News

KYOCERA MITA Commissions J.D. Power and Associates To Conduct Industry's First Dealer Certification Program For Excellence In Customer Satisfaction

Programs Goal is to Enhance Customer Loyalty to Kyocera Mita Brand and Increase Customer Traffic and Sales at Certified Dealer Locations

Las Vegas -- April 24, 2003 -- Kyocera Mita, one of the world's leading document imaging companies, has commissioned J.D. Power and Associates, the recognized voice in customer research, to provide Kyocera Mita dealers in North America with the industry's first Certified Dealer Program for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction.

This highly coveted J.D. Power and Associates recognition is a first in the digital imaging industry, and provides Kyocera Mita Total Solution Provider (TSP) dealers with the opportunity to be recognized for providing an Outstanding Customer Experience. Dealers who meet or exceed the identified national benchmark for sales and service satisfaction, as determined by the J.D. Power and Associates Copier Customer Satisfaction Study, will be awarded the Certified Dealer designation.

Certified Dealer status provides dealers with an important point of differentiation for prospects and customers within the dealers' marketplace, and will contribute to increased customer traffic, higher sales and enhanced loyalty to the Kyocera Mita brand.

"This Certified Dealer Program will add even more strength to the Kyocera Mita brand, and will enable our valued TSP dealers to further separate themselves from the competition in this highly competitive industry," said Michael Pietrunti, vice president, marketing for Kyocera Mita. "We are proud that Kyocera Mita is working with J.D. Power and Associates to launch this inaugural program devoted to customer satisfaction in the digital imaging industry."

"The J.D. Power and Associates Certified Dealer Program will establish a customer satisfaction standard benchmark for the entire Kyocera Mita dealer organization to strive for, and is destined to increase customer traffic to dealerships that qualify for this influential award," said Ron Conlin, Partner, J.D. Power and Associates. "J.D. Power and Associates has been the primary catalyst in bringing the language of customer satisfaction to a variety of industries, and we are pleased to enter the digital imaging arena with Kyocera Mita."

To promote the accomplishment, certified TSP dealers will receive national and local press releases by Kyocera Mita congratulating the dealer, advertising slicks and artwork, a listing on the J.D. Power and Associates Consumer Center website, point-of-sale materials for the showroom, and the impressive Certification Trophy to proudly display in their establishments.

J.D. Power and Associates, established in 1968, is an organization best known for ranking different organizations and industries based upon customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction certification is issued to organizations based upon how well a product, sales or service fits the experience expectations of customers.

ABOUT J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. Media e-mail contact: michael.greywitt@jdpa.com or john.tews@jdpa.com

ABOUT KYOCERA MITA
Kyocera Mita is one of the world's largest manufacturers and leading providers of computer-connectable peripherals, including network-ready digital copiers/printers, laser printers, color copiers/printers, digital laser facsimiles, multi-functional, wide format imaging devices and Kyocera Mita-developed and third-party software/network solutions. Kyocera Mita is a group company of Kyocera Corporation, the world's leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components. Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net revenues totaled $9.0 billion during the year ended March 31, 2002. Kyocera Mita's headquarters for the Americas are in Fairfield, New Jersey.

For more information, visit www.kyoceramita.com