Sodexo invests to increase client and service base
DCI
French group Sodexo, world leader in food and management of services, wants to increase its network of registered food establishments and restaurants in Brazil, with the purpose of reaching a greater number of corporate clients and users of its meal vouchers. Today, the network has 250 thousand accredited establishments, but it is investing in steps to register one thousand new companies a month.
According to Celso Fernandes, Commercial Officer of Sodexo Cheques e Cartões de Serviço, which has clients in 80 countries, Brazil is already the largest world market in operations and earnings in the sector of vouchers of the company and it still has potential to grow. The segment of food cards had operations of nearly R$ 20 billion (US$ 11 billion) in 2008 in the Country, a total of which Sodexo has a share of R$ 8.9 billion (US$ 4.86 billion).
The group should invest more in the area and it is adopting the strategy of having a closer relationship both with the companies that use its services and with the registered establishments. "We are increasing the contact. At first, we focused mostly on the Human Resources sector of the companies; now, we talk to financial directors, in order to show the benefit they can have by offering their employees our meal-vouchers, and with the marketing directors, to whom we offer other products of incentive, for instance", explains the director.
Fernandes adds that one of the arguments to increase the number of accredited restaurants is to point the advantages of increasing the flow because of the card, and he is operating initiatives like the sponsoring of events in the area, like the Restaurant Week, which will take place between August 31 and September 13, in 200 restaurants in São Paulo. More than 70% of the participating restaurants are accredited and will accept the Sodexo Meal Pass card, as form of payment. "The user of our card will prefer to consume at an accredited restaurant: we bring client flow to the establishments", affirms Fernandes.