CHAIRMAN, Mansales Limited, the authorised partner to Konka Mobile, Elens Eigbokhan, has said it is time all stakeholders rose to rid Nigerian market of substandard mobile phones. Eigbokhan spoke recently, shortly after the unveiling of Konka phones, new brand into the mobile phone market. Excerpts:
Grey market
Grey market is an issue that all stakeholders must say no to because of the economic implications. For us, we have factored that in during the planning stage. We are aware of grey market, where dealers smuggle branded phones that were not meant to be sold in a particular region, through unauthorised channels, and we are also very much aware of the deluge of substandard phones in the Nigerian market. What we have done to address the challenge, is to provide a unique identity number for each Konka phone that will be distributed in Nigeria and that number could be tracked online to find out whether the phone is genuine or not. The number is visibly written on the phone and customers have the right to track the number online before purchase. If customers are well educated on this, they will not be tricked into buying fake Konka phones, and if customers always insist on buying genuine Konka phones, then those that may want to sell Konka phones through the grey market, will have a rethink.
To further address the issue of grey market, we will have authorised channel distributors of Konka phones in various parts of the country who will be marketing genuine Konka phones.
What other features can consumers use to identify genuine Konka phones in the market?
We have other features to identify genuine Konka phones in the market. At the back of each pack of Konka phone, there is a Konka logo printed on both the phone pack and at the back of each mobile phone. The logo also comes in a unique way that customers could easily identity.
Market competition
Competition is key to any business and as competition grows, those brands of phone with good quality and robust products will always stand the test of time. So, our quality will always stand us out in the face of competition and Nigerians will love the brand because of the quality and features it has. So, we are not afraid of competition because we have quality products and our products will come as an eye-opener to Nigerians when they begin to experience true quality of mobile phones.
Our phones are robust and we maintain high quality for every manufactured phone. We are different from other vendors, because we manufacture our phones right from our factories, while most brands manufacture elsewhere and then assemble them under a brand name, which does not guarantee quality. Konka manufactures every part of the phone, including the motherboard, screen, casings, battery and this guarantees quality, because we have a brand name to protect.
Konka Mobile
Our partnership with Konka is sole distributorship. Mansales will be distributing Konka phones in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa, and our partnership deal forbids us to distribute other brands of mobile phone within the West African countries.
Partnership
Mansales is the official partner to Konka Mobile in Nigeria, and Konka is the first generation of China’s consumer electronics products and mobile phones company that is rated among the top 10 of China’s well known trademarks and the top three most valuable Chinese electronics brand. We partnered with Konka Mobile in order to address the issue of substandard mobile phones that are presently selling in the Nigerian market. Nigerians are mistaking them for quality phones, only to realise that they are not quality phones, after they must have bought and used them for few months. We also partnered with Konka Mobile to further deepen smartphone penetration in Nigeria. What we have done with Konka, is to open a trusted channel where Nigerians could buy quality and genuine mobile phones that will not only give them value for money, but will also meet their social and communication needs.
There is a general belief that products from China are of lesser quality than products from other regions?
Let me tell you something. Before the partnership agreement between Konka Mobile and Mansales was signed, I had visited China more than 35 times, doing different types of engineering businesses; I am a trained engineer by profession. The general perception that products from China are of lesser quality is a misconception. Today, China has grown to become one of the most technologically advanced countries of the world and they have been known for quality products. What happened is that China has a large population of workforce and the cost of labour is cheaper in China than most countries where products are manufactured. So, most people who want to cut cost, will deliberately ask for reduced quality in their specifications and because the labour is readily available in the country, the manufacturers there will produce, based on the specifications and quality they were asked to produce. They will in turn move these products and assemble them under a brand name as quality product. They do this because they want to maximise profits. Konka is an internationally certified company with a brand name and Konka has manufacturing plants where it manufactures its products and they come out with high quality. Konka is ISO certified and any ISO certified company in China will always want to defend that international certificate.
OEMs low standards
Again, those who want to maximise profits by cutting down on their cost, will always go to China where there is cheap labour and deliberately ask the manufacturers for lesser quality, which they will distribute and sell in some regions. The same company will also ask for quality products and will be prepared to pay the cost and they will sell the products in some specialised markets. This is discriminate sales and Konga is not part of such unwholesome business. We will ensure that we maintain the same high quality of products in our distribution chain in all the markets that we cover.
Our hallmark is quality and we want to use Konka mobile phones to correct the manner in which Nigerians have been exploited through the sales of fake and less genuine mobile phones. Many Nigerians have fallen victims to that and we want to use the Konka brand of mobile phone to correct that anomalies.
Nigerian economy
It will impact on the Nigerian economy in several ways. By the time we perfect all these plans, we will be able to achieve transfer of technology from China to Nigeria, create jobs for Nigerians and through our sales of Konka products in Nigeria, we will be able to contribute to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the country, because with time, Konka will want to establish its manufacturing plant in Nigeria, depending on the volume of sales that we make from the country. Above all, the impact will translate to integrity and value for money.
Support service
Konka has already established a state-of-the-art service centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with plans to extend it to other parts of Lagos and outside Lagos. The service centres are expected to employ Nigerians with technology skills and further train them on how to service Konka phones. The mobile phones come with one year warranty and Konka service centres take responsibility of the financial burdens for the repairs of mobile phones that may have factory defect.
Manufacturing plant in Nigeria
Konka will need some time to study the Nigerian market, before taking any decision about establishing a manufacturing plant in the country.
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