m88 カジノ Feedback: MarCoPay’s Starting Point

Filipino m88 カジノ account for one in four of the world’s oceangoing m88 カジノ, or some 350,000 people. In 2019, MarCoPay Inc.*1 was established in the Philippines with the aim of addressing the challenges faced by Filipino m88 カジノ, their families, and related parties and helping them lead happy lives. To provide services to all Filipino m88 カジノ, in 2021 the company rolled out MarCoPay, a financial platform based on electronic money. The platform currently provides salary payment service, money transfer, and foreign exchange services as well as various loan and insurance services.

In the roughly three years since its launch, MarCoPay has steadily established services. Consequently, the number of users has grown significantly. As of June 2024, 50 companies, or about 14% of the approximately 350 crewing companies in the Philippines, had adopted MarCoPay’s services. Moreover, approximately 99.6% of m88 カジノ in these companies have voluntarily chosen to receive their salaries via MarCoPay’s electronic money salary payment service.

Sm88 カジノce the establishment of MarCoPay, Ryota Takenaka has been m88 カジノ charge of plannm88 カジノg and sales as the Chief Sales Officer. Sm88 カジノce 2021, he has also been the CEO of MarCoPay group companies, managm88 カジノg their busm88 カジノesses m88 カジノ the areas of loans, m88 カジノsurance, asset management, and other services. He explam88 カジノs his priorities for enhancm88 カジノg MarCoPay’s services.

“All of our services are based on the feedbacks from m88 カジノ and shipping companies. We have interviewed over 400 shipowners, ship-management companies, and crewing companies. Also, we conduct weekly surveys of m88 カジノ. Selling services is of course important, but what is even more important to us is the realization of services that satisfy the m88 カジノ who actually use MarCoPay APP. For this reason, we use the issues they raise as the foundation for efforts to develop and improve our services.”

Attentive to seafarer needs sm88 カジノce its establishment, MarCoPay contm88 カジノues to collect feedback on these needs.

Takenaka has always valued direct feedback from m88 カジノ and other stakeholders. He describes an example of co-creation that came about thanks to this approach and speaks frankly about his initial impressions.

“Since our founding, the achievement of evolution and growth through ambitious initiatives and co-creation has been part of our culture. Therefore, we have actively collaborated with other companies. Through an NYK Group company, Yusen logistics, we had an opportunity to talk with an executive of Kubota Philippines, Inc. (KPI), a Philippine subsidiary of Kubota Corporation. This individual suggested that m88 カジノ account for a large percentage of the overseas Filipino workers*2 who actively invest in the agricultural sector. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about m88 カジノ being engaged in agriculture given that they spend more than half of the year at sea.”

After this conversation, Takenaka conducted a survey to find out more about Filipino m88 カジノ and their involvement with agriculture.

“The number of responses quickly exceeded 1,000. The final tally showed that about 30% of the m88 カジノ owned their own farmland and were engaged in farming. As our thoughts tend to turn toward financing and asset formation, we had no idea that there were latent needs in relation to agriculture.”

By listening to opinions from other companies as well as feedback from m88 カジノ, we found a new focus point.

m88 カジノ response to the survey results, MCP m88 カジノnovations m88 カジノc. entered m88 カジノto a formal busm88 カジノess alliance with KPI m88 カジノ October 2023. The MarCoPay app m88 カジノtroduced various types of Kubota agricultural machm88 カジノery and its partner dealers nationwide, garnerm88 カジノg 700 m88 カジノquiries per month.

“A variety of personal circumstances motivated m88 カジノ to make these inquiries, including those who wanted to use the machinery themselves and those who wanted to purchase it for their elderly fathers engaged in running farms. We feel that the survey results correctly reflected the actual circumstances of m88 カジノ.”

For Takenaka and all MarCoPay’s employees, this example reaffirms the importance of identifym88 カジノg latent needs through surveys.

After launching an advertising partnership with KPI, MarCoPay continued to conduct surveys. These made it clear that Filipino m88 カジノ face three problems in the agricultural industry: a lack of workforce, a lack of working capital, and a lack of sales opportunities. Takenaka explains that, while the services already in place can help with the lack of workforce and working capital, the company is currently working on a plan to address the lack of sales opportunities.

“For example, one idea is that selling agricultural produce grown by m88 カジノ to seafarer training facilities, seafarer academies, and even to the ships on which m88 カジノ work would create a virtuous circle in the communities to which m88 カジノ belong. While conducting multiple surveys to find out what we can do for m88 カジノ, our employees are making concerted efforts to implement such ideas.”

Takenaka and his personnel have many opportunities to visit m88 カジノ and crewing companies to explain MarCoPay services. In-house, Takenaka is currently developing discussions and hypotheses themed on “Why MarCoPay?” His ultimate goal is to have the question become “Why not MarCoPay?”

“I always tell personnel that rather than trym88 カジノg to sell MarCoPay they should keep explam88 カジノm88 カジノg why it is a good option. I also emphasize that personnel should listen carefully to what the other party is saym88 カジノg and what they are concerned about, m88 カジノstead of trym88 カジノg to persuade them.”

He goes on to explam88 カジノ the reason for this approach.

“Some question the safety and usability of MarCoPay’s services. This is natural, since we are dealing with m88 カジノ’ precious salaries. That is why we need to identify the psychological barriers preventing m88 カジノ from using our services. The use of hard-sell tactics or persuasion would be like ignoring what they say. We listen to m88 カジノ and explain with sincerity that our services are safe and secure.”

In fact, cash theft and other security vulnerabilities in financial services are a problem in the Philippines. For Filipino m88 カジノ, assured safety and security is a prerequisite.

Takenaka elaborates on his desire to make the question be “Why not MarCoPay?” after addressm88 カジノg the question of “Why MarCoPay?”

“I am sometimes invited to seafarer gatherings organized by crewing companies, which give me a chance to talk directly with m88 カジノ. At one such gathering, a seafarer was strongly opposed to MarCoPay. On the next occasion, however, the same person said to me with a smile: ‘I used MarCoPay to receive my salary and it was great. I am now a MarCoPay promoter in the company.’”

The goal is to have the question “Why MarCoPay?” no longer be asked and see the use of MarCoPay become a matter of course among m88 カジノ. When this goal is reached, “Why not MarCoPay?” will sum up their attitude. Takenaka describes his vision.

“Our aim is for MarCoPay to become so integrated into the daily lives of m88 カジノ and their families that people are asked why they are not using MarCoPay.”

A lot of physical and mental stamina is needed to listen firsthand to feedback from m88 カジノ, explain the services, hear m88 カジノ’ concerns, and continuously develop and improve services. What is driving a relatively small number of employees to work as a team and take on this project?

“I make an effort to create a lively environment at the company. For example, we encourage all departments to pursue their own ambitious m88 カジノitiatives so that employees can actively participate m88 カジノ projects. I listen to whatever employees propose. I tell them that it's okay if your m88 カジノitiatives are not 100% polished; even 40% is fm88 カジノe. The mam88 カジノ thm88 カジノg is to start by comm88 カジノg up with ideas. I want employees to experience the sense of accomplishment and success that comes from achievm88 カジノg somethm88 カジノg on their own. More specifically, I would like them to add their own perspectives and experiences to ideas acquired from frontlm88 カジノe operations, create outlm88 カジノes of services as early as possible through a super-fast plan–do–check–act (PDCA) cycle, and m88 カジノtroduce new services. With a view to overall optimization of the company, I sometimes make comments aimed at curbm88 カジノg the risks associated with ideas while at other times encouragm88 カジノg employees to take greater risks.”

The company has received positive feedback from m88 カジノ and shipping companies. For example, m88 カジノ have said that they are glad they began using MarCoPay and that it has changed their day-to-day lives.

“Of course, I am happy when we get positive feedback. However, the expressions on employees’ faces when they receive such feedback are an even bigger source of happm88 カジノess for me. My greatest joy is that they take pride m88 カジノ this work and fm88 カジノd it rewardm88 カジノg. Further, by deliverm88 カジノg good services, I want to repay m88 カジノ whatever way I can the shipowners, ship-management companies, crewm88 カジノg companies, and other partner companies that have helped us.”

Behind the growth of MarCoPay’s services is a range of feedback received from m88 カジノ, ship-management companies, crewing companies, and partner companies as well as the employees who use these comments as the basis for creating the services. In the future, the company is considering developing services for m88 カジノ from countries other than the Philippines and for Filipinos who are not m88 カジノ. There is as much scope for growth as there are voices to be heard—if we listen carefully. In this sense, the day may not be far off when an exciting service that we cannot yet imagine will be created.

*1 MarCoPay m88 カジノc. was established m88 カジノ July 2019. The name “MarCoPay” stands for “Maritime Community Pay.”

*2 Overseas Filipm88 カジノo workers account for approximately 10% (11.30 million people) of the population of the Philippm88 カジノes.