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Few companies reflect consumer opinion in the process of planning, designing, and making a new product. Consumer power, however, is big enough to decide the company’s survival in the market. At the same time, companies can continue to build up the successful stories by making the most consumer experience.
Still, the reality is too rigid to see corporate changing their attitude with producer orientation and to witness the government with one step forward in implementing customer policy.
Both companies and consumers can take advantage of the synergy effect only when putting the consumer safety and rights on the top priority.
Kim Jaiok(pictured), the president of Consumers Korea and chairperson of Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations (KNCCO), also agreed on the importance of increasing the consumer power for the sake of Korean economy in an exclusive interview with the Asia Business.
The following is the excerpt from the interview with her.
△ The Asia Business: First of all, congratulations on your election as the chairperson of KNCCO. What kind of activities are you going to focus on?
-Ms. Kim: “The KNCCO is a federation of consumer protection organizations created to stimulate the activities of consumer groups and defend the interests of consumers.
The council includes 10 member organizations including Green Consumers Network in Korea, Korea Federation of Housewives Clubs, National Council of Homemakers Classes, Korea Consumer Education Center, National Council of YMCAs of Korea, Consumers Union of Korea, Consumer Affairs Institute, Citizens Alliance for Consumer Protection of Korea and National YWCA of Korea.
Its purpose is to support its member organizations in consumer protection activities to help them more effectively achieve their intended goals.
Established in 1976, with 4 consumer organizations as its founding members, the KNCCO now coordinates consumer protection activities of 10 member organizations and 182 regional associations.
In particular, I am going to take the lead in consumer movement by suggesting the direction for government policy on consumers by the help of coordination among 10 member organizations and by promoting a variety of international and local campaigns.
As the part of efforts, the council is going to host the seminar under the theme of ‘finance and consumer’ on March 15 to introduce a wide range of issues related to consumer experience after the economic crisis."
△ What is your opinion on Korea’s consumer policy?
“It is not an overstatement that Korean government has no policy for the benefit of consumers in the country. The government measures always come after a series of complaints from consumers.
The national brand might go up as our country is hosting G20 summit in November, but I don’t think that the country would be able to see any improvements in life quality for the public.
Therefore, the Lee administration should focus on implementing the consumer policy with the world class. The customer rights should not be staying low at the level of home ground as the Korean companies do business in the global market."
△ What kinds of consultation do customers make requests for these days?
“I saw the increasing number of complaints regarding Smart Phones as Korean consumers showed great interest in Apple’s iPhone.
In spite of iPhone’s popularity, consumers started lodging the complaints saying that the iPhone maker does not seem to inflect the Korean user’s point of view. For instance, the customers in Korea find the manual insufficient to fully understand various functions.
Complaints in relation with credit card also incline as the users of credit card increase. Especially, considerable number of parent is suffering from their children’s credit card debts. The complaints in regards to the compensation in relation to lost or stolen cards, dual payment, the illegal uses of other’s name and overdue have increased.
Damages resulted from discounting membership services continue to go up although consumer’s organizations have offered ongoing education and information to shoppers. At the same time, we often receive consultation requests for issues over e-commerce fraud."
△ What kinds of difficulties do you face in promoting the consumer movement?
“I hope the government to be more active in implementing the consumer policy and consumers to be less aggressive and selfish in exercising their rights.
Today’s consumers are more active in claiming their rights than ones in the past, but they have a tendency to focus on ‘my’ rights rather than ‘ours’.
For instance, global issues such as climate change and energy are unlikely to attract their attention.
General shoppers in Korea only care about exciting events such as free coupons while consumers in the advanced countries pay more attention to international events for the sake of public interest.
Consumers in Korea are also stingier in making a contribution to charity than their counterparts in developed countries.
I strongly believe that the world class policy and consumer awareness can only contribute to increasing the consumer rights.”
△ What is your plan for consumer movement in the future?
“I have a plan to promote a variety of campaigns for the consumer safety including projects for sustainable energy and environment business.
They also include issues regarding influence of intellectual property onto the consumer life.
Consumer movement in the past used to highlight the way to improve the consumer rights while today’s movement also covers the consumer responsibility such as the environment protection.
I am going to make every effort for consumer organizations to be a catalyst for expanding the area of consumer movement."
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