Amid Questions Over Selling Practices, BYJU’S Shifts To 4-Tier Tech-Driven Sales Process

Edtech giant BYJU’S, which has faced various questions on its sales practices and refund policy and allegations of mis-selling courses, on Monday said it has launched a four-tier tech-driven internal sales (inside sales) process which has replaced its direct sales process.

The newly-introduced internal sales process would be entirely remote. It would be inclusive of a centralised tech-driven audit process which will ensure all sales go through three rounds of checking, BYJU’S said in a statement.

Inc42 was the first to report in October 2022 that BYJU’S was moving to the inside sales model since it is less costly compared to direct sales.

Talking about the new sales model, BYJU’S said that the four-tier process begins with educating potential customers (parents or students) about the company’s products and refund policy over a live Zoom session. At the time of purchase, it asks customers to give their consent after reading the terms and conditions on their mobile screen. 

Once a customer gives consent, the order verification team of BYJU’S revalidates the consent and double-checks if the customer has agreed to make the purchase. The customer gives another consent on the app, following which the sale is closed, the statement said.

“BYJU’S is fully committed to a transparent sales mechanism, and our tech-driven, 4-tier approach enhances communication and precludes potential mis-selling. We are constantly striving to improve our customer experience and we believe that this new approach will make the initial stages of the sales process more efficient, clear and empathetic,” Mrinal Mohit, CEO of BYJU’S India said. 

Besides, the edtech major said that its Education For All (EFA) initiative supports students from low-income families. 

Under the EFA, families with a monthly income of less than INR 25K qualify for the programme under which the edtech major gives free access to its content up to their child’s grade level.

The edtech major claimed to have covered over 55 Lakh children under the EFA programme till now and said it aims to expand it to cover 1 Cr children by 2025.

The adoption of the new sales strategy came weeks after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned BYJU’S CEO Byju Raveendran in December 2022 for alleged mis-selling of its products to students and their parents.

However, BJYU’S refuted claims of mis-selling or unfair trade practices. BYJU’S representatives told the NCPCR that the company’s marketing personnel do not pursue uninterested customers. They also said that sales closure happens at the central level and not at the point of sale. 

Like all other players in the edtech space, BYJU’S has also been hit by the funding winter and the decline in users due to reopening of schools and educational institutions after the pandemic. The edtech giant, which reported a 19.8X year-on-year rise in loss to INR 4,588 Cr in the financial year 2020-21, laid off over 4,000 employees in 2022.