The company will spend a sum of Rs 2 crore on the entire free servicecampaign -- Samsung claims the camp is an industry first in terms of the scaleof implementation.

During the camp, Samsung plans to service all products bought betweenDecember 1995 and January 2000 free of charge, besides offering a discounton annual maintenance charges and spare parts. An added benefit forcustomers in cyclone-hit Orissa: the entire cost of spares and service willbe borne by the company. The offer is available on all Samsung products,excluding the telecom range.

Supporting the initiative will be a four-part print campaign, created byTriton Advertising, to be released across national and regional dailies onJanuary 22, 2000.

Interestingly, the copy of each creative carries a personalised message fromKS Kim, elaborating on the Samsung philosophy behind the service campaign.At the bottom is listed the special service offers and the different meansavailable to register a complaint. Consumers can register their complaintsby calling up any of the company's 310 factory/authorised service centres oron-line on the company's Website at www.samsungindia.com.

Reads the copy of the first ad: ``the first-ever nationwide service drive,only from the world leader in digital technology.'' The concluding ad willread: ``Thank You... there's a lot more to look forward to.'' Each of thefour ads will carry the special symbol created for the campaign: ``FreeSamsung Customer Care Camp'' and the schedule for the servicing of differentproducts. According to Kim: ``The month-long campaign is a reaffirmation ofour `customer first' approach. Our ultimate goal is customer satisfaction,providing quality products backed by superior service and a widespreadafter-sales service network.'' And for once, the MD is putting his face,where his mouth is.