Online open market 11st, which was the first e-commerce operator here to create an offline customer service center, has opened its second center in Daegu, operator SK Planet said Tuesday.

Called “V Center,” the center serves customers who want to return items for exchanges or refunds. The first center opened in Guro-gu, Seoul, in April, and the second Daegu branch opened on Tuesday.

According to SK Planet, V Center seeks to expand 11st’s interactions with customers -- beyond e-mails, online messengers and message boards – by offering face-to-face service to increase customer satisfaction.

Before V Center, customers who wanted to return items had to ship the item and wait three to five days for the transaction to be processed. By visiting V Center, this process can be shortened, SK Planet said.

In addition, the Daegu branch of V Center offers home visits by 11st employees, who can handle return requests at customers’ homes and offices.

The company said that it plans to have 10 V Centers running by the end of the year.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)