Describes what is customary in the market for sales and customer support.
Last Published: 7/30/2019

The ability to provide adequate after-sales service is an important selling point and can distinguish a company from its competitors. Foreign invested enterprises are now able to provide sales service and after-sales customer support in China. Heightened consumer awareness has given U.S. companies with strong international brands an advantage in the Chinese market, as American products and services are generally considered to have superior sales and customer support standards.  This, of course, requires a certain degree of localization, and a commitment to training the local sales and service force.

In addition, there are other new challenges in the Chinese market such as food safety and product warranty issues.  In recent years, a few notable American companies have been criticized in China for not providing adequate customer service.  American companies should be aware of the increased importance of food safety and product warranty issues in China.  U.S. companies need to develop a public relations strategy to address customer concerns in a very price sensitive market like China where customer expectations of the private sector are high. In China, customers often use social media outlets to express their dissatisfaction over products and services and do not hesitate to involve appropriate government bodies to obtain a response from private sector service providers.
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.