Initiatives for Customers

Communication Guidelines

The Ajinomoto Group strives to put the customer first, offer excellent service, and provide safe, high-quality and innovative products.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. established its Customer Satisfaction Promotion Policy and Customer Satisfaction Code of Conduct based on ISO 10002¹ to achieve higher customer satisfaction. In accordance, the company is committed to realizing products and services that fully satisfy customers.

1. ISO 10002: International guidelines for a complaints management system. It sets requirements for an organization to meet in responding appropriately and promptly to customer's complaints to improve customer satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction Promotion Policy

To ensure that we continue to provide products and services that satisfy our customers, we will listen to customers, see problems from their point of view, and focus all of our resources on creating the solutions customers need. Above all, our aim is to be an honest company that customers can trust.

Customer Satisfaction Code of Conduct

We provide safe and reliable products and services to our customers.
We respond to complaints, requests and inquiries from our customers precisely, promptly and politely.
We respect the voice of the customer, and strive to use all input to add value to our products and services.
We actively disclose appropriate information to our customers.
We comply with regulations and voluntary in-house standards related to protecting the rights of our customers.

To put the Customer Satisfaction Promotion Policy and Customer Satisfaction Code of Conduct into practice, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has established internal procedures laid out in a manual based on ISO 10002 standards. In accordance with these procedures, the Ajinomoto Group is deeply committed to increasing customer satisfaction by incorporating customer feedback and requests.

Activities at the Customer Service Center

As a contact point between Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and its customers, the Customer Service Center strives to ensure high customer satisfaction by responding precisely, promptly and politely to inquiries. The center records and analyzes customer feedback and inquiries on a daily basis. Customer opinion is shared with business divisions and product development departments as a means to help the company develop better products and services.

Recognizing the importance of communicating with each and every customer, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. strives to improve customer relations and satisfaction. Also the company strives to build the quality level of customer satisfaction in all business activities starting with the provision of products and services.

Highlights of Activities in Fiscal 2010

In fiscal 2010, customers continued to be highly concerned with food safety and dependability, and stringent demands and expectations were placed on food and beverage companies. In response, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. stepped up its measures to ensure product safety with an emphasis on the customers' perspective. The company worked to further improve cooperation between divisions in charge of customer service at group companies in Japan, and pushed ahead with activities designed to improve product quality at each company group-wide.

Main activities in fiscal 2010:

Employee education program for improved customer service quality

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. continued its employee training program designed to enable customer service representatives to develop the individual skills required to raise customer response quality and improve communication. Through this training, the company intends to further improve customer service quality and increase customer satisfaction.

Improvements for sharing customer feedback

To ensure optimum product quality, the Customer Service Center collects feedback from customers, and regarding it as valuable information, regularly shares the data in company meetings and reports as a means to improve products and services. Furthermore, product evaluations based on feedback are conducted in assessment meetings at the product development stage, with the aim to take precautionary measures against possible customer dissatisfaction.

Improving response to customer complaints

When a customer complaint is received about products or services, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. investigates the matter and reports its findings to the customer. The process includes asking customers about their satisfaction with the company's response. In fiscal 2010, the company continued to conduct initiatives to improve this area. It included establishing baseline targets for the number of days in which to respond to complaints, and the level of customer satisfaction with how complaints were addressed. Feedback is used to pursue ongoing initiatives across the company in an effort to further raise customer satisfaction.

In-house training on customer satisfaction

As a part of the in-house customer satisfaction training program,¹ Ajinomoto Co., Inc. provided practical training for employees at the Customer Service Center to gain work experience, opportunities to communicate directly with customers, and consider ways to improve customer satisfaction. In addition, the company introduced five workshops and lectures in fiscal 2010 covering the business needs of each company division. Through these activities, the company is promoting a better understanding of customer satisfaction among employees.

1. The following workshops and lectures are provided under the in-house customer satisfaction training program:
Practical training at the Customer Service Center
Lectures on customer perception
Workshops on customer feedback analysis
Workshops on use of the customer feedback portal
Workshops on responding to customer complaints
Individual training programs on customer satisfaction

Improving cooperation between group companies in Japan

With the overall aim to increase customer satisfaction, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. organized a regular conference for all customer service personnel at group companies in Japan to cooperate in continuously identifying and examining issues and initiating improvements related to enhancing the quality of customer response and more effectively incorporating customer feedback.

Customer Feedback in Fiscal 2010

The Customer Service Center received approximately 38,000 customer inquiries in fiscal 2010. The number had been on the decline from the previous fiscal year, but suddenly increased at the end of fiscal 2010 as customers made inquiries regarding raw materials and production dates of products with concerns over radioactive contamination in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck in March.

Since fiscal 2007, the center has continuously received numerous questions about cooking methods from people with limited experience, such as young housewives and elderly men. There were also a growing number of inquiries and suggestions related to environmental concerns, such as requests for containers and packaging that are easier to separate for disposal and recycling. The Customer Service Center forwarded the feedback to relevant company departments, which will use the information for future reference.

Content of Customer Feedback in Fiscal 2010 Approximate total: 38,000 calls from customers

Topics of Inquiries in Fiscal 2010

Application of Universal Design at Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. applies universal design¹ principles in its development of product packaging. Package containers are designed to be easy to hold and open, colors are employed to clearly differentiate product types, and package surfaces are made to improve the visibility of lettering. In this way, the company is setting various standards for its products from the diverse aspects of universal design.

In the context of the aging of society, the universal design approach has become particularly important in recent years for developing products used by elderly and one-person households. Accordingly, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is making advances in the design and development of products and packaging used in nursing and health care. Special attention is paid to clearly displaying essential information and instructions to avoid incorrect usage.

The company intends to promote research in universal design to integrate the basic function of packaging with the need to create more economical and environmentally friendly packaging in the future.

1. Universal design refers to the design of objects that can be easily used by as many people as possible, irrespective of age or physical ability.

Consumer Information in Product and Company Advertising

Web site for customers to submit their favorite recipes that use HONDASHI® soup stock (Japanese only)

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has two objectives for providing information to consumers: the first is to announce product releases and promote awareness of their benefits in an effort to boost sales; the second objective is to communicate the ideals and the activities of the company as a way to win customer support. To achieve these goals, the company recognizes that the information it provides must be clearly presented, accurate, and highly useful to appeal to customers.

In its recent advertisements, the company has presented ways of using its products and recipe ideas to emphasize the products' usefulness in everyday life. The advertisements have received many favorable reviews for their effectiveness in conveying useful information.

Advertising campaigns have also focused on eight initiatives for contributing to the environment and society to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Viewers have expressed their appreciation for receiving information on the company's initiatives and becoming aware of the fact that Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is a global enterprise.

Looking forward, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. is fully committed to offering consumers clearly presented and accurate information on the usefulness of its products, suggestions for their use, and various initiatives undertaken by the company.

Working with Restaurants through Point Campaigns

Web site for the Table for Two school lunch campaign (Japanese only)

In collaboration with the organization, Table for Two International, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. began including "a school meal for a child in Africa" as a prize that can be exchanged using points accumulated in a customer points campaign currently promoted at independently operated restaurants. The prize was included from April 2011.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. recognizes that independently operated restaurants, which are important customers, face major obstacles in initiating social contribution activities and carrying out such activities on their own. In response, the company created a framework for restaurant owners to easily participate in a customer points program as a way to contribute to society. The initiative was commenced with the aim to enable the restaurant industry as a whole to become more involved in helping people. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. anticipates that a large number of restaurants will join the campaign in the future.