Since Be Forward, a leading Japanese car exporter company, opened a customer service centre in Blantyre in May this year, Malawians from all walks of life have been storming the office to seek the services which the company, through this local office, offers to its customers when they want to buy a car.
One Malawian farmer, Joseph Phiri, narrated his story on how he started a new business with Be Forward through the salesmen at the service centre.
p>Phiri, a 35-year-old Malawian farmer, resides near Blantyre with his wife and 3 children. He grows irish-potatoes as a main source of his income but was looking for an additional means to support his family so that floods and droughts would not be threats to his household economy. It is then when one of his friends suggested if he would consider importing used cars to sell locally.
“I contemplated since I did not know anything about importing business. I don’t even own a computer. I’m a small scale farmer.” said Phiri.
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Shortly after Phiri learned about Be Forward customer centre from local newspaper articles, he visited the service centre only to find out that it was perfect for a new business starter like him.
“They provide computers and also salesmen to assist on technical details, completely free of charge to the customers.
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“It is excellent! It is really 4-star services they offer to customers,” said Phiri emphasizing that the salesmen at the service centre assisted him on everything from computer operations, ecommerce site operations and even to import duty calculation.
“They even helped me apply for the current promotional campaign, ‘Giveaway Car Campaign,’ so that I can apply for it quickly, easily and accurately. I really hope I will win Mazda Demio!” said Phiri.
The Malawian farmer praised Be Forward Company for opening this office saying “in this way, a farmer like me, who does not own a computer at home or never shopped online can be guided to be an importer!
Based on his experience, Phiri said that the company’s service centre is of a great help and encouraged his fellow countrymen to give it a try. He requested the company to consider opening a local bank account for remittances.
It is hoped that the company will act on this request if their mantra as stated by the company’s President HironoriYamakawa that their success is perhaps because they listen to their customers, is anything to go by.