TV Direct aims to make 3-RD Thailand’s
TV DIRECT, a home-shopping operator, yesterday revealed a strategic move to make its latest subsidiary 3-RD Co the country’s leading provider of outsourced contact-centre services as well as a regional base for such services in the Asean Economic Community (AEC) within five years.
The company last month acquired a 50-per-cent stake in 3-RD from GMM Grammy, which had reshuffled its investment strategy to focus on its core businesses, especially entertainment and content production. The remaining 50 per cent of 3-RD still owned by its founder Kanokporn Chinorak, who is currently chief executive officer, and her executive colleague Kanokdao Kanjanapusakit, who is now managing director.
Kanokporn worked with well-known US-based companies IBM and OgilvyOne before establishing her own company, 3-RD, in 2007.
She said the company had invested heavily over the past few years to strengthen its foundations in the areas of business infrastructure, personnel and resources, as well as contact centre technologies. OneApp intelligent management software for telemarketing has been applied by the company to its contact-centre business.
“We are ready to expand our contact-centre business not just in Thailand but beyond. We have seen a lot of business opportunities in many overseas markets within Asean. Our system is now able to [expand] at the regional level, and our aim is to become a regional hub in the AEC,” Kanokporn said.
She said the expansion would be conducted under many business models, including partnerships and joint ventures with local investors, but also on her firm’s own initiative.
She said that after TV Direct acquired a 50-per-cent stake last month, 3-RD aimed to add value to TV Direct’s core business, which is television and online home shopping.
“We have provided contact-centre service to TV Direct as well as to other businesses also owned by its shareholders. We have also provided outsourced contact-centre services to our own clients, which are in financing, insurance, consumer-goods, and home-shopping businesses.”
She said 3-RD currently operated four contact-centre offices in Bangkok, at Surawong, Sathorn, Ratchadaphisek and Silom, with more than 1,300 call staff.
Kanokporn said 3-RD posted a loss in 2016 but expected to become profitable by the end of this year.
Songpol Shanmatkit, CEO of TV Direct, said the company aimed to mobilise 3-RD to become a leader in outsourced contact-centre services in Thailand, which his company believes has good growth potential.
He added that TV Direct operated its own contact centre with 300 call staff in charge of selling the company’s products via telemarketing.
