Showtime, the region’s leading pay-TV provider in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced the latest addition to its network of dedicated showrooms, located at Riyadh’s Azizia mall. The shopping center is one of the largest in the capital, centrally located and adjacent to NCCI Insurance and Saudi Telecom. According to Wisam Edghaim, Showtime’s director for Saudi Arabia, the company aims to increase customer satisfaction by improving the quality and increasing the number of sales points. “Our research indicates people like to buy direct from our staff. Our showrooms allow us to control the whole sales process and provide accurate information on new channels and technical developments,” Edghaim said. Extensive ongoing training marks the new opening. Showtime has adapted its recruitment strategy in certain areas and has recently recruited 15 new customer service representatives who underwent a rigorous selection process and will be trained to very high standards of customer interaction and care. Feedback from customers in Riyadh has been very positive to the increasing number of Showtime outlets.
ITS
International Turnkey Systems (ITS) recently hosted a series of landmark seminars in the key Middle East markets of Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and Lebanon aimed at introducing leading-edge systems and advanced technologies to protect the banking and financial services sector from money laundering. ITS has emphasized its specialty systems that are effectively implemented for the prevention of money-laundry, and certified EMV credit cards. According to Haitham H. Abdou, manager of banking marketing and product development at ITS, recent surveys carried out on the region’s banking and financial service sector indicate that less than five percent of banks and financial establishments in the Middle East have deployed preventive electronic systems and technological programs capable of preventing money-laundering conspiracies. “This alarming situation means that literally hundreds of banks and finance houses across the region are vulnerable to money laundering activities,” he said. “The need for preventive systems is acute, particularly given that the deployment of anti-money laundering systems will soon become a requirement imposed by international banks on the region’s banking system.”
ARAMEX
ARAMEX International Ltd. (AIL) has launched its state-of-the-art new global tracking system worldwide. Using software engineered by the ARAMEX IT team based in Jordan, the track and trace platform delivers real-time information on all aspects of customers’ shipments, from scheduling to invoicing. “The ARAMEX Shipment Management System IT platform has been custom-designed to meet the very specific needs of our customers and partners. We’ve placed thousands of working hours in design, development, testing and implementation efforts to come to where we stand today,” said AIL President and CEO Fadi Ghandour. “Investment in cutting-edge technology infrastructure - to facilitate the handling of millions of domestic and international express packages and freight shipments - is at the heart of the ARAMEX development and global expansion strategy,” Ghandour added. “The unique advantage and significance of this technology platform for ARAMEX is its ability to integrate with different systems, positioning ARAMEX as the technology cornerstone of a recently formed new worldwide alliance of express providers, the Global Distribution Alliance (GDA),” said AIL Vice President Express Adrian Horsley. The GDA, co-founded and chaired by ARAMEX, is a network of more than 40 independent, express operators who together provide comprehensive global coverage with strong local market expertise. “This vital alliance would not have been possible without the backbone of this tracking system that provides total visibility and tracking capabilities to our customers worldwide,” Horsley added.
Al-Rajhi Bank
Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest financial institutions, has finalized the second phase of a major business initiative to enhance customer satisfaction and increase market share through the deployment of Oracle Customer Relationship Management (CRM), part of the Oracle E-Business Suite. The operational CRM effort currently gives more than 850 of Al Rajhi’s customer service representatives a “telesales dashboard” that displays all of a client’s interactions with the bank, identifying customer value, cross-selling opportunities, and service requirements. Al-Rajhi selected Oracle CRM to meet three key objectives: improve competitiveness in the Kingdom’s increasingly deregulated financial sector, understand and enhance customer profitability, and standardize customer service levels for increased satisfaction. Ultimately, Al-Rajhi will deploy Oracle CRM at more than 375 branches and throughout its call center, integrating the bank’s face-to-face, telephone and online service efforts, as well as its marketing strategy. “Al-Rajhi now has a complete picture in terms of our customer interaction process. Using the analytical power of Oracle’s solutions, we can now take advantage of every single customer interaction to improve satisfaction, cross-sell new services through Oracle Telesales, keep track of all requests through Oracle TeleService, and gauge our marketing effectiveness and the impact of the overall CRM effort on Al-Rajhi’s bottom line,” Al Rajhi’s DGM Saeed Al-Ghamdi said.
Ajmal
Ajmal perfume has introduced Athari, a new oriental concentrate ‘Mukhallat’ reflecting “sheer elegance.” Targeted toward both sexes, Athari flaunts a unique portion of floral, woody, and musky notes. Its captivating aroma of Dahn Al Oudh, combined with the freshness of Rose, Lily of the valley and warm Musk, creates an enticing atmosphere around the wearer. “The rich blend of western and oriental ingredients complements the sophisticated personality of the Athari individuals. They are stylish and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. Such individuals value disciplines and take full responsibility for their actions,” Ajmal’s Chief Perfumer Nazir Ajmal said. Presented in a hand cut crystal bottle, Athari reflects richness and style. The exclusive design and unique texture makes Athari a valuable possession for every fragrance lover. The concentrate is available at all Ajmal showrooms and select dealers throughout Saudi Arabia.
NCB
The National Commercial Bank (NCB) received an honorary plaque from the Charity for the Memorization of the Holy Qur’an in Jeddah for its support by providing advanced computers. Abdulrazzak El Khraijy, assistant general manager and head of Islamic Retail Banking Services at the NCB, visited the charity and accepted the honorary plaque from the head of the charity Engineer Abd Al Aziz Hanafi after visiting the various divisions of the charity beginning with the computer labs. El Khraijy assured that this donation was initiated by the bank’s vision, inherent value and sense of duty toward the support of the charitable efforts and the officially recognized institutions for social and humanitarian aid. El Khraijy added that the bank as a reputable financial entity recognized its national responsibilities toward society not just through the banking programs and services which it provides to suit the needs of diverse social sectors but also through its many participations and contributions in various areas that are concerned with the support of social and humanitarian matters.
