In conditions of high competition, almost all companies are forced to expand the scope of their activities and offer customers, in addition to the main ones, additional services. However, there are many legal issues and nuances. What can be attributed to this category? What can a company charge for and why not?
In terms of law
The most accurate definition of additional services can be found in the Law "On financial lease (leasing)" dated 10/29/98 No. 164-F3. The text of the document indicates that this category can include any services that the lessor provides to the client before or during the use of the leased asset. Examples of additional services are also provided:
- purchase of intellectual property rights from third parties;
- installation and commissioning works for putting equipment into operation;
- employee training;
- after-sales service and repair services (capital, medium, current);
- preparation of the territory of production and communications, as well as other work, without which the leased asset cannot be used.
In practice, companies often offer customers service and assistance in operating their products. In the service sector, services are additionally provided to increase the level of comfort and meet individual customer requirements.
Classification of additional services
In many ways, the level of the enterprise and its image is determined precisely by the range of services that it offers. The more diverse the list, the higher the status and more opportunities for development. Foreign companies see this as one of the key tools for competition. What types of additional services are most common? There are several basic criteria.
Relationship with the sale of goods and services
Depending on how closely the additional services are directly related to the acquisition of the company's products, they can be divided into three groups.
The first type - those associated with the purchase of goods. In particular, this includes the pre-order of models temporarily absent in the store, packaging, home delivery.
The second type of service involves assisting the client with the operation. They are already after the acquisition and payment. An example is the receipt of orders for sewing clothes from fabric purchased in a store, the installation of household and industrial equipment.
And, finally, the third kind of additional services - associated with creating a comfortable environment for visiting the institution. For this purpose, children’s corners are opened in shopping centers, and guarded parking lots are equipped near office complexes.
Socioeconomic Importance
Another interesting classification option, which is based on what benefits the client or seller receives. It could be:
- saving time and effort;
- saving money;
- the impact on the economic performance of the enterprise (for example, the possibility of purchasing goods by installments).
Also, many companies provide entertainment services, the task of which is to increase the level of comfort and create a positive image of the company.
Location
Depending on the location of the provision of additional services, those that are carried out directly on the territory of the enterprise and at the client’s home are distinguished. The first type includes packaging of gift sets, cutting of purchased fabrics, etc.An example of the services of the second group is the assembly and arrangement of furniture in the buyer's apartment.
Time and deadlines
Some additional services are provided before the actual purchase of the goods or services, while others are performed during the sale process and after it. Pre-sale service is mainly related to consultation, product demonstration, as well as the opportunity to try the goods before purchase (as during a test drive in a car salon).
According to the deadlines for the implementation of services, they can be divided into urgent ones, which, as a rule, are provided directly in the presence of the buyer, and those that have clearly defined deadlines for implementation (that is, the client can receive results on a specific day).
Frequency
According to this criterion, services are divided into mass, periodic and episodic. Mass - these are those that are on an ongoing basis, as requests from customers. In particular, these include home delivery services. Periodic services include services that are provided at regular intervals. So, many hotel complexes conduct various festivals, annual exhibitions and conferences on their territory.
Tangible and intangible
Another factor used for classification is materiality. What does it mean? Some additional services are in material form, such as, say, repairing equipment or the ability to leave a child with a nanny in a hotel. Another type is intangible, which includes customer training, as well as all kinds of consultations.
Responsibility for the imposition of additional paid services
Since at one time unscrupulous entrepreneurs tried to increase their own profits by imposing unnecessary services and work on customers, the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights" dated 02/07/92 No. 2300-1 was amended to impose liability on such companies.
In Art. 16 of the Law states that enterprises do not have the right to make the purchase of certain goods or services a prerequisite for the purchase of other products and works. This is regarded as a violation of the consumer’s right to free choice of goods, and companies that try to make money in this way must compensate the buyer for the full cost of the service.
The third paragraph of the same article prohibits the provision of additional services, their inclusion in the contract and charging without the consent of the buyer. The client has the right to refuse them at any time, and if the company nevertheless forced him to pay for such work - to demand a refund of the amount paid.
In which case will the provision of additional services be legal? According to the current legislation and elementary business ethics, the seller must obtain written permission from the client. As a rule, a separate contract is drawn up for this, which sets out a list of additional work, the timing of their implementation and cost.
Examples of additional services in various fields
We have already said that expanding the range of works is one of the main trends in almost all sectors and an effective method of increasing the competitiveness of an enterprise. The consumer is interested in contacting the company that will most fully satisfy his needs. Here are some examples of additional services offered by enterprises in various fields.
Hotel and restaurant business
Perhaps the largest variety of additional services can be seen in this segment. Due to the enormous level of competition, most hotels use a differentiation strategy and try to stand out from competitors precisely due to the variety of services. It can be:
- community services (dry cleaning, laundry);
- provision of transport and taxi;
- sale of various souvenirs and manufacturers;
- carrying out cosmetic and medical procedures;
- organization of excursions and recreational activities;
- rental of rooms for conferences and seminars, etc.
In addition, some hotels offer their guests the opportunity to keep animals in their rooms, classes with an instructor in skiing and snowboarding, extreme entertainment.
Education
Some educational institutions organize courses and other educational events in addition to the program stipulated by the State Standard. Additional educational services can be provided at the expense of third-party organizations, private investors and parents of students (on a voluntary basis). Most often this list includes:
- teaching special disciplines that are not included in the main program;
- additional classes with teachers for in-depth study of individual subjects;
- private tutoring;
- courses;
- preparing students for exams and entering a university;
- organization of art studios (painting, music) and sports sections.
However, it is worth noting that educational institutions cannot charge for services provided by the State Standard. So, a school cannot arbitrarily demand money for textbooks. If training takes place on a contractual basis, a list of all the conditions and services that the university is obliged to provide the student is contained in the contract.
Cargo delivery
In this area, most of the services are related to ensuring safety during transportation of goods - in particular, fragile and potentially dangerous. Thus, DHL, the international logistics leader, offers its customers financial insurance (liability for cargo safety), transportation of non-standard goods, the possibility of sending and delivering products after hours (in the evening, on weekends and holidays), as well as special delivery by courier to hard-to-reach regions.
Travel agencies
The rapid development of this sector has led to the fact that now even small companies operating in provincial cities are looking for sources of additional income and offer a wide range of additional services that can make life easier for customers. Most often this is a translation of documents into other languages and paperwork for obtaining a visa. In recent years, the service of providing SIM cards of an international type and remote replenishment of the account of subscribers located abroad has become quite popular.
The medicine
As a rule, private clinics are not limited to receiving patients as usual and the ability to call a doctor at home. To make the life of clients as comfortable as possible, many of them offer trips to collect tests (all procedures are carried out not at the hospital itself, but at home). At the same time, it is possible to deliver the results of laboratory tests to your home. Some institutions provide translation services for medical records - from German to Russian, from Russian to other languages.