Improvement of Customer Satisfaction

• Customer Experience Initiatives
• Customer Satisfaction Initiatives
• Customer Response and Support Improvement
• Product and Service Enhancement
• External Recognition

Customer Experience Initiatives

The Yamaha Group has put forth its corporate philosophy structure, the Yamaha Philosophy, to try to think from the customer’s viewpoint, to consistently provide high-quality products and services that exceed the expectations of its customers, and to create excitement and cultural inspiration together with people around the world. Our commitment to customers is defined in the element of “Customer Experience.”

In their business activities, all Yamaha Group employees remain constantly aware of the fact that their daily work is connected to the principles expressed in “Customer Experience.” In our quest to accommodate the diverse needs of customers, we are adopting universal design principles, proposing products and services that contribute to the resolution of social issues, and helping achieve sustainability through these efforts.

Customer Satisfaction Initiatives

Collection and Utilization of Customer Input (VOC Methodology)

The Yamaha Group adopts a voice of the customer (VOC) methodology in which customer input is gathered through questionnaires pertaining to musical instruments and audio products and is shared via the intranet. In addition, information on inquiries received from customers around the world via telephone or email at domestic and overseas sales companies is collected and regularly communicated to divisions involved in product planning and development.

We also use various customer contact points to administer customer satisfaction surveys to individuals centered on users of Yamaha products and services, and the results of these surveys are utilized to pursue improvements. Since 2022, we have been administering global surveys aimed at users of Yamaha Group member services to measure our Net Promoter Score (NPS^®).^*1 NPS^® is an indicator that quantifies customer loyalty based on the degree to which users would recommend a specific company, brand, or product. In 2024, responses to these surveys were received from approximately 27,000 users worldwide. Yamaha was rated positively overall for the third consecutive time in these surveys. The surveys also gauged opinions of Yamaha’s customer experience, which has been identified as an area requiring improvements. Meanwhile, some 28,000 comments were written into the free response columns provided for describing the reasons customers recommend Yamaha and any requests they have of Yamaha. We are using the survey results to guide improvements at domestic and overseas sales companies as well as musical instruments, audio equipment, and other relevant divisions.

Ratings, messages, and other direct input from customers are invaluable assets that allow us to determine whether or not we are successfully delivering the value we aspire to provide and whether or not this value is satisfying customers. Going forward, we will continue to take an open and earnest stance toward customer input so that this input can be used to drive improvements to help us craft even better customer experiences together with customers.

• 1 NPS^® is a registered trademark of Bain & Company, Inc.; Frederick Reichheld; and NICE Systems, Inc.

Mindset Building for Improving Customer Awareness

The Yamaha Group conducts unique training programs aimed at fostering interest and sensitivity toward customer experiences. Through these programs, we train around 3,000 employees a year. These programs see groups of employees thinking about what type of people use Yamaha Group products, the experiences they seek from our products, and how they actually feel when using these products on voice recordings of actual inquiries while interacting with the articles in question. Through the free exchange of opinions, participants become aware of customer sentiments that they could not have imagined on their own and think about what Yamaha Group employees can accomplish if they unite in their quest to serve customers. In this manner, these training programs help foster a corporate culture of valuing customer experiences.

In addition, newsletters are issued to production staff working in China and the ASEAN region to provide feedback from customers around the world with regard to the products manufactured in their respective regions. Meanwhile, intranet sites offer examples of improvements made to products and input from customers with regard to those products. This information helps improve employees’ sensitivity toward quality by making them aware of the discoveries their colleagues have made based on customer input and how they responded to this input.

Through these efforts, our aim is to foster a corporate culture that utilizes a customer-oriented approach and that is committed to earnest engagement with every customer.

Unique Yamaha Group training programs featuring both online and offline participation

Customer Response and Support Improvement

Customer Response and Support System

The Yamaha Group has established an after-sales service structure for customers through which it is working to respond to customer inquiries and requests with integrity. At Yamaha Corporation, the After-Sales Service Management Section exists to formulate after-sales service policies regarding the entire Yamaha Group, monitor quality in customer responses and support, and promote improvements.

Sales companies have developed systems, including customer support divisions, through which they offer after-sales services. These divisions develop customer support systems that make use of telephones, websites, and social media in order to facilitate smooth responses to inquiries. Some of the divisions have introduced customer management systems using cloud computing. Region-specific after-sales service networks are also developed that allow for swift and accurate consultation to be received through sales company service centers, Yamaha-authorized service centers, distributors, and contracted engineers. Furthermore, manufacturing companies with parts centers have established sections for procuring and managing service parts to facilitate quick supply of such parts and effective inventory management. These sections contributed to smooth after-sales services.

After-Sales Service Management System

Based on its slogan of “ONE YAMAHA,” the Yamaha Group has established the Group After-Sales Service Management Policies & Rules to guide the provision of global standard after-sales services that are of a uniformly high level of quality and to shape its after-sales service management system. On an annual basis, Yamaha Corporation’s After-Sales Service Management Section arranges international after-sales service management conferences for representatives of after-sales service divisions at Group companies and international technical service seminars for technical staff members. These forums are used as an opportunity to share Groupwide policies and discuss common issues, and participants take part in setting targets and formulating action plans pertaining to after-sales services. Group companies advance after-sales service activities based on these action plans while Yamaha Corporation’s After-Sales Service Management Section monitors and provides feedback on these activities in order to drive improvements in Groupwide after-sales service quality.

In fiscal 2025, in-person gatherings were arranged for the first time in five years given that the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided. A total of 34 individuals from 15 sales companies and five production subsidiaries met at the international after-sales service management conference, where they delved into themes such as ensuring customer loyalty (fostering feelings of attachment and trust among customers), maintaining repair frameworks over the medium to long term, and improving quality in parts supply, all founded on recognition of the extreme importance of Yamaha’s customer service and support procedures. Participants also shared their approaches toward addressing issues and examples of successful measures and took part in the formulation of action policy proposals based on a shared vision.

International after-sales service management conference discussions

Product and Service Enhancement

Music Education Business

The Yamaha Group desires to contribute to the realization of an enriched society in which people around the world are able to enjoy and share in the joy of music. This desire inspires us to develop a music education business on a global basis. The predecessor of Yamaha Music School was a music class that started in Tokyo in 1954. Since then, the Group has continued providing music education to help enrich the growth of children while establishing and developing the Yamaha Music Education System, a unique education method. To date, this method has been used to teach more than 5.5 million people in Japan. Our overseas music education forays began with the establishment of music schools in the United States in 1964. After this, we proceeded to expand our education programs into new markets, integrating local cultures and characteristics into these programs, and we have thus come to offer such programs in more than 40 overseas countries and regions today.

Based on its philosophy of “To foster the musical sensitivity that everyone is born with, to develop the ability to enjoy creating and playing the music of their own and ultimately share the joy of music with anyone,” the Yamaha Group provides services that meet the needs of all generations to make sure that people of all ages, ranging from small children to senior citizens, have the opportunity to enjoy music.

Countries with Yamaha Music Schools (As of March 2025)

Universal Design Initiatives

The Yamaha Group aims to create an environment in which all people can enjoy the pleasures of music, and we promote universal design to help realize a society that is both rich in communication and that allows people of diverse backgrounds to live comfortably and harmoniously. The Group is moving forward with initiatives that give employees such as product developers and designers a better understanding and greater awareness of universal design. We are also installing universal design principles into products in forms such as the voice readout functionality introduced into digital musical instruments.

In fiscal 2017, we began participating in the “Company UD Visiting Lectures” universal design program that is part of the efforts of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to promote community development through universal design.

SoundUD Sound Universal Design Support System

Yamaha Corporation is developing and advocating its SoundUD collection of cloud technologies and platforms for supporting universal design in sound. The SoundUD Consortium, an organization in which Yamaha Corporation is serving as the secretariat, acts with the objective of helping create a sustainable society in which there are no concerns about language or hearing ability. Yamaha Corporation is promoting the creation of innovation and new business models originating from Japan while helping facilitate the standardization and popularization of SoundUD technologies together with the more than 370 member companies and organizations (as of March 2025).

Omotenashi Guide is one example of services that utilize SoundUD technologies. This service employs sound universal design concepts to provide greater peace of mind to non-Japanese individuals in Japan as well as individuals with hearing impairments. The announcements, interphone communications, and voice guidance provided through this service are being used at facilities ranging from train stations and airports to commercial facilities, tourist spots, and sports stadiums. Furthermore, Omotenashi Guide can be used by senior citizens who may have difficulty hearing announcements, people with hearing impairments, and non-Japanese individuals who may not understand Japanese. This concept and the success of this service have earned praise, resulting in it being named among the 2023 superior information accessibility initiatives chosen by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Yamaha has also helped introduce visual announcements at all Tokyo Metro subway stations in April 2025. These announcements provide the information offered through in-station announcements in text format in multiple languages. This measure was taken as a step in preparation for the TOKYO 2025 DEAFLYMPICS scheduled to be held in Tokyo in November 2025.

Daredemo Piano (Auto-Accompanied Piano)

Developed jointly by the COI Site of Tokyo University of the Arts and Yamaha Corporation, the Daredemo Piano (Auto-Accompanied Piano) allows anyone to produce exquisite performances as they can play a melody (righthand part) with just one finger while being supported by automatic accompaniment (lefthand part) and pedal movement that is matched to the timing and pace of the melody. The Daredemo Piano was originally designed to fulfill the dream of a high school student with a disability affecting their hands and legs who sought to play Chopin’s Nocturnes. Today, it has evolved into a system that makes it possible for anyone to have fun playing as they desire, regardless of their physical ability, skill level, or age, making the Daredemo Piano a tool for the enjoyment of all, including aspiring new piano players.

In March 2025, Yamaha unveiled the beta version of the Daredemo Piano app, which allows users to experience some of the features of Daredemo Piano with their digital piano or keyboard^*2 at home. Going forward, we will continue working to make the essence of the experience of playing the piano more accessible.

• 2 Digital pianos or keyboards must feature MIDI ports or Bluetooth compatibility

Resolution of Social Issues with Sound Technologies

Ideal Sound Environments for Remote Communication

Demand for remote meeting systems is on the rise for applications including remote meetings at offices, hybrid classes with both online and in-person participation, and remote communication when teleworking. Amid this rising demand, the Yamaha Group has been turning its attention toward office sound environment issues, leveraging its accumulated technical and product expertise to propose ideal office sound environments that allow for conversations and remote meetings to be carried out without fear of being overheard or concern for noise from the surrounding area.

One offering used for this purpose is ADECIA, a one-stop acoustics solution providing microphones and speakers that are optimized for the rooms in question, whether these rooms need to be used for remote meetings or classes. Our lineup of ADECIA products can flexibly accommodate various remote meeting environments as these environments grow more diverse based on applications. For example, the system can be customized based on the number of participants and seating layout to create an environment that can deliver the voices of all participants clearly to remote locations. In addition, we offer a lineup of speakers that can be selected based on the scale of the room to clearly broadcast the voices of people in remote locations to everyone in the room.

Yamaha has also been providing audio support for remote classes at schools by utilizing its web conference microphone speakers and other audio communication equipment. Specific undertakings on this front have included joint classes between different schools, special exchange classes between sister schools, and collaborative classes for isolated islands and underpopulated areas that lack specialized teachers.

Headphones Equipped with Listening Care to Protect Users’ Hearing

Ensuring that people around the world are able to continue to enjoy music throughout their life is an important social mission of a company involved in sound and music. Accordingly, the Yamaha Group will continue to advance business and product development activities aimed at creating new value at the intersection between enjoying quality sound and protecting one’s hearing.

As part of these efforts, Yamaha provides headphones equipped with its proprietary Listening Care^*3 technology for reducing the strain on listeners’ ears. We have also constructed the Thinking about Hearing Health website (in Japanese only), which supplies information on how to enjoy listening to music and other audio while caring for one’s hearing. Through these efforts, we hope to help ensure that people are able to continue to enjoy sound and music for as long as possible.

All of Yamaha’s consumer-use wireless headphones are currently equipped with Listening Care technology.

• 3 A proprietary Yamaha technology that allows for music to be enjoyed at lower volumes without losing any of the details by adjusting output in line with volume while maintaining the overall balance of low- and high-pitched sound

Solutions Utilizing Sound and New Technologies

Since successfully manufacturing its first piano in 1900, Yamaha has been advancing its technologies to keep up with the changing times while also continuing to develop traditional acoustic musical instruments as well as musical instruments and technologies using the latest electronic technologies. In addition, the Yamaha Group continues to create better listening environments through research and development regarding sound fields and related control systems while pursuing superior sounds through the manufacture of sound-generating products. We have also been proposing solutions utilizing technologies such as the sensor technologies cultivated through product development and delivering the content that the Group proposes in the current environment.

SYNCROOM Online Remote Ensemble Performance Service

SYNCROOM is a service that allows users in up to six locations to connect via the internet to enjoy remote ensembles. This service uses a Yamaha proprietary technology to minimize the latency resulted from two-way transmission of audio data via the internet to allow for satisfying ensemble performances to be performed without any sense of irregularity despite members being in remote locations. We have continued to expand this service since it was introduced in Japan in June 2020, even going as far as to launch SYNCROOM in South Korea in June 2023. Today, SYNCROOM is helping users across Japan enjoy performances with colleagues separated by physical distance.

Technology for Faithfully Preserving the Authentic Experience of Music and Other Cultural Assets

In 2017, Yamaha began conducting R&D and business development initiatives aimed at faithfully preserving the authentic experience of music and other cultural assets, such as concerts. Examples of our successes on this front include Real Sound Viewing, a system for automatically reproducing instrumental music performances in a physical space; Distance Viewing, a next-generation live viewing service that records the full impact of live performances by artists and faithfully reproduces a virtual replica of these performances on stages; and general purpose audio protocol (GPAP), which supports the two aforementioned technologies by recording and replaying audio, video, lighting control signal, stage effects, and other data in different file formats in a uniform audio data format. Such new services and technologies make it possible to preserve performances and reproduce that experience at a different time and place so that they can be viewed by those who wanted to see them but could not attend the original performance. These offerings are not only applicable to modern music; they are also a way to help preserve traditional music at risk of extinction to be enjoyed by future generations.

Example Products

External Recognition

No.1 Domestic Share for Routers for Small and Home Offices for 20 Consecutive Years

In the figures for shares of the domestic network equipment market for 2023 announced by International Data Corporation Japan in June 2024, Yamaha held the No. 1 share in routers for small and home offices, which are also used for the small satellite offices of companies of all sizes as well as in stores. We have maintained the No. 1 share in this market segment for 20 consecutive years.

Since entering the network equipment market in 1995, Yamaha has continued to expand its lineup of switches, wireless LAN access points, unified threat management appliances, and other products with a focus on corporate-use routers. These efforts, coupled with our ongoing development of products that match customer needs and expectations, have prompted customers ranging from individuals to companies to use our products. In addition, we offer support by supplying an extensive range of information on our corporate website and by pursuing improvements with regard to our customer consultation centers. Another venue for support is the proactive provision of information via venues such as regular online Yamaha network seminars held to explain product settings and usage methods. Yamaha also makes efforts to improve customer skills through the Yamaha Network Engineer Association, a social media service that allows for exchanges of information between engineers, and the Yamaha Certified Network Engineer Program.

First Place in the Network Device Category of Nikkei Computer Partner Satisfaction Survey for Third Consecutive Year

Yamaha Corporation won first place in the network device category of Nikkei Computer Partner Satisfaction Survey 2025 of Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. This is our third consecutive year receiving this honor.

The survey looks at satisfaction levels in relation to hardware manufacturers and software vendors, specifically system integrators, consulting firms, and other partner companies, in nine product and service categories. Yamaha was able to claim first place based on an overall strong evaluation buttressed by particularly high scores in relation to products, price competitiveness, and technical support and information provision.

First Place in the Network Device Category of Nikkei Computer Customer Satisfaction Survey 2024-2025

Yamaha Corporation won first place in the network device category of Nikkei Computer Customer Satisfaction Survey 2024-2025 of Nikkei Business Publications.

The survey reflects the satisfaction ratings of chief information officers, information systems division leaders, and others involved in network product and service introduction with regard to IT vendors in 20 corporate IT product and service categories. Our receipt of this honor was a result of the high evaluation of factors such as the cost of our products.