Product & Service Quality
Rakuten's Approach
Our constant pursuit of quality is the foundation of our trust with customers.
We will continue to maintain and improve the quality of our products and
services to deliver joy and excitement beyond our customers' expectations.
Rakuten Group Quality Policy
- Provide safe products and services to our customers.
- Reliably deliver the products and services promised to our customers.
- Provide products and services that comply with the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which they are offered, whether in Japan or overseas.
- Provide products and services that are beneficial to our customers.
- Provide convenient, user-friendly products and services to our customers.
Management System
Since its establishment, Rakuten has committed to providing quality services to its customers. We are keeping our promise through three types of initiatives
conducted under the leadership of our Group COO (Chief Operating Officer): Quality Improvement Activities, Quality Assurance Activities and Quality Control
Circle Activities.
In addition, we established committees that lead Group-wide quality initiatives for Rakuten Group and its subsidiaries. The Quality
Assurance Committee discusses installing and replacing quality standards and guidelines and evaluates the appropriate measures that are needed. The Quality
Improvement Committee promotes the implementation and adoption of quality-related measures in our services by monitoring quality based on the NPS®
(Net Promotor Score)* and sharing best practices.
*Net Promoter Score, NPS® and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld and Satmetrix Systems, Inc.
To continue providing high quality products
and services to our customers
| Quality Assurance | Quality Improvement | Quality Control Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention of quality-related issues | Improvement of existing services | Bottom-up quality improvement activities |
Quality Assurance Activities
We implement our quality assurance activities with reference to international standards such as ISO9001 to ensure that the expansive lineup of more than 70 services in our ecosystem consistently delivers the highest-possible quality services.The cross-Group Quality Assurance Committee sets targets, establishes quality standards, carries out training and promotes the sharing of best practices to prevent occurrences and future recurrences of quality issues. Our vice chairs and executive vice presidents participate in quarterly Quality Assurance Committee meetings that bring together management and frontline employees.
Quality Assurance Steps
Quality Improvement Activities
Maximizing customer satisfaction is one of the core values of the Rakuten Group. To meet and exceed customer expectations, Rakuten uses NPS® and VOC to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Number of quality
Improvement
activities in 2021
Total:520
NPS® Net Promoter Score
Our NPS® activities quantify how much loyalty and trust our customers have in Rakuten's services and brands through user surveys,
interviews, and direct or indirect questionnaires. The results are utilized to evaluate and improve customer experience to better understand many points of
interactions users have with Rakuten's services.
Managers in charge of quality improvement take the lead in analyzing NPS®
results, and implementing necessary measures. In 2016, the Quality Improvement Committee created subcommittees to address NPS®
issues common to all Rakuten Group services. The subcommittees lead to more workplace-driven quality improvement activities by involving employees directly in
managing issues, in order for Rakuten's services to remain number 1 compared to competitors.
Rakuten's rank based on NPS® survey results and target for FY2023 are as follows:
| FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2023 Target | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank based on Group NPS® | No. 1 | No. 1 | No. 1 | - | - |
| Rank based on Ecosystem NPS® | - | - | No. 1 | No. 1 | No. 1 (NPS® above competitors') |
Rakuten's rank used to be measured as an overall evaluation of the Group's services and specificities, based on Group NPS® surveys. Since 2022, it is measured based on our Ecosystem NPS®, in line with the current Group strategy. These surveys are conducted on population samples that are significant and representative of our customer base and of our competitors'.
Case Study
Improvement activities at Rakuten Travel
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the tourism industry and Rakuten Travel was no exception. To facilitate the swift recovery of the
industry, we promoted safe travel measures by implementing various improvement initiatives. We added features to show which facilities implemented
COVID-19 prevention measures, provided consultations on how to increase reservations and accelerated the adoption of early payment for travel and
accommodation fees for facilities suffering from the drop in international and domestic tourists.
I believe it is vital to put Rakuten's
mission of empowering people and society into practice and walk together with our partners, especially during this challenging time. Rakuten Travel
strives endlessly to offer better services to our customers and encourage the growth of the tourism industry.
Yoshiyuki Takano
Head of Travel & Mobility Business,
Vice President, Commerce Company
VOC: Voice of the Customer
Based on opinions and requests received through social media and call centers, Rakuten continuously works on eliminating our customers' problems.
Examples
of actions based on VOC analysis include deploying chatbot functionality for more convenient customer inquiries and expanding the number of shops accepting
Rakuten's various payment options. Additionally, we established the UX Research Room in 2013 to collect customer feedback directly. Users are invited to an
interview room where employees can ask them questions and observe how they use websites and apps. Employees from various businesses can conduct user research in
real-time, discuss issues and instantly execute improvement plans.
Quality Control Circle Activities
To achieve higher quality, we started Quality Control Circle (QCC) activities in 2016 as part of our comprehensive quality control program. QCC is a
participatory framework for the continuous improvement of processes, products and services. In QCC, employees come together to identify and solve
problems related to quality and efficiency in the workplace.
QCC embraces the "Always Improve, Always Advance" principle, which is one of Rakuten's
five principles for success and a part of Rakuten Shugi, shared with all Rakuten employees. Firmly rooted in the principles is the concept of kaizen, a
Japanese notion of achieving continual, incremental improvements. From only 13 participants in 2016, QCC activities have been ramping up steadily,
reaching 4,182 employees in Japan by 2021. The activities have also been implemented overseas, at Rakuten Ichiba in Taiwan and Rakuten TV in Spain. The
implementation of QCC activities has led to quality and productivity improvement for business operations and services. Not to mention the enhancement of
employee capabilities and the creation of vibrant working environments.
Case Study
QCC activities at Rakuten Insurance General Information Center
At Rakuten Insurance, the number of customer inquiries rose and a decrease in customer satisfaction due to delayed responses became a concern. QCC activities were carried out to reduce incoming calls by 5% month-on-month and ensure more stable operations at our call centers. After analyzing the situation and its causes, we expanded our content lineup on the FAQ page, adding more relevant links so customers could find answers at a glance anytime without calling the customer center.
