about the working Just Dial and DnA Infoline is also an important part of the study

A survey to study the satisfaction level and mindsets of the users, human resource and a

research on the complaints of the registered clients was done. The survey on the users tried to

study the main source knowledge of Infolines among the users and clients, their satisfaction

levels and even recommendations. Moreover the study on the human force has been aimed to

learn on the job satisfaction levels and motivational factors for them.

Based on the study of this industry and the survey conducted, complaints of the users,

human resources and registered clients, service authorities inputs and even recommendation

various other issues has also been included in this project report.

Table of Contents

Table of contents would be inserted after the final draft is ready.

Introduction

Before I start with my project in Infoline services and what is it all about, I would like to

share a few experiences with you. It happened with me and one of my friends from July 2007 to

March 2008.

Vinod a resident of Pune came to Mumbai in April 2007 for studies. We were classmates

in Sathaye College, Vile Parle East, Second Year Junior college. Being new to the city he hardly

knew any fun places. For this he used to ask people, acquaintances, family friends, etc. and most

of the times he used to land at inappropriate places. After we were friends, I suggested a few

places to him and visited many too. It was fun. One day we were supposed to visit a company for

preparation of project. Wandering which company to approach and how to go about we asked for

guidance and contact to many people, we left no stone unturned. One fine day, I came across a

hoarding saying “For any information Just Dial 28888888, India’s number one local search

engine.” The very next moment what I did was obvious, 022-28888888. Enquiring on this

service, I had many options and a more importantly guidance for my project and things were

sorted out. I recommended this service to all my friends and acquaintance.

Then onwards any enquire on party place, restaurants, hotels, theatres or any companies

contacts for projects, only one no clicked our minds, 28888888.

After our results were out, Vinod wanted a database on all management college offering

BMS in Mumbai, so did I. Just Dial and similar services gave us detail and list of top 10 BMS

college in Mumbai and I landed in Mithibai and Vinod in HR. Since then, I have been using

similar such services for various requirements almost daily. This made me learn and make

project on this industry.

Working and Legalities

Infoline industry also known as information services as name suggests are one which

provide information on contact and details of offering by various corporate and commercial

entities. These contact details include name, contact numbers, addresses, websites, email

addresses on the basis of name or the category, i.e. product or services the company offers in

various cities and location in those cities. Some have even gone international.

In words of Mr. VSS Mani, Managing Director, Just Dial “Infolines bridges the gap

between the buyers and sellers by helping buyers find the right providers of products and

services while helping sellers improve efficiency of their marketing channels.”

Infolines play an important role in connecting B2B, B2C and C2B enquiries.

B2B could be a corporate in requirement of industrial products or services.

B2C could be corporate selling products or services to the common public or looking for

human resource.

C2B could be consumer searching for product sellers, manufactures or service providers,

etc.

Terminology

Callers: The users of these services through helplines, websites or yellowpages are collectively

called callers.

Calls: When a caller asks for a specific company’s information that’s a company call. Enquiries

of certain company dealing in trade, commerce or adventure of any product or services are

product calls and calls for band outlets or specific brands information those are brand calls.

IRO: Call centre executives attending enquiries and calls are called Information Retrieval

Officers (IRO).

Business category: Business category is the product or the service the firm sells or the field in

which the firm is in. For example: travel agencies help in traveling services, stationery seller

sells stationeries, Adidas brand store sell Adidas products, etc.

All Infolines record number of calls and users details taken as their feedbacks on daily

basis. This information is used for up-gradating and developing the service, lets the company

know their market share and keep an eye on user and competitors.

Modes to contact information services are on their helpline numbers, websites, WAP or

even in their yellowpages (YP) in certain services. Information provided on each of the

following modes is:

Helpline: Name, contact numbers, addresses, email addresses, websites and their business

categories.

Web or WAP: Name, contact numbers, addresses, email addresses, websites, their business

categories, working hours, user ratings, catalog, videos, other promotional elements like pictures,

product details, etc.

Yellowpages (YP): Name, contact numbers, addresses, email addresses, websites, their business

categories and at times working hours, catalogs, pictures and few more details.

Infolines have an easy to remember helpline number also known as “Magical Number”,

that’s their peculiar characteristic. This makes their services more ergonomic and more

convenient to use. It also helps them in their promotional activities. The psychological factor

involved in recall of the helpline number is taken care of. Some magical numbers are:

Just Dial – 022-28888888 , 69999999 DnA Infoline – 022-26666666 , 65555555 , 62222222 Citizens Infoline – 022-67777777, and a few more.

Callers may ask for information of specific companies or companies in various business

categories with area of operation in required areas. For example, if a caller wants to contact

Restaurant Mainland China in Andheri East by calling Infoline or on the web or WAP can check

this information by name search in Mumbai, Andheri East. Caller has an option to receive this

information via SMS, e-mail or can even note down. A few Infoline services have the facility to

connect the caller directly to the companies. Also on phone enquire for travel agent in

Ghaziabad, Delhi would be answered with a list of agents in the area as per the required

specifications like international or domestics services, specific location specialists, etc.

This information would be sent to the caller via SMS, e-mail or could be noted down by

the caller.

The

information provided by Infoline services is absolutely free of charge, except the normal phone

charges for the calls on their helpline services. But the question arise is from where do they get

fund from for their daily operations and capital investment. Donations or charities ... NO,

governmental funds … No, then??……… Think!!!!!

Yes you guessed it right. These services are a kind of advertising and business promoting

companies who have their cliental base paying them to promote their businesses. According to

their payment, appropriate amount of business is forwarded to them.

The registrations of firms are basically in two formats:

1. Companies register with Infolines for a certain period of time and according to the terms

and schemes business is forwarded to them in that times frame. This is registration on

Tenure Basis. However during this tenure certain minimum business is provided. Also it

has to be mentioned that Infolines do not guarantee business. Their job is to forward the

enquiries now it is at the firms marketing skills to convert that enquiry in to business.

2. Companies have an option to register for a fixed number of enquiries per day for some

period of time. This is registration on Leads Basis. If daily quota of leads in not fulfilled,

balance is carried forward to the next day and so on. These lead are to be deliver with a

certain maximum time. Mostly lead are provided much before the deadline. There again

Infolines job is to forward the enquiries now it is at the firms marketing skills to convert

that enquiry in to business.

Leads basis clients are first provided with their daily leads and the other client’s

information will be provided to the caller as per the priority listing. As the tenure expires or the

predetermined leads are over the contract expires. Both these contract formats are renewable on

the discretion of the firm and Infoline.

Registered clients are given business on the priority basis they have registered for. At

times, it’s as simple as higher the registration charges paid, more is the business forwarded and

the registered firms name is suggested more number of times. This priority basis registration is

called listing. These listing are named as Diamond Gold, Diamond, Gold, Golden Priority,

Priority, Normal and Free listing. This is in descending order of priority and free listings being

expired and non-paid clients. By priority it is meant that when a caller uses the services, the

order in which the firm’s names are suggested.

For example, following is the listing and their recommendation would be done in the

same order:

Order of Recommendation Listing Firms Name Maximum clients1 Diamond Gold Raj Industries 12 Diamond Karan Textiles 33 Gold Rohan Mills 104 Golden Priority Rajkamal Enterprises 205 Priority Shri Venus Enterprises 506 Normal Ali Santosh Ventures 1007 Free listing MicroMills Ltd No upper limit

Fibre EntreprisesRizvi CollectionsGolden Creations

Some of these listing have a limited number of clients to be registered in each category

which are revised regularly. By and large it is as shown in fourth column (Maximum clients).

All registration regulation and terms are clearly mentioned in the contract form on

registering with Infolines. And the firms registering are suggested to read the offer document

before investing to avoid future clashes and maintain a long term cordial relationship. Payment

terms are also to be mentioned in the contract form.

On the Infolines website details of these registered clients are highlighted to distinguish

them from free clients. All clients registered in any categories are highlighted in same colour but

in order of priority registered in.

The registered client’s details are suggested to the users but how do the clients know their

name is being suggested to some users in this business categories?

The clients are asked to mention a SMS mobile number(s) and an e-mail address on

which the caller details could be communicated appropriately. Thus the client’s details to the

caller and caller’s details to the clients are sent immediately and simultaneously through

specially developed software and systems. Each enquire is sent to 5 listed firms.

At times some firms register for exclusive business in certain categories. Paying a higher

premium price for registration, these firms demand for certain minimum clients on daily basis

exclusively to them only. For example, Raj Industries is registered in Cotton Dealers category as

an exclusive client for daily 5 enquiries. Then first 5 callers would be forwarded to him only and

rest to other listed clients. The 5 enquiries could be sent on random basis too, according to the

contract terms. This contract could be on lead or tenure basis. Exclusive contract are very

expensive with charges in multiples of general listings.

Caller / User

Infoline Client

Enquiry Registration

Callers DetailsClients Details3a

3b

2 1

Now nest question arises is, why free clients details are provided on company specific

calls. Reasons being:

Concept of Infoline says it is a services providing information on corporate and commercial

organization on enquiries to them. This they are supposed to install and deliver information on

all possible organizations in the nation or the city, they cannot provide just registered clients

details. If they provide all company details irrespectively of they being registered or no, that’s

when they can promote themselves as Infolines. That’s the way the industry works..!

Also, not all companies and brands register with Infolines, either they do not need it or they

cannot afford it. MNC and nationally renowned brands like Reliance , McDonalds, Mokkas,

Smokin Joes, Garcias, Snehanjali, Pantaloons. D&G, Next, Navneet, SBI, ICICI, etc.do not need

such kind of promotions. The numbers of clients catered by these brands are more than the total

number of calls registered with them daily. Also their revenue are also in multiple of that of

Infolines.

Affordability of small firms and shops is a concern too. At cases one year registration fee

of Infoline is equal to their yearly earned profits. But Infolines have introduced sahet marketing

in this industry too, to tap the bottom of the pyramid too.

A: Small local shops– local stationary, tailors,

electricians, plumbers, etc.

B: Midsized firms (Area of operation: A City) –

Electronic shops, small transporters, painters,

carpenter, etc.

C: Midsized to large firms (Area of operation: A

State) – Small travel agents, midsized

transporters, Packers and Movers, etc.

D: Well to do large firms (Nationwide offerings) – Travel agents, national permit holders,

upcoming brands, etc.

E: Well renowned National and International firms and brands – Next, Snehanjali, HCL,

DHL,etc.

E

D

C

B

A

Process Call Conversion

Providing information of free clients is for customer convenience but this indirectly adds

revenues to firm who have paid the Infolines for doing the same. Are Infolines for business or for

charity? Infoline commit to their clients to get the best business possible so why should the free

business to non-registered firms?

Thus the call center executives, IROs, are trained to try and persuade caller to also check

product or services the registered clients in the same category. Customer agrees to check opinion

from Infolines with their required company information, on offering discount and good offering

from their registered clients. This satisfies caller with additional information and clients with

potential customer for them.

For example, if a call asks for information of Raj tours and travels which is not a

registered client in the database of travel agents category. Infolines have hundreds of registered

clients in this demanding category. IROs convince the caller to check the discount and better

service at their registered clients. If caller agrees then the caller information on Raj Tours and

travels as well as other options and the service clients get prospects.

If a caller wants Mid-Day newspaper number, he might want it for certain enquire of to

place some advertisement in the newspapers. So IRO can convert this Mid-Day company call to

product of newspaper advertising agency. Similarly, if caller might ask schedule or inquiry

number of Central railways the on confirming it’s for booking why not transfer the call to rail

booking agent. But noticeable this is done on consent of the caller of else not. Infolines don’t

intent to complicate things but to simplify process at beneficial terms and conditions for all

parties.

Prompting to the Callers

Infolines since ever have tried to distinguish their service and add quality of the clients as

well as the users and try and innovate most personalised service to them.

For special promotion to wide range of callers, clients register with the Infoline for

promotion only on phone, YP and their website but also business suggestions to callers of the

related category, also called as prompting. Since Infolines receive thousands of calls on daily

basis this prompting strategy is a successful personalized promotion service. These clients that

opt for prompting service are B2C clients. Experienced firms believe on continuous prompting to

all callers atleast in their categories enquiries. This enables their business to get exposure and

thus attract new customers. Also as far as B2B clients are concern prompting would hardly have

any response to their prompting because it has any promotion and persuading effect on the

business firms and their executives in terms of B2B products.

For an instance, on enquiry of house rent services, the call center executive would prompt

on the prompting registered clients information in categories like transporters, packers and

movers, house furniture, painting, interiors, modular kitchen dealers, electricians and electronic

product dealers, pest control services, etc. Moreover, on enquiring of theatres prompting of

theatre booking services, restaurants, party places, resorts, cool cab services, shopping places,

etc. could be prompted.

Here by related business categories means what other things or activities could be

accompanied with that product or services is required by the callers. This is quite evident from

the examples.

However, expensive these contracts are but the personalized prompting does probe the

caller to check the prompted product or service.

But a disclaimer says that the prompting is not 100% on all calls and neither all callers

agree or wish to get information on the prompted clients. But strategic service is implemented

efficiently with well trained executives can get best out of it. This kind of service needs trust

among the clients and Infolines and commitment of the Infolines for the clients.

Lead Generation

The marketing sales forces are responsible to find and tap new clients and also maintain

relationship with them to get up sales from them. But one should not underestimate the call

center executives too. They not only produce and deliver the services but also generate sales out

of it.

While answering to caller’s enquiries all executives are trained to ask the caller whether

they are into business or are employed in a certain organization. If the caller is an employee the

name of the company he is working for and his post is noted and at the end of the call he is

thanked for the information. On the other hand, if caller is in business his business details like

business category, area of location, etc. are noted and caller is persuaded to get registered with

the service at attractive prices to promote the business. On agreement to have a look at the

proposal, as per the convenience of the caller, who is a prospect clients for the company, he is

been called back or visited to finalise the deal. Thus call center executives have also joined hand

with the marketing force to earn revenues. On the sales so cracked the executives are given

motivational incentives too. These callers who agree to consider the service proposal are called

leads. They are the prospective clients of the company and the executives are always expected to

deliver best services and then maximization of leads so generated.

But this process is not as simple as it sounds. IRO must fulfill the information

requirement of the caller and if the caller is a regular and satisfied caller then only he might

register or atleast agree to consider the proposal. Though the caller center executives are trained

to convince the caller in this concern, it is difficult for all inb9ound executives to market the

company’s services. It is a risk over company’s image. Thus not all executives are asked to

follow up the clients. Their leads are either transferred to their colleagues or to the marketing

department.

The information collected of employees and of non-interested callers (who are in

business but didn’t agree to consider the proposal) is stored in the database. This database is used

to segment the market, later tapped by the marketing forces, helps in SMS and e-mail campaign

and is integrated in marketing communication too. One of the things to be borne mind for the

Infolines is to have efficient and effective lead generation and their follow up to sales, well

trained and well motivated human resource at the call center is required or this system could

work against the company’s image. Also this requires inter and intra department coordination

among the call center and the marketing teams to avoid overlapping calls to the same callers,

incentive allocations, etc.

Major Account Management

Infoline have a few major accounts, i.e. clients subscribing for a long period of time.

These are high priority listed clients. They have their registration for more than one year in some

hot potential category. Major accounts also include the reputed brands registered with the

service. Their area of operation of operation is also most of the times multi-states and at times

multinationals too.

There are major account managers who handle these major accounts. There are cross-

functional personnel covering all aspects of the relationship with. More precise and appropriate

care is taken to make sure that the service is delivered to them.

Number of major accounts is increasing. These accounts have more bargaining power

and services have to get more and more clients and branding opportunities to then advantage to

both the parties using integrated joint promotional strategies where they can promote each other.

Some major accounts and tog segment clients brands of Just Dial services are:

Jingle – Hello tunes of Infolines

Every one loves to have an impressive or a funny hello tunes according to his / her likes.

It is not only to entertain, shock, impress callers but also reflects choice and persona of the phone

owner. Similar is with the Infolines.

The jingle to the service, holds music, busy notes helps the customer to judge on the

quality of the services, the customer focus and company’s commitment to service them. Normal

opening jingle welcomes the caller to the executives. The hold music request the caller to hold

till the search or transfer of the call is in process and the busy note is very courteous manner

request the caller to wait till the executives get free from other calls and lets the customer know

how important they are to the service. The choice, composition of these sound reflect the

standard / class of the service. It lets the callers learn on what quality they follow. A common

audio like Havana won’t sound good but a self composed original suitable audio clip could work

as it can be a major public relation tool and all about taking care of the customers.

Now a days, jingles are avoided to lets the callers have a quick and direct access to the

information and hold – busy notes are used. Also, hold-busy notes also have prerecorded

promotion prompt of certain clients as it happens in prompting. This trend is followed by major

players.

For example – Just Dial some time ago had jungle saying – Welcome to Just Dial, India’s

number one local search engine. Now serving you on nationlised number 69999999 or you can

log on to www.justdial.com then the executives attend the calls.

And the busy note used to be – Our executive are busy on attending other callers. Please

stay online. Please don’t hang out; your call is important for us. Our executives will attend to

you soon. Then may be the prerecorded prompting for the clients or that of Just Dial began.

Hold music of Just Dial was – This is Just Dial, India’s number one local search engine.

Now serving you on nationlised number 69999999 or you can log on to www.justdial.com then

the executives attend the calls. Please don’t hang out; your call is important for us. Our

executives will attend to you soon.

Legalities

Before we move on to details discussion of Infoline services some normal registration

process, legalities and other things to be borne in mind for Infolines are:

1. All Infolines need to have and mention the unique name, an easy to remember helpline

service number, a suitable logo, a website, office address and register the same.

2. A contract form with required terms and conditions to be framed. Correct wording,

framing, and mentioned information should be clean and clear.

3. All terms and condition about the services, its responsibilities, scope and disclaimers to

be mentioned explicitly on the contract form and web site and YP if applicable. Like

client SMS will be free for the first year of the contract

4. Follow all authentication process to change a contract firms details.

5. Other copyrights and trademarks of Infolines services, offers, promotional schemes, etc.

to be registered if required.

6. Clause about the business, i.e. Infolines job is to forward the enquiries, it is at the

registered firms marketing skills to convert that enquiry in to business.

Some normal registration process, legalities and other things to be borne in mind for

Infolines are:

1. Prompt for promotion via SMS, internet and phone and thus, mention correct contact,

SMS mobile number, e-mail address and official address, website, working hours,

product and service details and other details in the contract form.

2. Read the terms and conditions thoroughly. One of the terms is that the information of

the firms will be provided to the users on the priority listing basis and lead basis

clients will be provided enquires first. This segregation will also be according to

caller’s preferences, area and category.

3. In tenure contract, please try and mention minimum number of enquiries to be

received. And in leads basis contract maximum time limit to receive those leads.

4. Do go for business enquiries to be sent on SMS as well as mail to have record of all

leads sent and avoid discrepancies.

5. Contact enquires immediately because each minute counts, each enquiry being sent to

5 listings, except you are an exclusive client. But still quick response matters.

Some essential disclaimer from certain Infoline services on their websites and contract

forms are as follows:

Changes in the terms and conditions to be exclusive for the Infolines: Reserve the right to

periodically change the Terms and the Site without notice, and clients are responsible for

checking these Terms periodically for revisions.

Infoline is not liable for any kind of damages, losses: While every attempt has been made to

ascertain the authenticity of the site content, Infoline is not liable for any kind of damages, losses

or action arising directly or indirectly, due to access and/or use of the site content including but

not limited to site content based decisions resulting in loss of data, revenue, profits, property,

infection by viruses etc.

Use of Infoline assets and brand elements: Except as authorized, clients are not being granted a

license under any copyright, trademark, patent or other intellectual property right in the Materials

or the products, services, processes or technology. All such rights are retained by Infoline, its

subsidiaries, parent companies, and/or any third party owner of such rights.

Privacy Policy: Infoline is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of any

personal information that it may request and receive from its clients, business partners and other

users of the Website.

Communication: All of notices, demands and other communications must be in writing and will

be deemed to have been given (a) if mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid, (b) if delivered by

overnight courier, (c) if sent by facsimile transmission and such transmission is confirmed as

received, or (d) if sent by electronic mail, and such message is confirmed as received, in each

case to the address, fax number or e-mail address specified on the Order for the recipient of such

notice. Follow all authentication process to change a contract firms details.

Defaulting of any registered firm in terms of payment or to the user and is proven guilty would

suspend the contract without any refund.

Indian laws: Terms will be governed by and construed in accordance with the Indian laws,

without giving effect to its conflict of law’s provisions or your actual state or country of

residence, and you agree to submit to personal jurisdiction in India.

Please remember: that any provider of goods or services is entitled to register with Infoline.

Infoline do not examine whether the advertisers are good, reputable or quality sellers of goods /

service providers. You must satisfy themselves about all relevant aspects prior to availing of the

terms of service. Infoline has also not negotiated or discussed any terms of engagement with any

of the advertisers. Purchasing of goods or availing of services from advertisers shall be at their

own risk.

Evolution of Infolines Services

After understanding how the Infoline industry works in brief let’s have a look at the

history and evolution of Infolines abroad and in India.

Infoline services in India first began in 1991-92. Ask me 022-23333333 begin the pioneer

in this industry in India. Then various other players joined in. But in abroad this industry existed

since fart before that especially in US. These services came up from peoples requirements of

information even in those days. After its evolution in US, this industry came into existence in

Asian countries too, like India and China.

In India, since independence till 1990, it used to a great deal of effort and difficulty to get

telephone connections. If applied today, people used to those connections five to six years later.

But things changed after New Industrial Policy 1991 (NIP). Processes have speed up till date.

With advent of communication, demand of information started cropping among masses. Initially,

people asked their friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, etc. for contact numbers and to

suggest sellers and services providers and most of the times land up at wrong or inappropriate

places like Vinod…..!

Need of this information, its commercial and business potential felt and four partners

came together and started off with Ask Me services and one year later Mr. VSS Mani one of the

partners separated and started with Just Dial in 1994, the thumping market leaders in Infolines in

India and also operational in US. Just Dial is followed by other players like Dial N Ask (DnA

Infoline), Times Infoline, Citizens Services and few more.

The evolution of Infolines is a continuous process. Since 1991 till date many evolutionary

and revolutionary developments, innovations and growth have been made in this industry.

Regular users would definitely support this statement. Daily change of offers, add on services,

luck contest, etc. are very common.

AwareCreating awareness among

masses

InterestInterest the prospects on the

offering

DesireCreate desire in audience to

buy

ActionProspects become customers

Overall view of Infolines says that following evolution and developments have been

made in Indian Infoline industry increasing its acceptability and popularity:

User friendliness

Timely services and reduce information retrieval durations

Online services

Information in e-mail, SMS, to be noted down and even direct connection services

Linguistic comfort

Authentic business

Tapping bottom of the pyramid

Complaint Redressal activities, Customer relationship Management and others.

Moreover, since the Infoline industry has not gained

a grip over the Indian markets it has to work hard to do so.

Proper stepping and progression on the AIDA (Aware –

Interest – Desire - Action) stages is very important

This industry is one of those which have shown

commendable improvement, developments and innovations

and has proved its high potentials of growth and functional

efficiency. Next generation Infolines are yet to come..!

Before we move on to the details of the industry we have a list of known service players

in this industry they are:

Helpline:

Just Dial – 022- 2888 88 88 / 3999 99 99 / 6999 99 99 – www.justdial.com

International No-1800 Toll free 1800-58783425

DnA Infoline – 022 – 2666 66 66 / 6555 55 55 / 6222 22 22 – ww.dnainfoline.com

Dial Karo – 022 - 28444444 and many more

Online:

www.yellowpages.sulekha.com

www.indianyellowpages.com

www.indiacom.com

www.exportersindia.com

www.nriol.com/yellowpages

www.maharashtradirectory.com

www.theindianyellowpages.com

www.killerstartups.com

www.fastyellowpages.com

www.india-yellow-pages.com

www.indiasyellowpages.com

www.getit.in

Insight on Infoline Services

As Infolines hardly have any physical products, service differentiation is a must. Here, its

profitable in delivery superior services whether that means timeliness, delivery, better and faster

answering customer inquiries, quicker solution to complaints, etc. Infoline service players know

their advantages very well. Since it is important to understand special value of services and what

that means to marketers, one must systematically analysis the service and decide how to market

them must efficiently.

We define services as any act, performance, party can offer to another that is essentially

intangible and doesn’t result in ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied up

with physical product. In Infoline services, Infoline offers information to the user and business to

clients. Users and clients own nothing out of it but users have the information and clients have

businesses. In this process, Infolines involving no physical product included in delivery of these

services.

Customer insight of differentiating Infoline services

In discovering new points of differentiation Lan C. Macmillian and Ritu Gunther

Mcgrath argue that if companies examine the entire experience of the products and services

consumption channel and patterns they can uncover opportunities to position their offerings

many ways that no one even thought of. Thus the lists of questions of the same concerning and

applicable to Infoline services are:

1. How do people become aware about the services and find it?

2. How do consumers make their final decision to buy or use your offering and be loyal to

your services?

3. How do clients register with your services? What are the modes of payments?

4. How is your services used and installed?

5. What are the clients and users using the Infoline services actually for?

6. How are clients and users grievance redressed?

7. How are contracts renewed and why clients switch to competitors and how they come

back to you?

Adding value to Infoline Services

Services like in all, even in Infoline key to competitive success may lie in adding value to

your services and increasing their quality service differentiation is important to attract new users

and clients, maintaining and enriching them. Various strategies could be adopted to differentiate

one Infoline from other like:

Ease to register: refer to how easily can a client regis6ter with your services, reducing

paperwork and online registration could be crucial and is adopted by many service providers.

Delivery: of business on registrations and not only authentic but business generating enquiries

add on to differentiate your services.

Installation: shows how your service begins on registrations and delivery of business. It’s the

beginning the service, making it operational and this can become your selling point. Infoline can

show on their CRM and quality services in various avenues. Also, for users, immediate

answering of calls, installation of online and quick services and features like Just Dial’s Toolbar

is one of its service differentiations.

Consumer training: More prevailing to clients, they should be made aware how they can make

most from Infoline to promote their businesses at least minimum costs. Experienced marketers

are efficient in doing this. For example, suggesting e-mail of enquiries for records and cliental

follow up and similar such guidance could add to your service quality and personnel

differentiation. This also includes database management, information systems and advisory

service by Infoline that could be an add-on service differentiation from other players. Database

management refers to accessibility of caller’s information of client’s business category and

advisory services could be the mentioned promotional opportunities from Infolines.

Redressals: User and client complaints redressal, satisfying them by being fair enough to all

three parties, Infoline, clients and users is essential. At times, users go get frustrated by delivery

of old outdated or wrong data so are the clients being dissatisfied by quality and quantity of the

enquiries forwarded. Efficient redressal of complaints from both the parties could be a

distinguishing point for your Infoline service. In verge to redress the complaints clients are also

to be refunded in certain cases.

Managing Service Quality

Knowing how to add value to your services lets understand actual encounter to the

customer and managing the service quality. Infoline service quality is actually tested every

minute at each customer encounter. If the personnel is bored, can’t answer simple questions,

inefficient then your clients would think twice before enrolling with your services avoiding

registrations and you would have to kiss users bye..!!!

In managing Infoline services, they have well decided effort to devote to pull and push

strategies. Pull strategy is wherein the advertisements, word of mouth and other communication

channels persuade people, potential users to try, test and demand their services. Infolines being

high consumer involved services pull strategy to attract users is apt. Push strategy is adopted by

the marketer and sales force, trade promotion force and other partners to carry, promote and sell

their services. Infolines understand very well the benefits of push strategy to convince firms to

register with the service this strategy is explored to the most. But important to mention is your

pull and push strategy will work and do statistically good only if your service quality is

established, maintained and improving on continual basis.

Some essential elements and activities to be undertaken to manage and enrich your

service quality are:

Meet customer expectations – It is that formed out of past experience, advertisements, word of

mouth, etc. Problems occur when customer perceived, expected and managements perceptions

on the quality are different. If management’s quality perception is low, then the delivered would

also be low, which would obviously be less than what expected by the customers. And these

factors result to problems. For example – management may assume that the callers just need

information; this is an age old assumption. But with advent of time callers need courteous

executives also. Based on this service quality model, 5 determinants of services quality and their

“Servqual” Service Quality scales are:

Reliability – Data is accurate and dependable, Providing service as promised,

Dependability on handling caller’s problems, Performing service right at the first and

right time, Maintaining error free records and Executives with knowledge of how to

answer questions.

Responsibility – Willingness to provide callers with information and prompt services,

readiness to perform the service and keeping the customers informed when the service

would be performed.

Assurance – Knowledge and courtesy of the employees and their ability to convey trust

and confidence to the users.

Empathy – Provision of care and individualized attention to callers and clients with

interest.

Tangible – Physical facility, equipments, personnel and communication material as

required.

Strategy – The top Infoline official should know and apply the core marketing concepts and

design their Infoline business strategies accordingly to clear sense of their targets callers or users

and their needs. This could range from linguistic comfort of the users to quick communication

via web or WAP.

Commitment – Just Dial Managing Director, Mr. VSS Mani, has shown his commitment in his

interest and dedication in continuous service innovation and leadership to further improvement

of service quality and performance at least possible costs. He and his official believe and practice

customer relationship management and thus add on to the standard service quality.

From traditional, Infolines have started adopting Customer Oriented Organisation Model.

Initial the frontline people face the customers but today the top management is more than eager

to serve the customers.

High standards, Self Service Technology and monitoring systems – Best information services

providers set, maintain and continuously raise standard of the service quality promised and

delivered. Just Dial minimizes time for information retrievals and all call duration are targeted to

be of 30 seconds to improve productivity. For this monitoring systems have also been installed.

Quick hit of calls and system connecting phone calls and the computer to identify the caller and

provide them personlised services is their commitment. Users are provided proper information

and clients are delivers with immediate authentic leads ethically and as per the contracts. To set,

maintain and continuously raise standard Just Dial or any Infoline in that matter needs

commitment, innovativeness and reliability of users and clients.

Redressal of consumer complaints – Essential to add value and manage it redressals of

complaints are a must. Infoline officials believe every complaint is a gift, if handled wee.

Executive should be encourages and empowered to do so. Thus, satisfied users and clients will

help the executive achieve higher revenues, profits to the services and most importantly

longevity of the customers.

HR satisfaction - Human resources would be satisfied by empowering, motivating, enriching

leadership, job satisfactions and commitment in them. To fulfill increasing consumer demands

and create loyalties, appropriate executive selection, training, support and reward systems should

be in place. This well trained, efficient, skillful executives act as personnel differentiation to your

brand. Moreover it must be taken care of that employees are the best brand ambassadors of the

company. They are the one of the word of mouth publicity partners and thus form a crucial

success factor (CSF).

When any Infoline service becomes well managed and well known quality services it

becomes a brand.

e-Service Quality

We have continuously seen importance of service and how Infolines manage them.

However one important part is to be considered is, this being an age of internet, Infoline have

tapped this channel. Appropriate design and deliver of the e-service and its quality is crucial.

Experts define online service quality as extent to which website facilitates efficient and

effective search, purchase, use or delivery of the services offered. The Infoline take care of ten

dimensions of perceived e-service quality to make their service ergonomic and they are-

1. Easy access to information – filling the required category and area of operation and one

can get the desired information

2. Easy to navigate – Proper site map and structure formed, quick and easy searches, direct

links and user friendly design add-ons are the factors reduce time to navigate, help the

service to answer promptly; show information and solve issues and problems.

3. Efficiency – Website first show paid and guaranteed clients, i.e. products and services

sellers, all contact details in the area required with options.

4. Flexible – one can receive information via e-mail, SMS or over the phone and also

change the search as and when required with ease.

5. Reliable – data being authentic, accurate and updated with guarantees, offer documents,

catalogs, company information, etc. information increases the reliability.

6. Personalisation – Download of the search toolbar (Just Dial), feedback chat rooms,

commenting option, etc. helps personalizing the site.

7. Security / Privacy – Appropriate log mentions helps convincing the users and clients.

8. Site Aesthetics – Users judge the service on the look of the site. Over loaded site would

confuse loggers. Also to many ad banners, to many complicating options, creates

confusion and simple elegant look the site adds to its value.

9. Price knowledge – Online promotional website should have price list. But Infoline don’t

publish their charges lists. The key reason being continuous changes in price offers,

schemes, flexible and customized services deals lead to un-uniform prices. Moreover,

markets do send quotation on requests.

10. Empathy – It’s not that important unless the site page is related to service problem. The

site page should not only empathize but also ensure the complainers redressal.

By ease of use we also mean that the aim that one wants to achieve or the reason why the

person is doing something should be achieved with minimum steps and complicating involved.

At times on search information on certain area, if clients physically not located in those areas are

displayed, it means their area of operation is also in that area or they are the one who cater

nearest to that area. But the users misunderstand it to be lack of data searching efficiency and

poor service quality. Thus service providers should made users aware about it via clear

declaration of the site. Moreover the request to receive the information via SMS or e-mail should

be fulfilled immediately; delayed deliver could reduce quality and loyalties.

Reducing the defects occurring in the service is very essential for the Infolines. One time

defects would be tolerated. It goes on increasing in stages with frequencies. First time it’s

ignored and then the opinion goes against the services, then bad and goes in publics. Thus high

standard quality measures, training and monitoring systems should be in place.

Infoline e-services have seen a drastic change in the last few years and have to seen

revolutionary development in the near future letting the users deriving information more easily.

Promotion and Advertising Strategies

Success of Infolines lies in the facts that how mass are aware about the service brand and

how they are accepted by the market. Thus a well taught and a smart marketing and promotion

should be at place and implemented in a well supervised manners.

Let’s have a look at the modes of communication and to market the services are:

1. Advertising – Any form of paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of idea,

goods or services by the company sponsor. You must have surely seen the advertisement

campaign of Just Dial services on television. Infoline are known to publish their

advertisement on television, radio, websites, hoardings, billboards, etc. Intelligence with

financial management to promote the company, create awareness, image, attitude and

purchasing initiate among the masses is the main aim of the promotional strategies of such

services.

2. Sales promotion – These are variety of activities to encourage trial / purchases of products or

enrolling in to the services. Freemium is one such service. It’s where the prospect clients are

given a free trial of the service for a small time.

3. Events and experiences – include company sponsored activities and programs designed to

create daily or special brand related interaction. In-house celebration like company’s

anniversaries, events on surpassing targets, appreciation by users, clients, team picnics or

parties, etc. helps in in-house branding and making the human resources of the brand

ambassadors of the services. For outdoor promotions cricket matches, participating in

festivals, etc. are also resorted to.

4. Public Relations and publicity – A variety of publication in newspapers or similar such

media for which time and space was not paid for the publicity. Public relations is a concept

employed by Infolines where company tries to keep the clients and users informed about the

happenings with company and set a positive relationship with them. Press releases, audio

visual news releases and internet releases on Just Dial website are a few examples.

5. Direct marketing - use of mailers, phone, facsimile, e-mails or net to communicate directly

with users, clients and prospects. Actual visits to prospects and clients offices and such

activities help in creating loyalty, its longevity and relations with clients.

6. Interactive marketing – Online activities and programs designed to engage users and clients

and prospects creating awareness, image or elicit sales of the services such as CricIPL of Just

Dial and many more helps individualization and interaction among the service and the

audience.

7. Word of Mouth – from the above mentioned activities and from the experience of the users

and the clients the passage of feedback and opinion of the service is word of mouth for

Infolines. More over communication via its CRM, quality services, complaints redressal, etc.

word of mouth can add to Infolines image and market standing. It’s always believed and

accepted the word of mouth is the most authentic, accepted and less suspicious form of

promotion.

8. Personal selling – Face to face interactive with a prospect or current client for the purpose of

making presentation, answering queries and procure orders. Personal selling need great deal

of creativity and committed human resources to convince and help customize services to

them.

Infolines don’t limit to this, the communication process beyond this mix. Service styling,

pricing, professionalization, technology used, the human strength, CRM, infrastructure, etc acts

as promoting elements too.

Just Dial’s office at Palm Court, Malad West, Mumbai is a well build infrastructure

creating a good impression among the in-house and outdoor audiences.

Every brand contact delivers impression to the audience that can create or destroy the

image of the service. Thus, each and every service commits itself to be on its toes always.

Moreover it keeps its brand equity updated and upgraded regular on getting an opportunity to do

so.

Steps of Developing Effective Promotional and advertising campaign:

i. Identifying target audience – whether the promotion would be targeting users or

prospects.

ii. Determining objective – it could be development on AIDA stage, boosting sales,

promotion innovations or some scheme, etc.

iii. Designing communication – Creatively massage is sent to the audience about the service,

its benefit or non-service related benefits, image like reducing use of yellow-pages, etc.

- Deciding on about ambassador to attract popular

attraction and recall. For example – Boman Irani for Just

Dial.

- Also while doing global Just Dial had to borne in mind

the PEST-G factor (Political-Economic-Social-

Technology-Green) and thus segmentation and designing

and customizing the service according to the audience of

various nations. Styling advertising according to the

perception of the masses.

iv. Selecting channel - could be use of conventional or

modern channels or so.

v. Establishing budget – According to the affordability of

company or in ratio to current or anticipated sales or even

competitive parity with other players.

vi. Deciding marketing media communication mix to get the

desired effect on the working of the services or to create brand equity, etc.

vii. Measure results – Change in sales or use of the service post campaign, research on recall

and awareness of service, i.e., measuring audience response and to set and get feedback

measurements.

viii. Managing Integrated Marketing Communication – 360o view of customer awareness of

the services and the feedback and complaint reception rates and other signs of additional

value deliver of the service.

The above mentioned steps for advertising and promoting the services could be easily

explained by using Five M’s:

(i) Mission - objective of the campaign which could be informing, persuading, reminding or

enforcing the audience for sales.

(ii) Money – however the concept of Infolines are new to build awareness and gain customer

trials. Promotions are important but giants like Just Dial don’t need huge advertisement

campaign but among smaller players like Call Ezee, Dial Karo, DnA Infolines, Reliance

Calling, etc. It’s essential to maintain and grab the market share and thus break

competition and the clutter. Also service being highly sustainable promoting services and

personnel differentiation factor to increase frequency and recall is very important. Thus

the money allocated to promoting the service should be well justified. Also the

substitutability of the service matters.

(iii) Message – it’s the creation and execution of the campaign and thus passes the desired

message to the audience.

(iv) Media – this aspect is all about creativity factor of the campaign. For example the

television advertisement should have a wide spectrum and creativity: print should be

imaginative but fairly passive to be effective incorporating colours, fonts, etc. Also the

Infoline and the information industry is represented by yellow colour- this factor should

be kept in mind. Radio network with 400 Fm stations in 100 cities in India is an

inexpensive, effective, far reaching, impactful and frequently used mode by Infolines like

DnA and Call Ezee. Also the time of the campaign also matters.

(v) Measurement – This stage is nothing but comparing the sales and use frequency and

scale of the service after the promotional campaign in fairly executed.

Sales Promotion

It is a key component in marketing the Infolines concept in the Indian markets. It

comprises of incentives and similar tools designed to stimulate quicker and greater purchase of

the services by the prospects. Advertisements offers reasons to purchase and sales promotion

offers an incentive to purchase.

Some sales promotional tools adopted by Infolines are – free trials, cash refund offers,

price offs, prizes, advertisement top-ups, display in print and other advertisements, special SMS-

E-mail campaigns, etc.

Many services offer free SMS / E-mail or any such encouraging co-branding of the client

with Infolines. But the key factor is choosing the right co-brand and efficient co-branding. The

co-branding campaign should high-light the services offer by both the brand and not let the co-

brand (client) to over-shadow the Infolines brand image or create some kind of branding issues.

Main objectives of sales promotion of Infolines could be-

Boost purchase frequencies and quantity

Encourage repurchase

Longevity in business and developing relationships

Word of Mouth

Create awareness

Like advertisement sales promotion is a well planned and tested tool to decide on the

duration, intensity, vehicle of distribution, budgetary allocation, etc.

Advertisement V/S Sales Promotion

Sales promotion is more accepted by Infolines service’s top management because it’s an

effective sales tool and Indian clients being price sensitive the price and want of quality sales

promotion matters. Sales promotion has less budget allocation as compared to advertisement and

even shows more sales results in quick timing. Thus value added sales promotion is often

resorted for price competition. Moreover sales promotion has more short term and long term

brand equity impact.

Advertisement and Promotions Online

Over a survey, it has been realized that major time of the surfer is spend on searching

information, research in products and services, research on various organizations and looking for

contact details. Thus the internet mode of promoting the service is been resorted to since years.

Also it is a very cost effective and also helps achieving communication and sales objectives.

Infolines have continuously adopted the mode and developed sites that embody or

express their purpose by its home page and layout, sharing history, services profile and strategies

adopted by the service. It also helps disseminating information about the service’s vision,

mission and goals. A key challenge in designing site that is should be attractive on the first

viewing and interesting enough to encourage repetitive visits.

Just Dial’s clean, elegant and professional look and user friendly layout encourages

repetitive visits and use of the service. More over confusing and erroneous site layout and

working of DnA Infolines is severely criticized by users. Moreover the site Ask Me is fairly

appreciated by the users mainly because of its comfortable looks, layout and it user friendliness.

Rayport and Jawoski have proposed 7C’s to pay special attention at while creating a

service website-

- Context- Layout and design

- Content – Site’s text, picture, sound, videos and other features

- Community – How the site enable user-to-user communication

- Customisation – Site’s ability to tailor itself to different users to allow users to

personalize the site (Just Dial Toolbar and City selection mode)

- Communication – How the site enables site-to-users, user-to-sire or two way

communication

- Connection – Degree that the site is linked to other sites

- Commerce – Site’s capabilities to enable commercial transactions

However the technical attractiveness in term of downloading the site home page, toolbar

and navigation on the site and WAP application is very crucial aspects. Well canalized contents,

secured data, security and privacy issues and terms and policy to use are also to be take care of.

Certain service like Just Dial and even DnA Infoline allows display banner

advertisement, small rectangular boxes with text and picture / video of the clients. This gives

audience to the clients but is expensive. Moreover, the over presence and emphasis of such

feature could confuse and create illusion for the users.

As 5% of the time only, internet users spend searching information, banner and display

advertisement helps minimizing search time and create opportunity for the companies to reach

and influence the audience.

Blogs are also used as medium of promoting and for public relations by Infolines. Just

Dial’s blog is full of appreciations, WOM, suggestions, recommendations, comments,

complaints, etc. This acts as an influential promotional tool. As blog is a good media to bring

people with common interest together Infolines have resorted to blog to help the users explore

the market standing of the company and also the service to know trend and other mind sets of the

audiences.

Own service site, social networking site, blogs, third party sites and other internet tools

are adopted by major Infoline player but the key lies in the positioning and creativity in

promoting the service though online or on television. The services in this industry are well aware

of these principles and have taken care of while planning their promotions.

Marketing the Infoline Services

In Infolines, marketers understand the psychological process how customers actually

make their decision and behaviours in terms of “who what, when, where, how and why.”

Markets smartly expose them to experience in learning, choosing, using and even disposal or

renewing the services.

Today markets have become very competitive. Competition is pouring from all directions

global-MNC like Yahoo, Google, Information sites, online competition, price wars and cost

efficiencies are in the loop. Thus way to deal with and combat this competition is creation and

designing the services quality and well executed marketing programs.

We would study this process by going back to our basics. Firsts lets attend to the call of

core marketing concepts.

Application of core marketing concepts

It being basic of service marketing, understanding core marketing concepts and applying

them to this industry analysis could help the marketer to brainstorming and come up with out of

the box innovations. These core concepts are:

Needs, wants and demands: The requirements and expectations of the users and clients should be

considered and the offering, schemes and services should be designed accordingly.

Target market positioning and segmentation: In Indian, one offer, scheme and service doesn’t

satisfy everyone. Thus segmentations and positioning the offer, scheme and services accordingly

could help the marketer. Segmentations are in terms of the target clients according to the already

mentioned pyramid and users according to the geographical and pertaining social basis. In

different cities, executives well verged with the localities and comfortable with local language

are employed. Positioning refers to how the service is portrayed in the minds of the users and

clients. The services are designed according to the relevant segments and positioning strategies.

Just Dial in 26 cities in India is positioned as a source of authentic and quick information.

Infolines is major service accompanying with minor goods like YP, in any, hand outs on

Infolines, etc. primary item is the service. Moreover, services meet personal and business needs

of users and clients respectively. Thus, company typically develop marketing program for both

target markets.

Offering and branding: Offer include product, services, information and experience in Infolines.

Quality offering increases acceptability in the markets. Creating and adding value to the services

and positioning the services in various segments creates a brand among the users and clients.

Value and satisfaction: Infoline or in any case any services is successful only if delivery quality

to users and clients consistently and increasingly according to their expectations. Value refers to

the primary combination of business quality, service quality and price (QSP) for the clients;

quality service and information for the users. Value increases with business at reducing cost and

total time consumed for all the parties and vice versa. Satisfaction is the perceived performance

in relationship with expectations. Performance refers to quality information and other parallel

services for users and generation of return on investment for the clients. As always said, we can

think of marketing Infolines as identification, creation, communications, delivery and monitoring

customer value, satisfaction and performance.

Marketing Channel: Marketing channels are used for reaching the target market and receive the

message from them. Infoline by and large adopt most communication and marketing channel to

reach the customers. Awareness about the service is spread via mass media and other media like

newspaper, mailers, television, telephone, posters, compact discs, audio-videos, internet, toll free

numbers. Other elements that communicate services and organization culture and standard are

the service websites, logo, office infrastructure, quality of the human resource, i.e. call centre and

sales force, etc.

Competition: It counts the actual currents and potential substitutes offered services by that of the

rivals that users and clients would consider. For example Just Dial provides free registration in

competition to DnA Infoline’s 10 free leads. DnA Blog, Facebook and twitter accounts in

competition with that of Just Dial and chat room integrated with Just Dial’s website.

Marketing environment: Development and implementation of marketing plans require number of

decision according to the holistic market environment which is constantly presenting new

opportunities and threats. Understanding them and continuously monitoring them is important to

adopt accordingly. Infolines continuously scan environment and spot emerging marketing

opportunities and market trends.

Marketing environment with reference to Infoline industry consists of task and broad

environment. Task environment is the creation, promotion and continuous improvement of

offering to users and clients. Broad environment basically encompasses PEST-G elements

(Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Green Environmental). Marketers have to pay

close attention to the changing trends and developments in this environment and adjust

marketing strategies accordingly.

Some examples relevant to each of the environmental factors are:

Political Environment – Change in IPR laws (Intellectual Property Rights) and IT laws, etc.

Economic Environment – Change in TDS (Tax deducted at source), Service Tax rates,

financial trends, liquidity trends, etc.

Social Environment – Services can design offers according to the festivals.

Technological Environment – Update communication channels, Information Storage

Devices and Systems, Services delivery networks, etc.

Green Environment – Age to go green and environment conservation trends and steps

according to this to be adopted.

A well market focused, customer driven Infoline service would also take care of its core

concept. If these elements are known and applied in the daily affairs of the services with

additional contribution of the resource and innovation differentiating the service from other

player that Infoline would be accepted and well established in the market.

Now let’s learn the ‘Stage model of buying decision’.

Users and Buyers Decision Making

For Infolines it is a long process, starts long before actual purchase by the clients and user

by the caller to the service and has consequences long afterwards, too. Lets study each stages of

this model in detail:

1) Problem recognition – Market always know that the buying decision making process

starts with problem recognition, i.e. recognizing the need of their offering. Clients and potential

clients are in the need to promote their business and get maximum return in least minimum cost.

Thus while approaching these firms marketer do make them aware about their need and also

highlight the potential of their service to satisfy their demands and also help

their businesses to flourish. However circumstances in cases of various

clients have to be studied and the information so collected could be used to

plot strategies and thus offer, schemes, personalized services and innovative

way to interest the clients.

However from caller’s, i.e., the user’s point of view Infolines have

evolutionalised from the need of the information. While discussing the

evolution of Infoline industry it was mentioned that due to unavailability of

accurate data these services were started. With advent of time changes,

trends, add-ons, feedback, communication channels and other interactive

marketing methods are to be adopted attracting, sustaining and enriching

loyalty with them.

2) Information search – By information search here does not mean the

information with respect to the users. It refers to the clients and potential clients taking advice,

information and suggestion from personal contacts (family, friends, etc.); commercial touch

points like advertisements, official acquaintances (clients, partners, etc.); public media and also

refer to the demonstrations and experimental service check to decide whether to subscribe for the

service or no. Influence notably is more from personal, official and experimental sources the

being legitimate advisors. Firm also check out information of other competitive service brands,

their offers and their return of income potentials. Thus all Infoline marketers develop and present

their service differentiated from other players with a competitive appeal. It is then when the

customer identifies and evaluates their importance and decides.

Callers (users) also come across friend’s suggestions, their opinions, their personal

experiences, advertisements, media promotions and various touch point influences persuading

them to try and be loyal to the services.

3) Evaluate alternatives – Several processes are identified to learn how a customer decides

on the competitive service information and makes a final use or purchases. Mostly it’s on their

conscious and rational thoughts on the basis of the cost, time, frequency, quality and value added

services. Moreover, belief, attitude and prejudice on certain service do matter in evaluating the

alternatives. A bad experience with one of the service could create a prejudice in the firms mind

against the Infoline industry itself. Expectancy of the clients also matter in this process because

the client could expect a value added and quality service with relationship development. If the

market presents the service as just a promotional offer, that’s it, then the deal definitely going to

be a terrible crash.

Users new to the concept of Infolines use different brands a few times but the most

impressive, courteous and prompt option is always appreciated and repetitively used. Thus, while

training the call centre executive it is always mentioned that first call of a caller could be a

precursor to the potential business from him or could be a last call due to dissatisfaction too.

Thus, all calls are taken special care of uniformly thus creating loyalties and word of mouth.

4) Purchase decision – After evaluating the service alternatives, customer forms a preference

among then and sets intentions to buy the services or use it. However, clients may sub-decide on

the service trials, executives appeal and presentations, service quantity offered at various price

levels, time and terms of payment.

5) Post Purchase behaviour - After purchase client and users may come across more

favourable things about other brands, but continuous communication supplying belief and

evaluation reinforces customer’s choice and lets them feel good. That’s a psychological game.

Also if the service delivered is less than what was expected, then contract could end with issues

and if the service delivered is over and above committed and expected then the delighted

customer would definitely renew the contract for a longer terms and larger quality and

recognizing their service spread word of mouth. Isn’t that rewarding for an Infoline service?

These stages and the concepts help the service to design, position, portrait and customize

services according to the market trends and expectations. Infolines don’t miss communication and

marketing communication, CRM, and public relation to reinforce the user or purchase decisions.

Expansion of Markets

As more and more people become aware and start using Infolines, the market player and

more importantly the market major Just Dial and DnA Infoline would be the gainers, in Mumbai

atleast. With increased awareness large cliental base could be good news for the services.

That is possible by attracting new users and clients who are unaware or untapped by the

services, prejudice or ignorant to it due to the prices or lack of certain features keeping them

away from this industry. Efficient and effective market penetration strategy, segmentation,

promotional activities can show the magic.

More over many innovative ways to attract new customers via customers are events like

Lucky Referral Contact – Just Dial. Here a promotional strategy adopted is - prompting users to

refer the service to their acquaintance and win prizes. The message received could be like –

Your trust is what drives us. Just inform your friends and win prizes worth Rs. 25 lakh in

Just Dial’s Lucky Referrer Contest. Log on to – www.justdial.com now from privacy log

on to http://privacy.justdial.com.

With attractive feature, quality and add-on services, marketers have succeeded in getting

more and larger size contract with firms. Infoline have been able to tap the top of the pyramid

and widen their bottom of the pyramid. Quantity and frequency of the clients, users and callers

have increases. Just Dial started with one number – (022) 2888 8888 receiving a few number of

calls every day and today it service on numbers (022) 2888 8888, 6999 9999, 3999 9999 on

dozens of multiple integrated telephone lines and also on SMS to 53999: website and WAP

service additional. That’s only to increase the touch points helping their executive to serve more

and more customer every day. Offices proudly mention that the calls received are increasing at

increasing rates. As markets expand customer encounter avenues should also be expanded. Many

player have adopted similar strategies

Marketing Channels

Marketing channels aren’t limited to products. Services providers like Infolines also adopt

many marketing channels. Infolines figure out agencies and locations for reaching population.

Infolines can reach prospect and existing users and clients via various means. Some of the online

internet mediums are e-mails, websites, social networking sites, third party sites, etc. For example

– website of DnA Infoline: www.dnainfoline.com, website of Just Dial: www.justdial.com and

their respective presence on social networking sites account on facebook and twitter.

Also major marketing channels go with the promotional and public relation channels like

e-mails, SMS, personal selling and presentational, sales promotions, online marketing activities

on the service website and third party site, customer involvement as referrals and for word of

mouth and many more.

Today marketing communication occurs in kind of personal dialogue between the

customer and company. Services not only think how to contact the customers but also how

customers can contact use, even how customers can reach each other. For this various mass

communication networks, websites are used to get more and more two way communication.

Personal communication helps creating dialogue, communication at right times to right person

for the right thing and that’s key in marketing.

Here we will discuss various channels adopted by Infolines to communicate with current

callers, users, clients and even prospects.

Infolines adopt direct marketing, i.e., direct to the customer channel to reach and deliver

services. These channels are direct mails, catalog (mailing) marketing, telemarketing, interactive

sites and other media. To establish and maintain long term relationship customers are sent festive

cards, information materials, etc. This has been fast growing avenues for service and potential

clients.

Some benefits of direct marketing are –

Timeliness and Cost Efficiency

Easy communication to clients from any

segment

Prompt service at right time

Customization through Customer Interaction

Let’s check out some direct marketing media in briefs-

Direct Mailing – Sending offers, announcements, reminders or other mail piece yearly like

letters, flyers, foldouts, etc. items to any recipient from Infoline service audience. This is a

market selective, personalized, flexible and responsive method of Infoline direct marketing.

Catalog marketing – Many Infolines have uploaded catalogs on their sites – Full line

merchandising catalogs, customers catalogs and other business catalogs (in DnA Infolines site).

Online catalogs reduce costs and cater global customers. Even the registered clients are given the

privilege to do so on Just Dial’s website.

Telemarketing – Its use of telephone and call centers to attract prospects, sell to existing

customers and provide services by taking orders and answering questions. It helps services to

increase revenues and reduce costs. It is an interactive marketing channel. Overall India has

witnessed increasing number of call centers. So did Infolines, since ever, adopted telemarketing

to attract potentials.

However TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has started National; Do Not

Call (NDNC) registry service where customers can register their numbers to stop receiving

unsolicited calls from telemarketers.

Interactive marketing – Being latest channels in communication and selling Infoline services. It

is an opportunity for the Infolines for much greater interaction and individualization. For

example – Feedback Chat rooms on Just Dial’s websites, blogs as feedback lines, websites,

internet communities, mobile marketing, WAP, etc. are some methods of interactive marketing.

Other media could be newspapers, magazines, infomercials online, television

advertisements, etc. Out of internet and interactive marketing and other marketing techniques

and quality service, the Word of mouth so created also markets the services.

Word of mouth happen, naturally, only of the touch points of the customer, whether it be user,

clients or prospect are well maintained and quality. Moreover after sales feedbacks and follow

ups, CRM activities other interactions also matters. Infolines are well aware of importance of

each and every call they receive and make sure that the can let the customers make best out of

their services.

Imitators

Also in Infoline industry market imitations occur. Where one service bears expenses of

researching and developing on new service avenues, add-ons, etc., informing and educating market on

it and other imitate. But reward for all this work and risk is normally market leadership. However other

competitor copy, come along or improve in the innovations. Although it probably doesn’t take over the

leader, but followers can achieve high profit because it doesn’t bear the innovation expenses.

For example – information to the caller on SMS was innovated by DnA and imitated by all. Also Just

Dial social networking for integrated marketing communication was followed by many.

However, in Infolines, major service market share holders try, research and develop on

their own innovations and services differentiation. Services do consider customers expectations

and need to follow minimum service standard of the industry and start the same benchmark

service by the competitors. That makes them copy – that’s what the officials told me!

Pricing Strategies

Basic marketing mix includes pricing; let’s see what Infoline have to do to that.

Pricing stands an important place in marketing the services. As mentioned various services

and their combination provided by the Infoline vary in their prices and also the related expenses

create hesitation in the minds of the prospects adding to their ignorance and prejudice, too.

However pricing strategies are decide by the marketer after scanning the client’s expectations,

that’s part of their preparation before their cliental visits. Successful pricing strategy would be

accepted by the clients although most of the contract charges are bargained on the table.

For proper quality of the services from Infolines, freemium services act just as a trial

contract. If a long term business relationship is to be set, services have to be subscribed from and

the corresponding price has to be paid for. Price of the services is the key source of hesitation in

minds of the audiences against Infolines. It creates an ignorance and prejudice not allowing thr

relevance and importance of Infolines to flourish your business. Correct pricing has to be

according to the services costs, price expected, positioning of the services and many more

elements.

If the service is quoted at marginal profits lowered prices then it could be considered

substantial once. Inversely, premium prices reduce the services audiences. Scanning the customer

psychology and service values and cost prices are fixed.

Service don’t set single price but rather develop pricing strategies that reflects variation in

geographical demand and costs, marketing segmentation requirements, purchase timings, order

(subscription) frequency, purchase quantity, delivery frequencies (for lead contracts), guarantee,

service contract terms, etc. As a result of on the table bargains and discounts, allowances,

promotional supports, etc. service provided rarely realize same profits from each contracts of the

service sold. Here we will examine service price adaptation strategies which are:

1. Geographical pricing – is how services are priced to different customers in different

locations and countries, in case of Just Dial. Charges are different in locations within the city too

and their area of operation. Larger the area and quantity more are the prices and vice versa.

Not on size of the area of operation the actual area of operation and its business potential

matters. The potential represents the actual flow of enquiries and prospect flow of business from

those areas. This potential also depends on the category of the business of the client also.

For an instance, pest control services clients would have to pay more for residential and

commercial areas and not for factory based areas. But a computer dealer would have to more in

commercial complexes areas and lesser for residential areas. Industrial goods dealers have state-

wise or nationwide area of operation. Thus being the scale of operation and promotions larger,

higher prices are charged.

The basic logic behind the price strategy is larger the area and more the potential the area

has, cost are a fixed accordingly because the probability of the business revenue of the area

counts.

2. Price discounts and allowances – Most Infolines adjust their listing process, give

discounts and allowances for early payments, volume purchases and off-season or during

economically lower trends buying. Though the price structure changes but the price structure

remains somewhat the same. Also discounts can be a useful tool if company gets greater returns

like longer service contracts or agrees for payments and registrations online.

Sales management need to monitor proportion of customers who are receiving discounts

and sales executives who are over-relying on discounts. Higher level management conduct net

price analysis to arrive at real prices of offerings. Real price is affected by discounts because other

expenses remain the same that reduce realized profits.

3. Promotional pricing – At times prices are reduced if longer term larger quantity contracts

are signed and it compensated for the losses considering the economies of scale. Special prices

and cash rebate in festive season and limited period offers attract clients. Psychological pricing,

where the services artificially raise their prices and offer the same services at substantial savings.

For example – registration for 1 year in Normal listing for Packers and Movers category was

Rs.5000/- and now it’s just Rs.3999/- for you. But the industry adheres to discounts in legitimate

forms only because it’s risky to play on customer psychology. However, if the promotional prices

work competitors copy and if doesn’t you are the only one in losses.

4. Differential pricing – It’s not common in Infolines, charging according to the customer,

category, term, location, tenure, etc.

Basics say price differentiation is sales of services at two or more prices not reflecting

proportional difference in cost. This could be according to the intensity of the demand, volume or

class of the buyer.

Segmentation – Reduced prices to loyal clients and more to new and upcoming brands.

Products or services: Business category – Higher for more potential based categories and

lesser for the rest.

Channel – Cost of helpline, website and yellowpages and other services of promotion

differ.

Time – Season, day or hour prompt prices to catch early bird.

At times complete or partial barter dealer are also cracked. If the service provider is in need of

certain product or service then it executes a partial or a complete barter deal. For example – on

expansion of office, additional furniture, stationary, could be bartered by the marketing force.

Moreover barter subscription with advertising agency to promote each other in various

combinations is also in practice.

Pricing being one of the deciding factors of sales efficient fixing of process could work in favour

of the service. For this, expectation, changing trends, service quality, service differentiation,

economic conditions, psychology and actual cost should be considered. A successful pricing

strategy is one which is accepted by the audiences.

Sales Force Management

Original and oldest form of direct sales marketing is field sales call. Infolines rely heavily

on the professional sales force to locate prospects, convert them into clients and develop

businesses. Not debating on their importance but Infolines are sensitive to high and rising cost of

maintaining them including salaries, commissions, bonuses, travel allowances, benefits, etc.

Infolines have been trying to increase their productivity through better selections, training,

supervision, motivation and compensation processes. Sales person serves as company personal

link to the customer and influence perception of people about Infolines through their ability to

interact, to customize and built relationship with people.

In designing sales force, as for all companies, Infolines consider following steps:

1. Sales force objective and strategy – Continuous improvement and development on

CRM, sales force here no more cry for sales, sales and sales. They know the customer problem,

diagnose it and propose a solution. They show their clients how their company can help solving

their issues and improve their profitability. Thus their objective would be to show the importance

of their service to them and what all benefits the service could result in. However, services

change their objectives according to their long term goals. Infolines define the sales force

strategy according to the offers, schemes, targets and quotas to reach current and potential

customers and then the sales force allocate their time and efforts on:

Prospecting and qualifying – Searching the prospects

Targeting – Decide on the target and approach to meet the customers and allocate

resources to him.

Communication – Informing the prospect on the company and suitable offers.

Selling – Approaching, presenting, answering questions, overcoming objections and

closing sales.

Services – Providing the services to the clients

Information and feedback gathering – Conduct research and feedback section to collect

suggestions, recommendation and complaints.

Moreover to maintain sales focus, sales persons should know how to analyse the sales data,

measure market potential, gather market intelligence and develop strategies and plans. The sales

representatives and the higher level sales force needs analytical marketing skills.

2. Sales force Structure – According to the market, offering and economic conditions

Infolines structure their sales force. Structuring the sales force for Infoline mean the composition

of the team targeting the area or the clients and the supervising authority. According to the

potential of the area sales team specialized in high yield service deals target those areas. Areas in

South Mumbai; Thakur Village, Kandivali East; Malad West areas etc. are few areas of regular

and upper end advertisers. Here appropriate sales force structuring is done to

get maximum sales out of the clients. In case of technical barter deals, IT and

ERP experts accompany the sales team.

3. Size – Sales representatives are Infolines most productive but also

expensive assets. As their size increases cost does too. Thus Infoline recruit

optimal number of sales force members to encash the market trends at optimal

cost. On establishing service in the market and to tap new market, new skilled

and experienced representatives are appointed. More over new generation

fresher are also a part of their recruitment campaign to get the best out of the

upcoming thinking skills.

DnA Infoline expanded their operations from 1 city to 2 city then to 4 and then

to 8 and so on. Thus the company had to recruit new forces under the

experienced forces. They not only employed new sales representatives but also

train and enrich them to get the best out of them.

4. Sales Force Compensation – To attract best client deals we need top

quality sales representatives. For recruiting them, Infolines develop attractive

compensation packages including regular pay, extra rewards, reimbursement

for the expenses and create longevity with the company. Company wants

control, economy and complicity. However these objectives are in conflict with

each other, but the manager seem to be managing it well. But compensatory

plans differ in different services in the Infoline industry.

After design the sales force lets learn how to manage them.

Various policies and procedures guide Infolines in recruiting, selecting, training,

supervising, motivating and evaluating the sales representatives.

1. Recruiting and selecting – At the heart of any successful sales force is a means of

selecting and recruiting effective representatives. Sales force turnover leads to cost sales, cost of

finding and training replacements and strain the existing representatives to pick up the slack. By

selecting on the basis of the background, experience variety, current status, lifestyle, attitude,

personality and skills. Predefined selection criteria help getting appropriate representative on the

job. Most of the Infolines recruit their manpower from the recruitment agencies, contacting

educational institutes and via their own advertisements.

2. Training and supervision- to generate efficient sales and customer relations the

representatives are expected to have wide knowledge and add ideas to increase customer base

and fulfill their expectations and increase efficiency and reliability. Thus these service providers

spend and invest high amount on the sales trainees. Normal training period of 10-15 days and 2-3

month on the job training with training on audio- videos clips, presentations, activities,

demonstrations, etc. are used to train them. To get them well verged with sensitivity and empathy

such activities help and adds to their ability to identify customer and handle situation, feeling and

motives.

Supervision trends to be in different manner with changing market conditions and also

with the company. Representative on commission are less supervised but salaried representative

are supervised and need to reach the target and quotas. Supervision includes not on reporting but

also helping them improving their productivity and sales revenue. Also accompanying the

representatives on appointment with the clients, random visits and meets, surprise field visits and

status checks, etc are also common. Supervision encompasses planning and monitoring the sales

objectives and on its proper implementation.

3. Sales representatives’ productivity - Proper policy formation, supervision and control

is essential so that the trained and supervised sales force spend maximum time on profitable

accounts than on small accounts. Use of e-mails for communication and other document work

reduced, use of laptop and plug and play internet facilitate them to access information on the go

and ability to present themselves, etc. However motivation of the force also helps enhancing

their productivity.

4. Motivating the representatives - Must Infolines representatives are motivates by

incentives rewards with higher pay, promotion, personal growth and sense of accomplishments.

Security recognition and respects is secondary. More stress on target and quotas reduce the

service quality. The authorities make sure the service quality and that of relationship

management in maintained and enriched over a period of time.

5. Evaluation of representatives – Time, effort, expenses, etc. required to generate sales

with proportional with the amount raised. Also personal observation, sales person reporting,

customer letters, complaints, reports on calls, time spend, average revenue collected, etc. play an

important role in evaluating the sales employees. This is to compare the data so collected with

the past once and that of the colleagues to get the best of the employees out and let them gain

recognition. It not only motivates them but also helps gauging improvements and their current

status.

Generating sales on actual encounter to prospects is an eventual strategic and systematic

effective selling step by step process It helps persuading the clients and generating reliability

among both the parties:

(i) Prospecting and qualifying – out of the call center and self generated leads and

qualifying them to prospects.

(ii) Pre-approach – From online information, company database,

effective infrastructure and other information of the prospects like its

business category, its needs, buyers, etc. help the representatives to

decide the overall strategy for the account.

(iii) Presentation and demonstrations – It is done to convince the

clients on the features, benefits, value, advantages, characteristics and

other quality elements of the offering. Being customer oriented sales

team most of the time stress more on the benefits and ultimate profits for

the clients. Moreover service demonstration as a clients as well as a

caller are shown.

(iv) Overcoming objections – At times the prospects raise questions

and object over the psychological or logical working of the service or

resistance out of past service experience, expectations and their

schedules and business nature. Smart sales force reasoning the buying by denying validity of the

objection and answering the relevant questions and clarifying doubts.

(v) Closing – ON buyer physical actions, statements, comments and quality, closing sogns

come evident. To further boost the representative might offer special price, extra quantity, token

gifts, etc.

(vi) Follow-ups and maintenance – For long term relations, consumer feedback and re-

registration is essential. Detecting and solving the problems thus increasing loyalties and rapport

with clients adds to the sales avenues for the company. Various media, technology and policies

are adopted for the CRM practices.

That’s the way how sales process could be studies in detail.

In Infolines, to ensure proper market tapping and sales following are few things to borne

in mind:

Segmentation

Quick response

Efficient communication

Customer-centric offerings

Improve quality

Solving complaints and reduce their occurrence

Monitor competition and trends

Relationship building with HR, users and clients

Improve systems and customization – through designing, testing and selling the offerings

Maximum use of todays highly accepted internet media.

While discussing marketing environment we mentioned technological environment for

the Infolines. With, time, use of technology for efficiency, accuracy and professionalism has

increasing being adopted in all industries. Some important development in Infoline Marketing

could be highlighted as:

Sales Information Systems (SIS)

Marketing managers need timely and accurate report on the current sales. Thus regular

sales calls report sheets; technical gadgets, etc. are used. The technical advancements have

revolutionized the marketing and record keeping in Infolines Sales Information Systems. It

allows the representatives to access information on their laptop on the go; also SMS and WAP

are increasingly used. The sales information systems are primarily installed to collect, analyse

and forecast sales and also to plan and strategise the next move to tap the market and design the

offering.

Marketing Intelligence System (MIS)

It is a set of procedure and sources manager use to get information and developments in

the marketing environment from

Media,

representatives and other HR sources;

Other information from the partners, competitors, trade shows, open houses, reports,

publications, agencies, advertisements, etc.

From the customers, clients, users and HR – outspoken and sophisticated consultation

and feedback on online systems website, social networking, blogs, etc.

This being an age of clicking on competition MIS and SIS should be optimize so should

be the sales force and service quality to maintain the market share and add to the customer base.

Branding Strategies

In addition to service quality management, it is essential to learn services brand and

branding because creation, maintenance and improvement of brand image is important and a

sensitive issue.

Like any service, Infoline service brands should be able to differentiate themselves from

other players of the game and develop appropriate brand strategies. Some integral elements in

this concern are:

Differentiating service – Just Dial has maintained it distinguished service through its personnel,

marketing activities, technical up-gradation and processes that add value. Continuously

introducing innovative features like its website look and design, brand logo, additional CRM,

features, information on WAP and SMS services (53999); helpline features like 30 second

information delivery system, quick SMS services, direct call connect to their clients, phone-

computer integration system, etc. The major challenge here is that most services offering and

innovations are easily copied but point remains continuous innovation has let Just Dial gain a

succession of advantages over competitors. Not only service, personnel management, CRM,

complaint addressing procedure, public relations, advertising strategies and promotion creativity

also matter. Uniqueness in each strategy becomes your differentiating point.

Developing brand strategies – A brand is created out of quality service, efficient marketing

strategies, understanding competition, CRM and customer focus. 21st century marketers leave no

avenue to optimise at strategic brand management process and thus create a brand. Let’s hear to

call of basics first.

American Marketing Association defines brand as name, term, sign, symbol or design or

combination of them intended to identify goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and

to differentiate it from those of competitors. A brand is thus a product or service whose

dimension differs from other in some way, designed to satisfy the same need. This differentiation

could be functional, rational, emotional, symbolic, tangible or intangible in relation to what the

brand related to.

Example of logo of some Infoline services – logo of DnA, Call Ezee and Just Dial.

Key roles of a brand pertaining to Infolines are –

1. To create identity among customers about the service makers and thus related to maker,

according to their past experiences, advertisements and marketing activities and fund out which

brand satisfy their needs.

2. Not only identity, it gives legal protection to the service via patents, trademark, etc. As

per few points mentioned on the Infoline websites and in their contract forms legalities, such

legal protection helps avoiding forfeiting, cheating and imitation instances. This acts as a legal

barrier from other services to encroach in and adds to customer loyalties also. For example –

representation fake relation with the service and earning benefit out of it.

3. Brand signals quality services and probe the clients to buy the service. It brings

predictability and security to get appropriate data and business from their investment in the

service.

Brand Equity

Infoline brand have their, own standing and equity. In reference to Infolines Brand Equity is the

added value endowed to service which reflects way customers think, feel and act with respects

the Infoline as well as its price, quality, market share and profitability it commands. Brand equity

actually gauges the standing and reputation that the Infoline holds when it encounter to the

callers and approaches current clients and new prospects in the market. It’s the value that it can

encash and convince firms to subscribe to their services.

Infoline’s Consumer Brand Equity is differential effect that brand knowledge has on customer’s

response to the marketing activities of that service. Brand knowledge consists of all thoughts

feelings, image, experience, beliefs and so on that brand associates with and reflects perception,

preference and behaviour from that Infoline service brand. It’s the mind set and perception of the

Infoline brand that the masses have and interpret the interaction and other activities that the

service undertakes. For example – some good comment by a satisfied client on the site of one

Infoline could be interpreted as a fake feedback or any endorsement of the service by some star

could be taken as, they are paid star they have no idea of the actual work and ethics of the service

or just the mention of the services makes the person feel good and comes out great appreciation

and thus encourages word of mouth.

Thus services provider always belief and try to serve the customer the best at all encounter and at

all touch points thus creating a brand. Creation of significant brand equity and to achieve the

objective to reach the pinnacle positions Infoline service brand have to put following blocks in

place:

Brand salience – how often and easily users think of your brand under various situations and se

your services. This could be applicable to clients too.

Brand performance – how well users and customer’s functional needs, i.e., information for the

users and business for clients are fulfilled.

Brand imagery – describes extrinsic properties of services attempts to meet customer psychology

or social needs, psychological pricing and other soft skills requirement are essential.

Brand judgement – opinions of the users and clients for the quality service delivered.

Brand feeling – emotional response and reaction with respect to the mention of the brand.

Brand resonance – refers to the nature of relationship the service enjoys with its users, clients

and partners to which they feel they are in sync with the service. By in sync it’s meant that how

well they can contribute to the creation of value to the service and also, how they too develop

with the brand.

These 6 points are in follow and should be considered to develop the brand to the

pinnacle position in race brands in the Infoline service industry.

Brand creation – Brand elements

Brand elements are the things that form and differentiate a brand. They are certain trademark-

able devices that help audiences to identify the brand. For example – the black phone and the

conversation balloon in the logo of Call Ezee, DnA Infoline’s tag line – you name it we have it.

However there a few criteria which need to be borne in mind while designing the elements of

creating brand identity:

It should be memorable and easy to recall the logo recall to the service and its number on

requirement. That’s where the magical number does its job.

It should be meaningful, credible and suggestive about the services as an information

providing service like the use of yellow colour in logo, the service name – Just Dial for

information, Dial N Ask – for information, etc.

It should be likable with aesthetic appeal, acceptable on personal and professional

approaches.

Protectable, trademark-able and not generic – no general impression or terms should be

used.

Establish image dimension – Personal differentiation at call centre and marketing sales

force in terms of their charm, skills, etc. and their ability to develop long term relationship and

CRM can make a service brand a standing up one.

Transferable and adoptable – the service should be able to use the same brand for future

lines, add-ons and processes. For examples - Just Dial YP and DnA Business Information

Magazine.

On formatting the brand, its internal branding being the activity that helps to inform and inspire

the personnel and other partners. They should understand and appreciate the basic branding

notions and know how they can help – or hurt – brand equity of the service they are working for,

to develop it. Human resources being the best brand ambassadors, they should be updated,

deeply understand their (Infoline) service brand and its promise.

Branding activities

Companies may start a service; make it a quality service, design a brand and related brand

elements but Infolines are more concerned with services establishment, promotion and recall in

public. Devising branding strategy, to position brand according to its quality, price and other

parallel add-ons, sub-brands is essential for the Parent Infoline brand recall. Upstanding service

quality development differentiation, service quality, brand design, creation, marketing and

promotion of this brand and thus, branding strategy hammers the brand in the minds of the

audiences: users, clients, partners and prospects and enjoying easy words of mouth and easy

referrals. People should recognize and recall over it when required. Thus branding activities are

resorted to. These branding strategies work and go parallel and integrated with the marketing,

promotion, advertising, and public relation strategies of the services.

Branding need, brand knowledge among mass, this comes from the following sources:

People: Company Employees (Human Resource of the service) and Brand Endorsers

(Brand Promoters and ambassadors).

Things: Events (Promotional events like service’s anniversary, etc.), Alliances (with

companies and partnerships) and Extension (Brand extension like Just Dial YP).

Places: Channels (Marketing, distribution and other customer touch points) and

Companies (Third party endorsements).

Branding activities are promotions which create awareness for a long term via media like

news agency’s products and services, public relations activities, internet, television, etc. it’s

prolonged quality exposure of the masses and ensure increasing service qualities helps creating

brand and thus support branding activities. Take an example of Just Dial – started its operations

added quality service with attractive elegant website and other web featuring, great

infrastructure, awesome logo, continuous public relations, creative advertising campaigns and

employees opinion in recruitment releases via advertisements, video releases, CRM, press

releases, etc. many more makes it’s a brand out of effective branding activities.

Brand on one hand emphasis on importance of customer loyalty and on other hand tends

to work on strategic issues in managing brands, its creation and leveraging brand awareness and

image among the customers. Nevertheless, both brand equity and customer brand equity matters.

Infolines are no brands without customers and no customers without brands. Brands serves as

bait that markets and advertisements use to attract users, clients and persuade partners from

whom the extract value. And customers serve as tangible profits engine for all information

search brands to monetize their brand values.

Public Relation activities of Infolines

Public relations activities by concept mean more on communication with relevant

audiences and set influence and exchange of information and various other elements. It helps

achieving organizational changes and objectives keeping balance with societal expectations. For

dissemination of information on starting or discontinuing service could be communicate via

public relation networks.

Hera in Infoline, implication of public relations goes parallel and accordingly with

promotions, CRM and marketing model and strategies of the service.

In case of publicity and information dissemination about happenings of the company and

the making of services Just Dial is the master in that concern. Its websites press releases section

in full of press releases, videos and advertisement releases. Public relations for Just Dial have

been great tool for not only corporate communication but also as easy way to update customers

on it and tap new avenues.

Moreover, online blogs, interviews, questionnaires, feedback cell and similar such

interactions by various services has increasing being appreciated by the audiences. Thus public

relations tools have helped Infolines in creating and maintaining opinion among them. Some

service had and some still have some defects and customer dissatisfaction leading to hostile

opinion but importantly redressal to those issues improving service quality and communication

has made negative opinion to favourable images for a few players. Also CRM touch points make

it possible to create and maintain long term relationship with various stakeholders, partners and

publics in general and lead to the acceptance of concept of Infoline in Indian masses. It is a

bridge that communicates opinions and plans of the services to the public and accepts inputs

from users, clients and various other partners.

However for public relations and relevant communication tolls used by Infoline are:

1. Newspapers and audio-video releases

2. Service websites, online feedback forum and voluntary feedback and opinion expression

avenues like blogs, social networking sites.

3. Third party publicity online

4. SMS, E-mail campaign

5. Motivation and promotional projects and events like Lucky Referral contest (Just Dial).

Infolines being in information dissemination industry, they have mastered and have innovated

various public relation and communication arts to establish relations and maintain them through

their well planned strategies and this has shown impressive results in the past.

Human Resources of Infolines

Human resources are the key gears, levers, chains and conveyors that make any

machinery of any service company to work. Without them however modernization,

computerization the company is it can’t work! It is rightly said if you want a fruit plant a tree and

if you want returns over hundred years plant a man.

Thus recruiting, training, selection, regular enriching and motivating to enhance

leadership, soft skills, communication skills, etc. could add to the quality of work done and thus

the service quality. This brings a sense of belongingness in the employees, over a period of time,

towards the company and responsibility towards the job. Thus, increasing organizational

commitment and shaping minds of human resource according to the organizational culture,

acceptance of organizational culture by human resource bringing positivity in them and keep

working environment favourable. This helps to make the company’s employees as the best brand

ambassadors. They are on the authentic and effective sources of word of mouth.

By training Infolines mean, training the executives in communicating with callers,

handling various type of calls and situations like irate or frustrated caller, confused caller,

communication in unknown languages, etc., on product or service knowledge, working of the

softwares, storing callers information, etc. Proper training and pre-testing is essential of the call

centre executive is essential and then they are allowed to hit the floor, after all they are the

potential faces, voices of the services.

Before we go further on the discussion on the industry’s HR, let’s check out the key

human resource force in this industry –

Call center (IRO)

Marketing sales Force (Telemarketing and Sales)

IT technicians

ERP managers

Maintenance staff

General Office staff

Call centre IRO’s are those who actually answer questions and enquiries of the callers

on the Infoline service. They act as the voices of the services. A beautiful voice is desirable for

the users and clients. The recruitment, training, selecting and other process are well planned

process to ensure human resource quality not only at the call center but also at other

organizational departments. Right from the interview, to communication screening, to training

then selection at all steps the process is scrutinized then let as part of the company. Fair play,

training, working environment, redressal of the human resource grievances, enrichment, etc. are

well taken care off. That’s when we can ensure longevity in employees.

The training process of these executives including briefing them about the industry, its

evolution, module training about their communication practices and regular updating regarding

new cliental base, new products, new service, consumer facts, etc.

Marketing sales force brings the funds to the company. They are the one who do the

field work, approach, convince and persuade the clients and register their firms with the services.

They are the agents who sell the services created by the call center employees. Similar to them,

the selection, training and recruitment with marketing perspective is used to structure a

marketing sales force and the telemarketing team too. Telemarketing executives are those who

approach the perspective client on phone, take appointments and marketing executives visit

them. Require steps and arrangements are made in recruiting and enriching this HR force too,

after all they are the one who get most of the money.

Infoline today do imitate each other successful strategies making differentiation difficult

and thus may force them to reduce margins. Thus companies hire marketers who have unusual

creativity to counterbalance majority marketers by textbooks, unconventional, rule breaking, risk

taking and even arguemental but their ideas will atleast present challenge in the market.

In the Infoline industry these are the two who keep fighting for the credit of the success

and working of the company. Call center force say the service works on the creation of the

service by them and the marketing force has a stand that the services get its funds flow from

them, their hard work. But the point remains; it’s the effort of all department s in the company

that keeps the service smoothly functional. IROs are the brains service keeping service functional

and the marketing team is the heart pumping the flow of money throughout the system.

Infoline also thank the IT technicians and experts for their contribution in innovating,

creating and efficient delivery of the service. They are the one who design and develop the

softwares, websites and required techno9logical automation to keep the service updated and have

a service differentiation with an efficient backing of IT support systems. These experts let no

technical problems crop in the service and also helps preventing re-occurrence of mistake.

Continuous up-gradation of the database, systems and softwares helps maintain and enriching the

service. ITians do the honours.

Next are the Enterprise Resource Program (ERP) managers. They handle the

information and database records and usage of the systems. The IRO and websites provide data

to the users to note down, by SMS or e-mail from the ERP systems. The managers are as

efficient as the IT colleagues in this industry and equally important. Basic job profile the ERP

managers is to keep an eye on the ERP data usage, avoid error and virus or hacking issues and

keep the systems maintained for smooth functioning 24x7 a week, 365 days a year.

Importantly, selection process should be well scrutinized and skills and creativity of IT

and ERP hr should be well tested before appointment. Security measure should be at place since

they are the one who handle the database systems and are continuously in touch with it. Any

failure in security systems could end up with data leak case or data damages. At the first

instance, educational and training sessions to update and upgrade their knowledge are a must. It

is then they can understand their profile well and perform according to the industry’s

requirements. Efficiency, creativity, adding value to the service is the main goal.

Maintenance staff including the peon, cleanliness and semi-skilled and unskilled staff

that let the short term daily supplies on. They help in internal communication and exchange of

elements within the company. They help in maintaining the infrastructure of the service and they

contribute to the working of the service. Appointment of this force need trust factor involved as

they also handle some sensitive elements, which may sound weird but true. But, required

screening and checks are done before selecting this staff.

General HR (office staff) counts the financial managers, accounts staff, HR manager,

reception, etc. forces that manage the required department they run in parallel to the service.

There is no need to mention the profile as their names suggest their respective, obvious, profiles.

Since the work in parallel with other, many, department they need great deal of co-ordination

among themselves and with other departments too. Information, cliental database, payments,

documentation, complaints and recommendation from the partners, up-gradation, official

request, etc, are exchanged come in huge number and they handle it. Set rules, framework,

protocols, intra-net technology, inter-communication systems bring forward a helping hand to

them.

It plotted as a flow connecting diagram the human resource structure of Infolines looks

like our palm.

One of the market leaders, a 16-year-old company, Just Dial now has eight centers in

India and more than 3,000 employees across 14 cities, including 700 in Mumbai, is listed in the

Limca Book of Records as the largest private information service provider on telephone in India.

Infolines have always believed that the human resources are the crucial success factor for

the company.

Grooming of Executives of Infolines

Sales force management is not only all about offering and sales it’s also about executives

grooming. As per the industrial experts there is a rising trend in corporate India where grooming

for not only senior but also junior executives happens quite literally. In addition to being

competent at work all executives must know rules of business etiquettes and show gracious

manners and display proper social behaviours. They must know how to manage their emotions,

show gentlemanly behaviours towards female executives and communicate well with colleagues,

stakeholders and other acquaintances while representing the company in external fora

(Customers, Partners and Media).Some add from knowing and doing senior and all executives

required to move into the state of “being” which is about mindsets, attitudes and values.

Even Infolines have taken inculcating soft skills very seriously and there has being

increasing demand for charm and etiquette experts and scholars from this industry too.

Most achieving executives lack confidence on social aspects their position. Executives

should go beyond their routine etiquettes and add their psychological and confidence needs and

add the inner persona, boy language, expression, etc. Friendly, smiling face, good listening,

networking, eye contact, handshakes could have serious implications.

Infolines realize and train their executives, now need to create substance. A good and

trained representative should lets customer judge him in his favour and give him answers that

make the client know that he could be trusted and has intellect and integrity.

At times in interviews sales representatives HR executives not only see their qualification

but also consider the soft skills, his willingness to learn, his basic abilities to convince people;

basically the applicant who is able sell himself can sell company’s offerings easily. Also if he

knows all answers or admits that he doesn’t know and is willing to work with other and find

them. How many have the courage to say “I don’t know” and the confidence to learn?

Thus on training and grooming executives each elements noticed by the clients and

customers is taken into consideration and their competencies are brought to the notice of the

person sitting across the table.

Landmark Innovation and Benchmarks in Infolines

Innovation and Marketing

Innovations are crucial for marketing the products and also helpful for the sales

marketing force. This gives them a differentiation point for the service and thus adds to the sales

revenues. It is not unknown if the customer gets something new and useful that other players

offers, attract customers to innovating company. Innovation is a joint effort by the whole

organization. Unlike traditional view, where the senior management and the research and

development team hammers out the strategies and land it down to the market. Today the

Infolines HR from all department brainstorm and come up with new ideas and feasible inputs are

brought to use and rewarded. All departmental barriers and boundaries are brought down and

thus increasing the teamwork in the organization innovating the company’s offerings.

Service in the industry have set funding, testing and performance criteria’s. Starting with

easy implementation of the idea that will work to demonstrate to prove things can be improved

before switching to the bigger initiative. Pretesting of ideas is important and helps getting

feedback and improvements on the ideas.

Infolines market leader maintain their territories by continuously innovation by

developing new products, services, distribution networks, effectiveness at least possible cost and

thus adding value to the services and data disseminated. Therefore, this improves competitive

strengths and value to customer with comprehensive solutions.

Dimensions of Innovations – Correlation of OTB and Systematic Thinking

If we put our effort to study the avenues for innovation in Infoline industry we can get hold of a

few dimensions of the same. They are –

1. Offering – Actual service is innovative – Infoline services started in country in 1991-92.

With advent of time brought services via SMS, e-mails, online and direct connect.

2. Platform – A common platform. Say, information site is used for information

dissemination and for press releases, videos, feedback, comments, carrier releases, add-ons,

movie details, Cric IPL portal, etc. is delivered by many players in the industry. The service

platform is used to sell tangible sub-brand products of the Infolines too. Just Dial yellowpages,

DnA specially developed Business Information magazine and Info Disc are marketed in

integration with the parent brand.

3. Solution – Integrated and customized offering are available to solve end to end customer

problems and requirements. For example – daily lead basis, special email-SMS-ad campaign

with the services, etc.

4. Customer – Personal selling, referrals, WOM, email and SMS wireless communication

channels to tap unaware customers and thus lets the service reach the untouched audience.

5. Customer experience – Redesign customer interaction across all touch points and all

moments to contact them via social networking sites. Blogs, online chat-room, feedback cells,

press releases and public relations releases and activities that have been never used before are

employed with CRM and customer interaction making process. This makes them partners in

creation and development of the service quality.

6. Processes – Redesign of various process to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the

service for the users and clients via internet, SMS, WAP and other interactive features have

made information search, feedback, registration, renewals, and complaints and redressal a

quicker and easier job.

7. Organization – As already mentioned, never adopted before, organization structure of

Infolines has changed from top to frontline interacting to the customer, where the customers

surrounding and touch any hierarchy level of the organization This has changed forms, functions

and activities scope of the firm involving the customer

8. Channel – With change in the service add-ons, organizations structure and various

process channels are used to reach the audience not only via advertisement but also by personal

selling. WAP, SMS, e-mail, third party sites, fulfilling seasonal trends like Just Dial’s Cric IPL ,

etc. have been employed creating a different image of the service in the minds of the people

These innovations and effectiveness enhances activities have added value to the service

delivered by the Infolines According to the adoption of the innovations, it has act as service,

personnel or other kind of differentiation for the respective service Marketing team can make

best of these innovations adding brand value to the service and also revenue to the company.

Let’s have a look at the innovation by the Infoline player in the recent times.

Yellowpages - Yellow pages as not unknown are a book with contact information well

categorized and segmented manner. Infolines after tapping phone, SMS and internet channels to

disseminate information have also resorted to print media. Just Dial, Times Infolines, Infomedia

and Forbes are a few player in this list. These yellow pages are published city wise as well as

area wise. For example – Yellowpages for Mumbai, Delhi and Yellowpages for information

from area Andheri to Bandra in Mumbai, so on.

Business Information Magazine – After tapping yellow pages market, new development and

breakthrough innovation is Business Information Magazine. This is a concept developed by DnA

Infoline. It being a derivative of YP itself has some concepts in common but it is more

convenient to be use and is value for money. Some of the features of this magazine are:

Better Paper quality

21 key categories and the more sub categories

Only paid and authentic dealers and service provider’s details

Side cuts for direct searches

The magazine is developed to be compact and be of value for the users. But the BIM is in its

initial stages at this point of time.

InfoDisc – Increasing of computer and technology has inspired DnA Infoline to information on

InfoDisc. It is yellow pages in from of compact disc (CD) compatable in any personal

computers. This innovation is still in creation, development, testing, and technical research and

development stage, would come into the markets shortly.

On SMS –

To increase the efficiency and user friendly character of the service Just Dial has started

with its service just a SMS away. One can receive information be sending SMs on 53999. For

example if you want details of Hotel Sumaria in Kalbadevi all you have to do is sent an SMS for

it on 53999 and you have the information in your inbox.

Direct Connect –

For convenience of caller and the registered clients Just Dial has started with a service

wherein the caller has an option to get directly connect to the service provider or the dealer he is

looking for immediately. This is how the executives would directly forward the enquiry to the

clients and the prompting is also done to enhance the marketing ability if the clients. This cut

down the step for the caller to check his SMS or e-mail or notes down and then call. Instead he is

directly in conversation with the dealer. This adds an ergonomic feature to the service of Just

Dial.

Maps –

Now next time you log on to the information of Just Dial and get the information you

need not scratch your head how to reach the office of the corporate you are looking for. Just Dial

does it for you. The map option on the site gives you the physical location of the office on

Google maps. This is in integration with the Google Maps. This is an add-on to the users.

If noticed it must be commented that Infolines today have technically advanced, use of

high end, cutting edge technology has added value to the services and customer convenience.

Use of computers, micro electronics, and telecommunications, robotronics and designers

material has continuously contributed innovation, its implementation and further development.

Head to head battle of innovations with competitive in this industry has largely

incremental in improving service quality, service structure, cost efficiency and other aspects of

the service. Experts in this industry belief instead of searching information within the

conventional boundaries of the industry competitive Infolines have looked beyond the limit to

find unoccupied markets and position themselves to sell the real value of the services so

produced for which competition acts as a driving factor. For example – Just Dial’s SMS-WAP-

Direct Connect system.

For Infolines, innovations could be reactive, proactive and creative, how have a look….

Reactive – Here the customer expresses need to the service and the service provider finds and

fulfills the requirement of the customer. For example – Lead basis contract.

Proactive – It’s when the company with its foresight traces what the customer may need in near

future. Expecting increasing use of mobile phone and WAP Just Dial launched itself on WAP

and SMS.

Creative – Now the company discover and produces some service that customer didn’t ask for

but to which they would enthusiastically respond to. For example - CRM feedback and social

network participation for involvement and creating partnership with customer, clients and people

in general.

Though innovation would be vulnerable as in changing customer needs, tastes, technology,

competition but incremental and continuous innovations like Info-SMS-E-mail-WAP-YP-BIM

and so on enable service to distinguish them in the market.

Notably Infolines have bombarded the customer with innovation. Out of these innovations some

created market for themselves like Just Dial WAP and some took time for the same for example

– freemium strategy. However the acceptance and success of the innovation depends on the

following characters:

Degree of innovation and relative advantage – That’s how the innovation is superior to

the existing service. On WAP the service helps you access information on the go, one need not

go to LAN and his personal computer for the same. So is the SMS data service, do not call text

the service your requirement and you get it immediately.

Compatibility in terms of value and expectation of individual - Today mobile phone are

very common thus service via helpline and on SMS is feasible. Also GPRS active mobiles are

also available with people so WAP also sound compatible in the market.

Complexity refers to the degree of complexity and difficulty or the steps involved in use

of the service. For example – searching information in traditional YP is a tedious task thus, BIM

could be a solution. Also use of WAP, text sensitive SMS data demand could be confusing, etc.

Divisibility, i.e., degree at which the service could be tried to check the suitability of the

use. Freemium service for long time could be convenient for potential clients.

Communicability – degree to which the benefits and advantageous results could be

shown, proved and convey to the prospects. This helps the sales force to sell the innovative

offering of the service and even help spread WOM through various market communication

channels.

However, the mention innovation influence rate and its adaptation in the market depends

on the risk involves, uncertainties, approach of the marketing activities, cost factors, etc. For

example Direct connect service may not the accepted in the Indian markets immediately but e-

service boom in India create a great audience for the on-WAP services. The Infoline have done

their home work and give key aspect of their innovation due thought and planning effort before

launching them in the markets.

Infoline today do imitate each other successful strategies making differentiation difficult

and thus may force them to reduce margins. Thus companies hire marketers who have unusual

creativity to counterbalance majority marketers by textbooks, unconventional, rule breaking, risk

taking and even arguemental but their ideas will atleast present challenge in the market.

Financial Management in Infoline Industry

Like all business firms, efficient money management in Infoline is a must. Just Dial was

started off with $1000 (Rs.50000 INR) in 1994 and today is multiple million enterprises; it is out

of great well thought and efficient business strategies and financial management.

Key source of finance for Infolines are their registration charges and fees for enrolling the

company in their service. Moreover, advertising option on the service, websites and other add-on

services like YP, etc. Avenue of income for Infolines has been increasing due to the add-on and

quality services especially for the major players like Just Dial and DnA Infoline. However,

arranging and maintaining these avenues of revenue is not easy and is an expensive affair. The

call centre executives IROs, It maintenance and ERP team have to work 24x7 a week, 365 days

a year to keep the service functional. These teams create, maintain and improve the service

quality. Then this quality service is sold by very efficient marketing sales forces. They spread

awareness of the services, market it and persuade and convince firms to have a tie-up with

Infolines at certain registration charges to work in commercially beneficial contract terms.

Moreover, Infolines increasingly create, search and find avenues of income, expense also adds

on to it to the list of:

Call centre and marketing, IT, maintenance and ERP, admin management , research and

development HR expense,

Advertising, promotion and other marketing expenses,

Estate, electricity and printing and stationery expenses,

Freebees and freemium service expenses,

SMS, email, website, internet and other communication expenses for marketing and

service forces,

Capital expenses like capital and debt liabilities, purchase, installation and maintenance,

Insurances and expenses pertaining to add-on quality services, Taxes and similar such

expenses, Reserves and surplus and many more.

Thus we can see a good inflow but an equally big outflow of resources in Infolines but

financial management helps to create, maintain and develop profitability in the industry. That’s

the reason why Just Dial kicked off with $1000 (Rs.50000) and today has 3000 and more

employees in 44 cities, 700 just in Mumbai and equally impressive estate holdings and working

efficiently since 16 years.

The service charges are fixed on basis of leads, tenure, category, seasonal trends, etc.

These factors add to the company’s revenue earning avenues. Application of financial principles

for planning, to control and revolutionize finances in association with professionalisation,

creativity and innovations have show their financial magic. The profits and surpluses are

employees at profitable venture and potential revenue earning activities.

Efficient financial management and professionalism has and will help in adding drops to

the ever expanding pot of revenue.

Case Study – Just Dial, DnA Infoline and Times Yellowpages

Just Dial is the pioneer in this industry opening various innovative service avenues and

well accepted among the masses. One of its tough competitors in the Indian markets is DnA

Infoline providing similar such services. These two being the prominent player in this in industry

lets go through their case study.

Just Dial (022-2888 8888, 6999 9999, www.justdial.com)

About Just Dial

Just Dial Services was founded in 1994, by V.S.S. Mani, the 35-year-old managing

director, with a vision to bring out revolutionary concepts in the field of information search

media. The company’s commitment towards constant innovations in the world of information

search services has led to its numero uno position in the space -- India’s first choice for a quick

search and easy to find information search system. Company’s office is in the Malad suburb of

Mumbai.

Questions can be asked, 24 hours a day, over the phone, through the company’s Web site

or by global GPRS (general packet radio service). Non-resident Indians in the U.S. who need

help to assist friends and family in India can dial 1-800-Justdial (1800-58783425) to talk to a live

operator who will have answers or do the necessary research. Callers in 240 Indian cities can dial

6999-9999 and Mumbai callers have the option of dialing 2888-8888. Other modes to access Just

Dial local search services are Internet on www.justdial.com – for 44 cities (Agra, Ahmedabad,

Allahabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuttack,

Delhi, Ernakulum, Goa, Hubli, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur,

Kanpur, Kolhapur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madhurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysore,

Nagpur, Nasik, Patna, Pondicherry, Pune, Ranchi, Rajkot, Salem, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram,

Tiruneveli, Vadodara, Varanasi, Vijaywada & Vizag) Telephone by dialing 3999 9999– from 42

cities across India. Just Dial services receive approximately 36 million phone calls a year.

Just Dial currently has its own offices in 14 cities which are in major metros and Tier I and Tier

II cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata,

Chandighar, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Jaipur, Surat & Indore. Today, its offices occupy around

80,000 sq. ft across India.

The 16-year-old company Just Dial now has eight centers in India and more than 3,000

employees across 14 cities, including 700 in Mumbai. There are two million vendors and

businesses catalogued, of which about 60,000 have signed up for sponsored links and is listed in

the Limca Book of Records as the largest private information service provider on telephone in

India.

Mr. Mani got the concept for his company when he was working in Delhi for a yellow

pages company and he reflected that Indians are always banking on friends, relatives and

neighbors for information in their everyday life. Why not launch a service to cater to this need?

Row after row of operators in sleek offices in front of computer screen here answer from

160,000 to 200,000 calls a day on questions ranging from “How can I send some flowers to my

sister in Hyderabad?” to “How can I help my parents move from Chennai to Pune?”

Finances

The company was started with mere Rs. 50000/- in 1994. And out of its efforts and

service quality Just Dial attended 70 million calls and posted revenue of about Rs. 134 Crores.

Just Dial’s Freemium strategy

Just Dial, though being a well know Infoline services, gives its services to potential

revenue based clients on trial for free online. This service is same as the service would be

provided to its paid clients but for a limited predefined period of time. This has definitely worked

in the favour of the promotion of the service and very few competitors in this industry are able to

pull it off. Also, more importantly, Just Dial makes sure that its premium revenue based services

cover the freemium service cost. Some important highlighted in this Freemium – free online

services with premium components are –

Service though free stands out; its performance, ease of use and reliability is superior as

the paid service

Exclusive and well informed terms and conditions to the users and once registered no

changes are made in the information to be disseminated from either of the parties. Just Dial never

changed its mind in continuing this service.

Fewer time consuming plug-ins, download and registration form requirements. This

service is just a click away.

Continuous improvement in this freemium services and revenue, because this would

make users to stick to Just Dial and Just Dial has full opportunity to convert these freemium

users to top-up paid clients.

Hesitations amongst prospects in enrolling with the Infolines

Infoline need great deal of trust and convincing, persuasion, and cross checking

demonstrations before any prospect registers with the service. Each firm, irrespective how well

verged it is with the concept and working of the Infolines, it well get a deal of taught before

registering with the services. It’s like an advertising contract with good enough risk involved but

is an effective and strategic can give returns.

Some hesitation does exist before enrolling with Infolines. Basically, trust factor and the

probability of earning business with considerable return on investment are kept in mind. As

Infoline receive a great number of enquiries every day so business is bound to come but the

distribution and conversion of the send leads into business needs prompt service marketing and

effectiveness among the clients and Infolines should commit and deliver ethical behavior.

Next hesitation is in term of payment. Enrolling with Infolines is an expensive affair and

it involves an advance payment, though installment facility is always available. The investment

on Infolines does have an immense probability to grow the business and cross all boundaries, if

the service contract is strategically formulated and implemented with full commitment on both

the parties, clients and the Infoline service administrator. Just Dials website is full of success

stories proving the above statements.

With advent of time, experienced firms, firms in business since a long time and even

those who have used Infoline services before and discontinued later demand more business, more

marketing opportunities and other add on service like web banners, Freemium services, SMS - E-

mail campaign and even exclusive enquiries from Infolines at lowered prices. Over negotiating

on term could lead to loss on business and switching in favour of the competitors. However,

customized service offering designed and launched from time to time does give an avenue to the

service providers to create, maintain and enrich loyalties.

As mentioned, Infolines concept has not yet established in Indian markets and prospects

minds. But the impressive growth, promotions and innovative strategies of this service have done

a great job to initiate AIDA process among the masses. This would help reducing the hesitation

in the prospects minds and also motivate them to explore Infolines for their benefits.

Common complaints from Customer against Infolines and Infoline Service Providers’ move

Not all companies invest in delivering quality services, atleast not to all customers.

Customer often complaint about inappropriate or old information, irresponsible, rude or poorly

trained executives, long waiting times, etc. At times you wait for three to four long minutes and

end up with sorry service, we aren’t listed with the information or a wrong number, or even

poorly or rude personnel increasing customer grievances.

These complaints if not worked on could lead to brand switching. Some key factors

leading to customer switching behavior are:

Pricing – High price, price increase, unfair or deceptive pricing, etc.

Inconvenience – Waiting for appointment, services installation or use, etc.

Core service failure – Billing errors, service mistake or catastrophe, etc.

Service encounter failure – Personnel uncaring, impolite, unresponsive, unknowledgeable, etc.

Response to service failure – Negative, reluctant or no response, etc.

Competition – Found better service, etc.

Ethical problem – Cheating, hard sell, unsafe, conflict of interest, etc.

Involuntary switching – Customer moved, service provider closed, etc.

Since beginning we have been talking about working legalities, developments and

ensuring quality of service and customer redressal. We have also discussed on the fact that how

much ever you put your efforts, mistakes happen and there a few incidents, things and elements

which don’t fulfill clients and caller expectations. Such situations lead to complaints. However

the service ensures non-occurrence of these grievances, mistakes and complaints among the

users and clients. But let’s have a look at the complaints among the users and clients.

Complaints among the users

Users are the core business factor of Infolines. On the basis these caller the Infolines

promote themselves as a promotional advertising media for various firms. But at times, callers

object and complain on the very concept of Infolines. It’s when the callers enquire on the

services for any information they are provided with it on SMS on their cell phone number or

through their e-mail id’s. If this enquiry is related to any paid clients in any business category the

caller’s number and e-mail id is forwarded to the clients can trace business from them by

contacting them. Thus the complaints are about disclosing the personal information to clients.

Disclosing callers’ information without their consent is unethical. If done on consent could be

acceptable. But not all callers agree to it and in vogue to reduce delivery time service don’t even

ask them for the consent. But the Infolines have a stand that to run the service and earn revenue

following the contract terms it is very important for them to follow the Infoline concepts.

Moreover, at times, even the clients instead of calling the users, prospects immediately, contact

them as per their conveniences. This disturbs the users, on clients calling them at odd tomes or

on follow-ups at a much delayed periods.

Some callers visited, share their experiences. One of them mentioned on enquiring for

water purifiers repair and service agency in the morning, the caller received the information

immediately got in touch with one of the recommendation by evening the job was done. But the

other clients of Infolines kept calling him for the next five days as per their conveniences and at

odd times like when in meeting, at lunch/dinner times, etc. Since Infolines have no binding or

control over clients on this issue, what they can do is to request them to follow up promptly on

the leads send to them. Most of the times, the clients out of the effort to gain business do the

same and things are sorted, though after some time, things seem to come at square one.

Outdated or wrong no are of no user to callers and also add to their inconveniences as it’s

a sheer waste of time and effort of the callers. Callers held Infolines for such incidents and they

are right at times. Infolines not, out of purpose sometimes do deliver wrong or outdated

information to the callers. They can’t check each and every data entry nor do they can call on all

number on daily basis to confirm their correct entries. The sources of this information are

newspapers, magazines, database agencies, yellowpages, other websites, etc. These sources by

and large publish correct data and Infolines do take care to update it but not all data entries are

updated. On continuous use of the service and sudden wrong number won’t effect much but

repeated and often wrong or outdated numbers are major matter of concern.

Quality, well trained and smart executives add to the value, satisfaction of the callers.

Better are the human resources, higher are the satisfaction levels of the users and clients and

attract more and more prospects…. How you know that! But is the human resources is not

trained well to handle difficult, tricky, confused or irate callers, services can miss out callers in

long run. The executives should be well verged and hand with the softwares, localities, business

categories, etc. They also need to have expertise to talk to the callers and also use the systems

simultaneously. Lack of training and knowhow of working and answering callers could reduce

service quality at helpline. If the executive don’t know how and what to serve the callers then he

would send wrong or inappropriate information to the caller and the eventual results are

complaints and grievances. And continuous re-occurrence of such situation could reduce the

customer base and cause switching against to other service brands.

One mentioned, on asking information on a Ramdev Restaurant, Chandivali, he was

given list of restaurant in Kandivali. This reflects lack of listening skills. It is always

recommended on confusion executive should atleast try to confirm the enquiry. Also on

enquiries of general enquiry numbers of flight or of railway, callers are given booking / PNR /

cargo enquiry numbers. At times such mistakes or carelessness on part of executive reflects poor

service quality.

Next complaint the caller often lodge is about late delivery of information. Due to

network or technical issues the SMS sent to the callers are nit delivered or get blocked on the

systems. However this is a quite a rare case but the callers have to face such issues at times. And

this happen in emergency situations could create serious problems.

Infolines are to answer questions of callers and provide them information but in

instances, Infolines executives start questioning the callers, numerous questions. Normally a call

starts with hearing to the caller’s enquiries, and then the caller is asked his name and numbers

and confirms the required details after sending the SMS or e-mail the executive starts

bombarding caller with numerous questions like-

Are you into business or an employee? If in business what business and where? Would you like to register with the service? If employed, for which company and designation? Would you like to have any information on other product or service? According to prompting, for example- one of our clients are offering trip to Singapore concessional rates or one of our clients started sales and service of water purifiers at discounted rates and services at your door steps, etc. Do you have any other enquiry?

These questions are asked irrespective of callers conveniences. These self centered

questions do frustrate callers and irritate at times for times pressed callers. The executive should

take care of that and be trained to handle such situations.

Now let’s see what the clients have to say.

If the users are the core business factor that drives Infolines then clients are the key fund

inflow source. Though their interest may not be conflicting to an extent, only issues is of

disclosure of users / callers personal contact details to the clients, we already discussed on this.

Infolines try to give best business to their clients, introduction of new offers, new

advertising and marketing opportunities, innovative interaction with the callers / users at various

and new touch points and so on. But still, issue arises when expectations of clients don’t tally to

what is delivered. Most clients complaint on less enquiries received as compared to what was

promised or expected. And this goes to the intensity that the client does not receive any business

prospect even after paying thousands of rupees. Moreover, late receipt of enquiries or wrong

enquiries forwarded are some more. For example – a water purifier repair and service agent

receives enquiries of vacuum cleaner repair and service enquiries. Also confusion and

miscommunication between the callers and the executive add to the problems. Lack of proper

training and product knowledge are a few reason to this concern too.

Let’s have a look at the complaint lodged on the Indian Consumer Complaints website

www.consumercomplaints.in:

Complaint against: Just Dial Posted: 2010-01-19 by Abhijit Singh (Email Send)

Complainant: Abhijit Singh, Director, Equation Times Pvt Ltd. (abhijit_pankaj@yahoo.co.in)

9730524710 / 9503664882

Reason: Fraud Company - Inspite of paying the company the service claims non-payment and on

clearance of payment issues the common enquiry issue cropped up.

Complaint against: Info Network Management Co. Pvt Ltd. - Call Ezee SMS Service

Complainant: Akar Parekh Posted: 2009-08-03 by Akar Parekh (Email Send)

Reason: Improper Service - The client was registered giving a promise to receive good number

of enquiries related to his product and this was not delivered. On following-up the concern

marketing representative and even the administration of the service nothing came out of it. The

only result was loss of funds of Mr. Parekh.

Complaint against: Infortale Communications Pvt. Ltd. - DnA Infoline

Complainant: Rohan D'Souza, Vibha Associates (vibhaassociates@rediffmail.com)

Posted: 2009-10-01 by Rohan D'Souza (Email Send)

Reason: No service provided - “This company has not provided me the service I paid for” are

the word of Mr. D’souza. A partner of an Interior Decorator Firm 'Vibha Associates' based in

Mumbai entered into a contract with DNA Infoline on 15th Jan 09 by paying Rs.11,236/- to get

trade/Customer enquiries from them. Till date 31st Sept 09, the client had received a pathetic 10

leads only the last lead was in the month of July 09. No results of continuous complaints.

Complaint against: Infomedia yellowpages – Ask Me

Complainant: Ashok Giri Posted: 2010-02-24 by Ashok Giri (Email Send)

Reason: False promises - The complainant booked the service for the amount paid i.e. Rs.

18861/- (Ch No. 129290 dated 4th April 09 drawn on Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd). At the time

of booking of the space he was given to understand 3 things An advertisement in Infomedia

Yellow Pages 2009-10, Display of my banner of At Home Consultancy on your to be launched

search engine “Ask Me” and guaranteed response through another to be launch telephone search

engine.

Very unfortunately he had would like to state there is not even single lead generated till

date from any of the above. It has certainly created a question in his mind about the reputation

and credibility of your firm. All complaints and visit to the company’s office at Dadar was of no

use.

Complaint against: Sulekha classifieds

Complainant: Ganesh Posted: 2010-02-12 by Ganesh (Email Send)

Reason: 3 months delay in refund of amount, still outstanding – Mr. Ganesh was approached by

a relation manager of the service. On approval of Mr. Ganesh the service was started but the

payment terms were bleached by the service creating a loss of Rs. 27000/- for Mr. Ganesh which

didn’t even fetch him a single enquiry.

Even the precious HR of the company is also not spared. Hemalatha was working as post

media solution executive joined on 7-11-07 service date till 10-05-2008 due some personal

problem was unable to continue in the service. On informing the service authority orally that she

was unable to continue in the service but they threatened her saying that her name will be black

listed in all the organisation, and that is call center job she couldn’t get adjust to that profile.

That’s the reason she quit the job, but she can’t sit at home also because her financial status

won’t allow doing that. A week later she could find a job in my field i.e., publication field as

technical editor, they took all my details of present company saying that required for relieving

formalities now they are denying to relieve she had been thrice to office regarding this concern

but there is no response from them. On claiming the PF amount they started creating problems

for her. She wants to be out of this awkward situation and get the required papers and funds

back.

These are complaints seen online and on personal visits. The fact remains the complainer

have their side to defend and company theirs. But the concern is justice should be done to

complainants and a proper legal framework should be framed to govern this.

Fact is no matter how perfect design and implementation of marketing and services plans,

mistakes happen. But the best is when companies put in their best to ease the customer and

resolve the complaints. Thus many Infolines realising this have launch an online complaints

forum and complaints are very much attended to… That’s what the company claim….!

Customer Relationship Management

Infolines often come to know about competitor’s products, services and customers

feedback from various source. Probably same partner, switching customers, company sites,

feedback forums, online public blogs, Indian Consumer complaints websites, etc. There are

places where the companies have volunteered customers to send feedbacks as they use/purchase

the service. They not only describe their experience and level of satisfaction but also highlight

the shortfalls and complaints as such avenues. Users often appreciate easy to use and convenient

feature of the service site, like that of Just Dial. Moreover, Indian Consumer Complaints website

has become a hub of frustrated and unsatisfied clients i.e. the subscriber of the Infolines. Though

many customer lodge complaint with the service provider and at such forums but the company or

any hardly takes the pain to pacify them and redress the grievances.

In Infolines continuous updated feedback from the customers helps developing the

service quality. Additionally it helps developing long term relationship and maximizes customer

value. Infolines have evidently moved from mass marketing communication to precision

marketing design to built customer relations. This industry is concerned with dissemination of

information and information about its customers makes it easy to differentiate, customize and

personalize the networks to reach the customers, establish and enrich long term relationship with

them. Development of customer compliant, feedback portal, recommendation avenues forms a

part of CRM. Infolines practice CRM via internet, online questionnaire and interviews, feedback

avenues, commenting on-service sites, etc.

Infolines have got the point of empowering customers by shifting power to them and

customer have begun in a very real sense to own the brand and participate in its creation. Clients,

on the Just Dial and DnA Infolines blog and portals, flush in crucial comments, suggestion and

feedback. And the service providers do consider them and implement the feasible once.

Moreover this favour of the users and clients is return by various ways like recognition, prizes,

gifts, additional service to the clients, benefits to partners, etc.

For Infolines CRM is careful managing detailed information about individual customers and all

customer touch points to maximize customer loyalty. By customer touch points we mean

occasion and media on which customers and service brand (Infoline) encounter each other.

For example – on the helpline, on the service website or in service’s social networking

site, etc. Information so give by the user could be any input from them about the service.

Through this little feedback or recommendation from them at the touch point keep the customer

more likely to stick around the services and involve himself in it, thus creating loyalties.

CRM has excellently enabled the service to use the individual customer data and to

know about each valued customer. Then the offerings, schemes, service designs, etc. are made

accordingly. Thus CRM is a major driver of Infolines ergonomic designing and resultant

profitability in aggregate value of company’s customer base.

Main goal Infolines, here, normally thinks is how to know and identify options that help

meet its customer’s goals. For example – Customers wanted a feedback, public blog of the

service is to be set, Just Dial did it, thus entering into the personal lives of its users, clients and

partners. Social environment demanded cricket update during the IPL sessions – so Just Dial

gave its users “CRIC IPL” site page.

CRM is successful only if your repeated users or clients become your partner or advisors.

How let’s see?

Infolines industry is expanding its roots in Indian. Thus major Indian population is

potential customer to it. By marketing, public relations and promotion activities, huge mass is

targeted and converted to prospects and then users and if they are satisfied, then to repeated users

and clients possibly. Well maintained relations and consideration for customer lets and motivates

them to go one step ahead to participate in recommending in service developments and word of

mouth to acquaintance. Company’s recognition to the customer on their inputs help creating and

maintaining such relations makes customers’ advisors or partners – Infoline relation sound.

Sound difficult but true!

Just Dial interacts with its users and clients and practices CRM. It site of full of positive

and a few negative feedbacks, comments and recommendations. Its site has separate page

enumerating hundreds of success stories. Just Dial knows the advantages of listening to the

customers. This is one of the factors leading to increasing users and loyalty for Just Dial services.

Efficient CRM can convert potential mass to

prospects through their well planned and targeted

marketing and promotional activities. A few ignorant,

impervious and uninterested people move out of the frame

(disqualified prospects). Prospects attracted then try the

service few times and as mentioned before the first call

could be the last call of the caller or could be first call of

thousands more thus becoming a repeated user. If the user

is into business and quite convinced with service could

subscribe for it. Moreover the CRM and social activities of

the service inviting their comments, recommendation and

suggestions convert them to ser4vice members, advisors,

advocated or company partners.

While introducing the topic it was mentioned that

Infoline store all information on all inquiries, calls

received, contracts, marketing calls, prospects, clients, not

interested prospects, etc. for future use. That’s for Database Marketing. Infolines build, maintain

the customers’ database to contact, transact or build relations. It’s to tap and maintain customer-

service relation.

Customer database is comprehensive on the customer prospects to market to promote

services. Through contact details like name, e-mail id, cell phone numbers, addresses, etc.

messages, SMS, mailers could be sent and other marketing toll s could be employed in the favour

of the service.

Also database on corporate, firms and other commercial entities is maintained with

Infolines. This then used to attract them, involve their participation and registrations. Also it

opens avenues for new partnerships and brand alliances. This if properly taken ahead and

execute4d could result in great synergy and brand formations.

However, processing customers and business data, data-mining is done to get essential

information on the industry, trends, segmentations, etc. by using neural marketing, analysis,

detection and predictive methods.

According to the analysis of this database services, affairs, marketing and promotional

activities are designed. Creative and marketing team works on innovating service elements to

satisfy customer and organizational goals.

However, some services implementing such programs face following issues:

1. Database creation, maintenance and analysis need hug investment for data pooling,

systems hardware, softwares and other soft skills and administrator efforts.

2. Not all customers want CRM and want to create relationship because either they don’t

accept the concept of Infolines of they don’t need it. Often users hesitate disclosing their

personal information not even their names.

CRM forms an integral part of Infolines. Customer being empowered to express

themselves it’s a great avenue of developing and creating loyalties among the users through their

involvements and its activities in favour of the service quality. Also company needs to be

judgmental and practical incase of inputs from the users, clients or non-users, media or other

partners.

Also as a service is to be established and maintained, similarly CRM need to be

established and maintained carefully. It needs commitment for the entire organization to it and

half hearted attempts don’t work.

Field Survey and Research

Time for a reality check! We saw what service company should commit to do? What are

they supposed to do? What is expected from them? We all learnt all about customers and CRM.

Now through field survey let’s see what actual situations says – hypothesis. Hypothesis being the

basic assumption that’s taken before staying survey or predict something. Here we would be

studying the basic satisfaction among the three interest groups – Clients, Callers and HR.

Callers are the actual users of the service helpline, WAP, website and SMS. Callers use

service to get accurate data. So our hypothesis for the group would be that they get the required

quality data at the right time and they are comfortable with the overall quality of the services

delivered. Corresponding questionnaire is Q1Cr.

HR is the driving force of the service. Quality service would exist, would be innovated

and enriched if the HR is happy from the service and well motivated. For the service providers

on appointments, held training, motivation, informational and overall development programs.

They will also be questioned on their level of job satisfaction from the industry. For this refer

questionnaire Q3H.

Since the service authorities are the people who actually design the services and have

the complete control over the service. Thus we also need to know about them and their working

format too. For this questionnaire Q4S is formed

Survey details: Sample sizes for all the groups are:

Users – 50 Minimum | Clients – 5 Minimum | HR – 10 Minimum

Service Company Executives / Officials – 5 Maximum

A set of four questionnaires to be used to derive information from the relevant sample

from various interest groups pertaining to Infoline Industry. They are:

Questionnaire for the User of Infoline Service (Q1Cr)

1. Name: ………………………………………………… Age: ………. yrs Occupation: …………………………………………… Contact No: ……………………E-mail id: ……………………………………………………...

2. Do you need contact details of various entities frequently? If yes which source do you use for the same?

:…………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Do you keep on trying various services or are you loyal to a service? Which?

:…………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. How did you come to know about the service you have mentioned? Have you ever seen any kind of advertisement, promotions, hoardings, TV commercials, etc. on any information service? Which service and where and what have you seen?

:…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Do these services fulfill your expectations? Do you appreciate their initiative to give you their registered client’s details and other additional information along with the desired information?

:…………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Do you mind Infolines forwarding your numbers to their clients or does it add to your convenience as the registered clients call you for the required product or service purchases?

:…………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Are the executives employed to provide the information skilled, courteous and communicative? Have you ever faced problem in contacting, using the service, sourcing the information from these services? If yes, what were they?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. Did you ever receive any initiative from the services asking for feedback or recommendation to them? What was it? Any recommendation to the information services.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Questionnaire for the HR force of Infoline Service (Q3H)

1. Name: …………………………………………………… Age: ……………… yrs Company and post: ……………………………………… Work since: …………………..Contact no: …………………………………… E-mail id: ………………………………..

2. What is your work profile?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. How is the training given? Any kind of development programs to enrich your service soft skills? Does the company hold any motivating events or programs? Your comments.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Any kind of daily target (calls, sales, data entry, etc.)? If yes, what is it and how is it incentivized?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Are you satisfied with your job and your profile? Your comments.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Do you refer this service to any one for acquaintance (To spread word of mouth publicity)? How? – Casually, SMS / E-mail, etc.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. What is the response do you get from the users (Callers as well as Clients) normally? – Favourable / Fairly Satisfied / Dissatisfied.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. Any recommendation to the service.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Questionnaire for the Service Authorities of Infoline Service (Q4S)

1. Name: ………………………………………………………………. Age: ………… yrs Company & Post: …………………………………………… Since: ………………..yrsContact number: ……………………………... E-mail id: …………………….…………

2. What is your promotion strategy? How do you plot your advertising strategy?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. How do you approach your prospects? Direct calling or visits, mailers, etc. Your comments on it.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. How do you segment the market? Businesswise, company’s volume-wise, basic value of the contract expected or others?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. How do you describe your convincing strategy? How do you use demonstration, price offs, discounts, sales promotion tools, etc.?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. How do you train your call centre and sales marketing forces? What is the strength of the sales marketing force? How do you ensure belongingness with the company of your HR?

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. How do you charge to the clients: Same, Differential pricing, Promotional rates, etc? Please explain.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. Your comments on convenience to register and renewal with the services (for clients) and convenience to use your service.

: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Analysis of the Field Survey

Working in final documentation stage. Would be added soon……..

Recommendations

Gone are the times when service organizations lagged behind manufacturing companies

in user of their marketing skills because they were small or they were in professional business

that didn’t use marketing tactics or faced large demand or little competition.

Before we conclude with our discussion on Infolines, let’s check what all things we have

gone through about Infoline. We learned about working and evolution of Infolines. We saw

marketing, promotions, public relations, human resources, finance, brand creations and

development aspects of Infoline brands. Also innovation in service and complaints of customers

were revealed. Based on the theoretical and conceptual study considering with actual reality

check and current scenario checks with human resources, clients and users some

recommendations that could be made to the industry are:

Some comprehensive recommendations and set of professional guidelines for improving quality

offering to which Infolines can adhere to are:

Listening – Understand what customers expect and their perceptions.

Reliable – The clients pay a handsome amount to register and thus the business information

forwarded should be reliable. Also the information provided to the call should be authentic and

reliable.

Basic service- Infolines should design services well, deliver the basics, manage its details and do

what they are supposed to do, keep promises, use common sense, listen to the customer, keep

clients informed and de determined to deliver value to the consumer.

Recovery – Satisfy the customer who face problems, quick response and find and set problem

solving systems to avoid reoccurrence of such similar problems.

Surprising customer – Along with reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy what is

important is exceeding customers expectations and create, maintain and enrich loyalties. For

example –surprising clients with uncommon grace with competence, courtesy, commitment and

understanding.

Fair play – with employees and customers by appropriate pay to human resource and deliver the

best to clients at minimum cost and authentic and up-to-date services to the users.

Teamwork – That’s makes service organization deliver services with care, attentiveness and

competitiveness by improving employee motivation and capabilities. Just Dial has best

performing executive Team Leaders leading their colleagues at its call centres and sales force.

Inter-Intra group activities, teamwork and even competition prove productive.

Employee research – Discover why service problem occur and what the executives want and

give the best. Companies should solve problems and make require changes to create efficiency in

its human resource performance, motivation and enhance capabilities.

Servant Leadership – Quality comes from inspired leadership throughout the organization, from

excellent service system design, effective use of information and technology and from slow to

change, invisible, all powerful, internal force called corporate culture. These culture elements

should encourage leadership bringing responsibility in the human resource and thus give best to

do the job and resolve their problems reducing reoccurrence of defects. These factors would add

to the service quality of the Infolines helping in distinguishing your services from other and

become the marketing leaders.

Bibliography