Relationship with Customers | Implementing customer-oriented management

Fresh flowers on the branch counter

Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.'s Okazaki Branch Office has formed a Cleanliness Committee that aims to create and maintain a comfortable environment for both our clients and employees. Four members selected from different departments run the Committee in consultation with the Branch Manager and the General Section Manager.
Cleanliness Committee meetings are held regularly on the principle that our customers' interests will be served best by creating a comfortable environment, not solely from our customers' viewpoint but also from the perspective of employees being able to work in comfort. The Committee has fresh flowers delivered every Monday to decorate the branch entrance, and sends a "Clean-Clean Day" e-mail to all employees on Fridays. The Committee also makes large posters around seasonal themes explaining the content of discussions at each meeting, and displays them on each floor. Such posters may be about reducing the amount of office paper used or making sure the office temperature is set at an appropriate level.
Okazaki Branch Office employees will continue to share their ideas with one another and work to improve the office environment, in the hope that clients will recognize and appreciate their effort.

Discussions toward better services at the Jiyugaoka Branch

The Jiyugaoka Branch has held more than 50 monthly B&D (Basic & Dynamic) Committee meetings since its inception in July 2003. Meetings are attended by the branch manager and representatives from various departments, and given that the members are not fixed, everyone has an opportunity to participate and share ideas. Topics such as issues related to office duties, customer feedback or service improvements are openly discussed and all suggestions are welcomed.
Jiyugaoka Branch Office is visited by many customers, and discussions at recent meetings have focused on what kind of customer services we could provide, branch rules, awareness-raising and consideration for others. "Goals of the month" such as "Consideration, Alertness and Thoughtfulness," are set as a result of the discussions. Jiyugaoka Branch Office endeavors to create a branch that customers will enjoy visiting through these efforts.

Business Improvement Committee at the Hiratsuka Branch

Seeking to further raise the level of customer satisfaction, and become more integrated in the local community, the Hiratsuka Branch of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. holds monthly Business Improvement Committee meetings. Approximately ten employees participate in the meetings, representing various departments within the branch, including general administration, customer service and asset management, which allows for a free exchange of opinions from a variety of viewpoints. The Committee also identifies problems and areas for improvement in the day-to-day operations of the branch and works to find solutions to these issues. Discussions last up to an hour and a half, and the Committee's work has yielded great results, not only in raising the level of customer satisfaction, but also in improving communication and raising motivation among employees. Other initiatives that the branch has taken to build stronger ties with customers and the local community include the popular "Basics in Economics" lecture given by the branch manager.

Nomura International plc (NIP) held a conference with its clients between April 30 and May 1, 2008.
Under the theme of "Growing Together with Our Clients," the purpose of the event was to enhance NIP's understanding of its clients' needs, and to build a network between teams responsible for different product groups within NIP. The ultimate aim of the conference was to enable Nomura Group as a whole to provide services that are better aligned to our clients' requirements.
On the first day of the conference, NIP President & CEO Mr. Yugo Ishida used his opening remarks to stress Nomura's commitment to its clients, as well as its policy of putting clients' interests first. With key executives from seven client financial institutions, discussions were held on the respective businesses of these clients and their strategies for growth, as well as on how Nomura Group's own services could complement them.
On the second day, client-facing employees from different business divisions participated in an internal workshop. Based on client's feedback from the day before, they discussed what changes were necessary in order for Nomura Group to provide a world class platform.
The conference provided an excellent opportunity for our employees to hear directly what clients are looking for from Nomura. The feedback from clients focused our minds on the areas we should be allocating resources. Overall, the conference inspired us to think of ways for achieving full cooperation between our corporate area and regions so as to provide our clients with the best services.

Nomura Group's top priority is "to putting our clients at the heart of our business". We discussed this with our people in a dialogue on the key themes of "enriching society by delivering superior investment services" and "what Nomura Group can do to better meet the clients' needs." A dozen of our people from across the Group participated in an active exchange of ideas on topics taken from a CSR survey conducted in March 2007, followed by a closing round-table discussion.