Page 118 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING

Unit 6: Service Quality

identification of the items. So the “shopper” moves around the warehouse picking up the Notes
items in the list. At the end, an invoice is prepared and the items are packed in totes and
then sealed.
Despatch Operations: Once the list is given to the “shopper”, the orders are sorted according
to the area of delivery and by the time of delivery. Once the totes are packed and sealed,
they are arranged in the despatch centre according to the different areas of delivery. The
despatch centre is very well organised, by way of separate markings for different areas of
delivery.

Central Bazaar has an efficient team of delivery vans and drivers at their disposal and also
a very efficient team of delivery boys. They are provided with proper training as to how
to deal with customers, the different modes of payment, and the different coupons
acceptable by Central Bazaar, etc. They are regularly evaluated on various parameters
like politeness towards the customer, cleanliness of merchandise and service delivery,
consent to keep the items, the ability to satisfactorily respond to the queries of the customers,
etc.
Delivery Operations: The orders are loaded in the vans according to the knowledge of the
drivers about the respective areas. This saves a considerable amount of time required to
search for the correct address. Thus the delivery reaches the customer’s house on time. The
mode of payment is either by cash or credit cards and that too only at the time of delivery.

The Advantages of Central Bazaar: The format had many apparent advantages:
For customers:
24x7: It was designed to be a genuine 24 hours, seven days-a-week shopping

experience. This gave the customers a unique option - especially those who did not
want to be tied to the commercial establishments’ framework. It was a promise of
genuine empowerment.
Impersonal: Shoppers, especially women, were embarrassed to ask the kirana store

keeper for personal hygiene products like sanitary napkins, contraceptives, and
inner wear. The Central Bazaar format of ordering on the phone or through the web
made it impersonal and avoided embarrassment for the shoppers.
Shopping Assistance: The call centre had agents who were trained to provide all

assistance to buyers. To help deal with any first time apprehensions, Central Bazaar
can also send a customer service agent to a customer’s house to help set up an online
shopping service facility that was fully customized to their individual needs.
Home Delivery: Central Bazaar catered to convenience shopping, with the facility of

ordering from home coupled with free home delivery. This was especially useful in
Bangalore and Chennai, where, due to overt dependence on public transport such as
Rapid Mass Transit System (commuting electric train service!), it was next to
impossible for the customers to shop and then carry the bulky parcels home during
the rush hour.
5000 brands: The electronic retailer, with over 5000 brands, offered a wide choice of

varieties and assortments of products, to cover the widest possible customer base. It
also was the intention of the retailer to be a one-stop-shop for home products.
Special Promotions: Central Bazaar offered not only the usual promotions of the

FMCG vendors but also its own store promotions. This helped in not only setting
the tone of differentiation amongst other retailers but also in communicating its
enhanced value propositions.
Contd...

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