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Transcript

KQ: Towards Customer Excellence · The Mwango Capital Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Good evening, everyone.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to our spaces this evening.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Terry Anchabet,
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: a communications practitioner,
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: a business journalist background,
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: currently consulting in many interesting spaces,
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: including sustainability,
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: global financial infrastructure,
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: as well as climate finance.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I really do enjoy moderating conversations that are forward thinking,
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: that take us as an economy and as a country forward.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I am looking forward to our conversation this evening.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: The title and the theme for our conversation is Growing Towards Customer Excellence.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I will be speaking with Julia Sayro, who's a Chief Commercial and Customer Office at Kenya Airways.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The aim of this space is now Customer Service Week,
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: as we all might already know,
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: is an internationally recognized event held during the first week of October.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now,
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: this week is dedicated to appreciating the importance of excellent customer care and,
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: of course,
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: recognizing the contributions of service staff who provide
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: exceptional experiences.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Customer Service Week presents an opportunity to look at KQ's overall service
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: offerings and customer touch points with a view to explain the thinking behind them.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: A little brief about Mwango Capital, who's the host of the spaces.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Mwango Capital is a research company that leverages digital media to share
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: information on East Africa's financial markets.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Mwango Capital seeks to inform investors about what organizations and firms do and
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: helps them digest company financials and business news.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Mwango Capital does this through some research.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: For those of us who follow Mwango, you must have seen that.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: High quality media productions and narratives based on facts and opinions from experts.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Mwango Capital also has a newsletter, which is out every week.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: They do host Mwango Spaces and send out one of my favorites, which is Mwango Memes, every Saturday.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: So just a quick look at what Mwango Spaces has done in the past, especially in regards to Twitter Spaces.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: They have hosted incredible quality of thought leaders,
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: such as INM Bank,
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: regional CEO Kehara Miner,
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: a Bank of Kigali Group CEO,
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Dr.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Diana Karusisi,
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Standard Chartered Health and Wealth Management,
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Paul Njoki,
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Centum Investments Company CEO,
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Dr.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: James Moria,
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Flametree CEO,
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hiril Bangera,
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: MTN Uganda CEO,
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Wim Valhaput,
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Institute of Economic Affairs CEO,
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Kwame Owino,
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: among others.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: We'll quickly get into our conversation with Julius.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, Julius, good evening and happy customer service week.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: Good evening, Terrian.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: Happy Customer Service Week to you and the audience.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: Really glad to be joining this Tuesday evening.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Julius.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you can just tell us a little bit about your role.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: What does a day-to-day look like for a Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at KQ?
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Terian.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: Again,
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: Julius Thiro,
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Chief Commercial and Customer Officer with Kenya Airways,
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: an aviation leader with 20 plus years in the industry.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: I've had the privilege of working in three different continents.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: I've worked in Asia, I've worked in Europe, and of course, I've worked in
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Africa for many years and I'm very passionate about aviation industry and
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: particularly so in Africa because of the impact it has on everyone on uplifting
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: livelihoods within the continent and the opportunities it offers to the continent.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm also very passionate about customer and customer excellence.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: Really, you cannot succeed as any business if you do not put customer.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: My role has two facets.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: I'm responsible for end-to-end customer experience.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm also responsible for driving revenues and growth for the company.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I travel a lot.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: How do my typical day look like when I'm not traveling?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's normally a long day.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: I divide my day into sort of three parts.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: The morning part would be I start by just looking at customer feedback, immediate issues.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: I review market.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: I look at trend, what's happening in the markets.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: because all this would probably need my immediate decision or immediate action.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: Then the second part of my day is spent in many meetings,
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: and these meetings are to drive projects,
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: drive strategies,
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: any customer revenue initiatives that we have,
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: to also look at data,
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot of cross-functional meetings with different departments to make sure that
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: we're both driving revenue and customer initiatives.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: And then the afternoon or the third part of my day, I normally spend it meeting stakeholders.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: So this could be customer,
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: it could be companies that we work with,
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: it could be partner,
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: it could be something.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I normally just end the day looking at how we've performed.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: So reviewing key performance indicators,
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: targets,
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: or things that didn't do well and planning for the following day.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: So that's like my typical day when I'm not traveling,
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: but I'm very passionate about aviation and what I do.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's quite a packed day and I can only imagine how much more busy this week must have been.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: We're just getting to the middle of customer service week.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us a little bit about what KQ has been up to and what activities are planned
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: for the rest of the week.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: This tends to be a very exciting time for us when we are celebrating and
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: commemorating customer service week.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: It involves, of course, a lot of preparations.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: It is because we always want to make it fun.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: for our staff and fund for our customers.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: So we normally have a number of engagements and activities lined up with the key aim.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: First is to, of course, appreciate our customers who've been loyal to us, who've been supporting us.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then two is to appreciate and engage our frontline staff who are so critical in
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: ensuring that we deliver an excellent service.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: So a typical day will involve, especially the leadership team, being on the ground, working alongside
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: our staff, meeting customers.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: For example,
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: yesterday,
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: we kicked the customer service week in the morning with our CEO,
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: Alan Kilavuka,
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: at the airport,
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: boarding the flights to Johannesburg.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: So he spent time with customers, handed out chocolates, candies,
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: flowers, hampers, and we have all these kind of activities across the whole week.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: We also internally engage with teams.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: We'll have cakes where we meet teams and we celebrate what we've been able to achieve in the year.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: And this culminates at the end of the week.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: You will probably see, just like you saw last year, part of our leadership team also get on the flight.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: and become part of the service crew,
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: in-flight crew,
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: and they will serve our customers from Point A,
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: from here in Nairobi to our destination that I am not revealing now.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: But it's normally so exciting and so humbling for us to really be able to walk and
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: experience what our staff do experience.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: And of course,
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: also engage customers directly and also get direct feedback and some very good feedback,
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: but also some tough feedback,
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: but feedback that we need to hear to also improve as a business.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about your overall customer service approach.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you can just send us from a KQ perspective.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: In today's fast-paced and very competitive aviation industry, what's your customer service like?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: First,
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: if I approach this from just a strategy point of view,
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: our vision as Kenya Airways is to be a preferred and sustainable aviation group.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Preferred definitely has a direct request
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: relationship with you excelling in the area of customer service or customer excellence.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Otherwise,
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: customers will not prefer you because as you've mentioned,
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: in this very competitive space and a very competitive industry,
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: customers do have choices.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: So for us...
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: is the vision that drives us.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: So everything we do comes from that vision.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: And we do have some core values that drive that vision.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: And just probably to mention two,
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: which I think are relevant,
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: especially when it comes to customer excellence,
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: is one,
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: we have a value around safety.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: which is overarching.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Customers will not choose Kenya Airways if they think we are not safe.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: And safe,
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: it's not just aircraft being safe,
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: but it's also do they feel safe around the different interaction points when they
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: are experiencing our services and our products.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: And then the other key value for us is customer obsession, which
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: For us, we say in everything we do in the company, we need to put the customer first.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Whether you're frontline staff or you're staff in the back office,
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: you need to understand,
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: internalize,
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_01: and appreciate that anything and everything you do touches on the customer.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: And we drive this through a culture transformation initiative,
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: which we call Reignite in the company,
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: to really drive that culture of customer first,
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: where
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody appreciates that anything and everything we are doing is for the customer.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: And also appreciate that it's not every time we'll get things right.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's not always that things will go right.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: But what is important is what do we do?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: And do we come together as a team to recover when things don't go right?
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that's like the customer excellence mantra or the drive and the vision we have for the company.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: And why we totally believe this is important is,
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: again,
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: we in a very competitive industry like airline with very small margins,
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: you will not survive.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: if you do not put customer first.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: So for us,
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: one is it gives us that competitive advantage because we're able to differentiate
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: ourselves and drive us to be preferred.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: So a customer says,
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: I prefer to fly with Kenya Airways from Nairobi to London because of how they make
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: me feel when I fly with them.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: The other one is, of course, we want to drive loyalty, repeat business.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think there are many statistics out there that show acquiring a new lead or new
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: business is ultimately more expensive than repeat business.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's important for us.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: And the third one is to drive revenue growth and sales.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: And the fourth one, which is
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: clear for us is to drive that positive reputation.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: Brand image, which of course allows growth as I've talked about.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: So for me,
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: that is why customer service and we actually refer to customer service in a more
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: broader way to customer excellence because customer service is just one aspect of
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: customer excellence.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you have alluded to my next question,
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: but I still would like to ask it just in case you want to expand your overall
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: customer service approach a little bit more.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: What do you feel sets KQ apart in terms of customer service?
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: I would put these two things.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: One is our staff from hiring.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think what we drive is that focus on customers.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: customer to when we are inducting staff to training staff.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's all around customer excellence.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: And here, I know we are an international airline, so we have staff all over the world.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: But of course, the bulk of our staff are Kenyans.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: We have to be proud as Kenyans because we seem to have that natural ability to give
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: good customer service.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why part of our brand essence, we say we are
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: warm, caring, friendly African, because we are actually proud of that.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that is actually something that we do take advantage of and we feel it gives us advantage.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: So we leverage on that,
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: the fact that we naturally have staff who are inclined to give good customer service,
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: but we complement that with proper training,
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: proper structures,
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: tools for the staff to be able to do an excellent job.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: The other aspect of what sets KQ apart when it comes to customer excellence is
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: leadership led by our CEO and the board.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: We are very clear within the company that customer obsession or customer excellence
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: is what drives the business.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: In our engagement,
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: in our meetings,
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: in everything we do,
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: we always ask ourselves and we keep ourselves honest,
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: is this what customer wants?
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not inward looking.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I know we'll get to a point where we discussed how we get customer feedback in,
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: but we do it driven by what do customers want?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: So it's more outward insight.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: So what is a customer looking for if they want to fly from one point to another with Kenya Airways?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: And are we able to meet the customer need and want?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: So that is what drives us.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: And that is what we believe set us aside.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: We are also clear...
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: Because there's this belief or sometimes confusion within a company that when you
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: give good customer service,
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: then that's the end.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: In a business,
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: I believe it's important to look at it broadly and you make customer service,
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: which I would call customer experience,
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: more strategic.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: It needs to be more than
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: operational aspect of it which is more let's say assisting and supporting our
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: customers before during and after they've flown with us and that for me is customer
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: service it is important it's about interaction it's about problem solving but for
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: me it's a subset of customer excellence or customer experience
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: which is more broader and which is more strategic.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: And companies need to be very intentional.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: And us as KQ, we are very intentional about it.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: And this is consistently ensuring that you exceeding customers' expectations as you
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: deliver outstanding and memorable experiences.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: And which means then this is about proactive engagement.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's about personalization.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: I always say, as Kenya Airways, we fly 5 million people in a year.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Customers do not care.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: We fly 5 million people.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Customer wants to feel like they're the only ones who fly with you.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: So if you treat them that way, I know you, I have time for you.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: There's empathy.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: Then you really start to drive that loyalty.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, I just wanted to make that differentiation because I think that is sometimes mixed up.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: You've talked about customer touch points and perhaps we can focus on that.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: When it comes to customer communications,
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: product offerings,
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: routes,
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: what are some of the ways and areas that KQ is improving on the specific customer
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: touch points?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: We've been,
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: again,
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: very deliberate and working on a holistic transformation plan to drive customer
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: excellence because KQ,
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: it is important to look at it in a coherent way and look at it from customer
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: perspective end-to-end journey,
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: right from when a customer is probably thinking of flying,
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: which we call inspiration,
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: all the way to after they've taken the flight,
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: got in their luggage,
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: and gone home,
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: and maybe they want to give you feedback.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: So what we've done is we've mapped the customer journey, again, from the customer feedback and inputs.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: And in that journey, also using the customer inputs,
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: We've mapped what are the gaps or pain points.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it is important to mention that customer excellence,
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: and that's why our theme for this evening is growing towards customer excellence,
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: is a journey.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a journey with no end because every time customer needs and wants keep changing,
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: changing, keep evolving, new demographics or new generation.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it's something that you have to continuously keep improving,
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: trying to be better and better,
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: exceeding customer expectations.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: We've mapped the customer journey and we've identified a number of areas which we've been working on.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: If I start first with,
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: leveraging technology,
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: we've redone our,
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: which is critical touch point,
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: because for most customers,
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: apart from coming to make a booking,
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: that is also where customers come to get information about Kenya
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: Airways.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: So since last year, we completely changed the look and feel.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: We made it easy for customers to be able to come in and navigate the website.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: And we also enhanced the features and the information in the website.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: What we also did is,
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: and we launched,
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think,
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: towards June of this year,
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: is we also enhanced the booking flow because we realized again from customer
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: feedback that the booking process was not frictionless.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we made the booking process short
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: But also we made it more intuitive that customer can see at every point where they are.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Simple things like the session doesn't expire,
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: even if you leave your computer or you leave your phone and do something else.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Small things, feedback from customers, we also enhanced that.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: And the other thing that we enhanced on our booking website is with adding new
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_01: payment options for our customers.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: For example,
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: there's a payment option that we will be about to launch,
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: which allows customers to pay in installments,
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: something called Leap Airport.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so all these enhancements,
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: especially with the booking touchpoint,
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: was one of them based from a customer feedback.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: The other improvements that we've made,
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: if we look at,
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: let's say,
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: the airport touchpoint,
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: which is also a critical time
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: because of course customers are spending quite a bit of time there,
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: is we've opened a new lounge at the airport,
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: Santee Lounge.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_01: We've also refurbished our current lounges.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: We have Simba Lounge and we have Pride Lounge.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: We've introduced live cooking in the lounge.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: We've also just have more comfortable furniture in the lounge.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: and just improved the whole amenities and look and feel in the lounge.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: The other thing we've done is we've also been working on the whole flow of
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: passengers at the airport because as we design our network,
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: we also make sure that we are also not creating choke points within the airport to
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: ensure that there is a seamless flow when it comes to the airport.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: If I just touch on another touch point,
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: and I'm just speaking on a few things because the many things that we've been doing,
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: When we go to onboard,
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: again,
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: based on customer feedback,
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: a couple of things that we've addressed is one,
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: our in-flight entertainment system.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: We have gotten feedback that people want more content.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: They want also,
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: let's say the latest movies,
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Hollywood movies that are showing,
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: which is something we've done.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: We went out there and we engaged a new provider and we've gotten quite positive
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: feedback about the improvements that we've done.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: Also, we reintroduced some time back our plating services on our long haul flights.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: We've also been changing our catering services.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: In fact,
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: one thing we did last week was for the first time,
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: we called our customers to a session where they worked with us and our suppliers
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: and providers.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: We choose the menus, the menu that they would want for 2025.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we incorporate customers also in our decision making.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Other small improvements that we did on in-flight to just improve comfort was we
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: also started offering mattresses on our long haul flights.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: to make the seats more comfortable.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because what happens when you're on a 15-hour flight from New York to Nairobi,
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: it doesn't matter how good that seat is.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: At some point, it might feel not very comfortable.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: What now we do is we have an extra layer,
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: a very comfortable mattress that just adds an element of comfort to it.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: And we're looking, of course, at other enhancements on board that we can be able to do.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think the last one I'll touch on is we introduced a real-time customer communication solution.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: Again, based on feedback, we know on average on-time departure for airlines is about 74%.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's just public information.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: So meaning that for most of the airlines, you will have 20% to 25% of the flight.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: For various reasons, outside control of the airline, flights might not depart on time.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: But what is important for customers,
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: and we engaged customers,
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: what was very clear is customers do appreciate that sometimes.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's like when you wake up in the morning,
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: you start your car,
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: and for some reason,
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: the car won't start,
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: or you've got a flat tire,
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: and you pick on some delay.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: That is inevitable.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's life.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's like even our bodies sometimes tell us they need a break.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: But what is important for customers is how do you engage me?
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: you let me know.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_01: So if I had a early morning flight to Johannesburg that departs at 7.20 in the morning,
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: meaning I have to leave home at 4 a.m.,
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: meaning I have to wake up very early in the morning,
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: if that flight is going to be late,
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: please let me know.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: And let me know in my preferred channel of communication.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: So that is whether it's WhatsApp, it's an email, and that goes with personalization.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: So we introduced a solution that
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: allows us now real time to communicate to customers about any changes during their flight journey.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have to be just flight delays.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: We also use the solution to communicate about gate, gate where the flight is taking off from or anything.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: For example,
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: maybe we wake up and it's a very foggy day and we expect there could be traffic or
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: there could be delays and we can use the system to proactively communicate.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: The other things also, Teriyan, we are working on.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's a lot of things that we are working on.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: But a big one, I can mention maybe two products we are working on.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: And one we've rolled out is Kenya Airways Holidays.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: Again, leisure travel is on increase.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: In fact,
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: if you look at Kenya,
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: the latest tourist statistics show we are on the right trajectory as a country.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: We've grown by 23%.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: And more than 50, 60% of the tourists who come to Kenya are carried by Kenya Airways.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we also see that positive impact.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we've introduced a one-stop digital solution for our customers to be able to
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: book both slides,
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: book hotels,
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: and book activities.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: We rolled these out about a month and a half ago.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of communication going on to create more awareness.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: But I can bet you, Theria, you
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: You will not get a better value for a holiday to let's say Mombasa anywhere out there.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: If you come to our holiday website, you will get good value.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: So that's one.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: And the other one we are working on, which will drive a big change is
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: We are redesigning our Kenya Airways app.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: We know today it's mobile fast, the new generation, and almost everyone is doing everything on the phone.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: So everything has to be on your hand.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: So we've embarked on,
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: just like we've done with the website,
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: creating completely new mobile app that will allow us to be able to
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: engage our customer better,
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: but will also allow us to communicate with our customers better because with an app,
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_01: easier to send notification,
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: but it's also cost effective,
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: unlike sending WhatsApp and sending SMSs.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: So I know Teriyan, I've said a lot there.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: I've just picked on a few things that
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: that we are doing to really improve on our customer experience.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: But it's a well thought out plan where we look at the customer journey and then we
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: are very transparent,
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: very open.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_01: We know there are areas that we are not doing well,
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: but based on customer feedback,
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: we address those pain points and we fix those gaps.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: Julius, I went very quickly to the new Kenya Airways website and I'm currently looking at KQ Holidays.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I see you even have a flash sale.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's quite an interesting one.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure those who have not checked it out will have some time to do that with
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: some really exciting destinations as well.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: Mauritius, Dubai, some more Mauritius from really amazing prices.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I also see that there is a new self-rebooking platform.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: Could you tell us a little bit about what it is and YKQ has deployed that?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think I spoke a bit about disruptions.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: And options being sometimes inevitable,
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: but also being really a source of anxiety and a friction point with our customers.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Because whenever a disruption happens and it can be for various reasons,
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: customers,
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: quickly try to reach the airline to be able to get options.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_01: My flight is delayed.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: What option do you have for me?
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_01: So what we've done is we've rolled out a self-accommodation solution for customers,
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: very easy to use on our website.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: And this is driven first by the fact that a lot of the customers in today's day and age,
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: customers want to be in control of a lot of the things they do.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: So they want to just...
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: The same way we see a shift from before people would go to a travel agent to make a booking.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: For some people, not everyone, because we still need travel agents.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: For some people,
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: they prefer after office when I go home and then I can just sit around with my kids
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: and my wife or my husband and we book the holiday or we book wherever we are going
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: to go.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we see a lot of that trend.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: So also for now disruptions,
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: customers now have the ability if for any unforeseen reason we delay,
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: let's say a Mombasa flight.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: Now the customer will have a choice on the website or on the KQ app to be able to
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: choose the flight that they prefer.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: So they rebook themselves at no cost.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: And why we are doing this, it's because we've realized that
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: Normally when there's a disruption or something happens,
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: then of course,
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: everyone is trying to call our call center.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: Irrespective of the number of agents and staff you have there,
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: you start to create a bottleneck where then somebody has to wait for long for
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: something that they could actually be able to do it themselves.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's why we are very excited.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a lot of study that has been done out there showing a very high
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: satisfaction for airlines that have been able to deploy this solution and deploy it well.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a new solution.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: We're very excited about it.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: We've been communicating it to our customers and we'll further enhance it once we
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: also roll out the new app.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: where customers will just simply get a notification on the mobile app and they can
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: do the rebooking themselves.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: And they can pick whichever flight they prefer.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: If they don't want to go today because maybe they prefer to just go another day,
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_01: they can do that at no cost.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: So to re-end, that's the reaccommodation solution that we've rolled out recently for our customers.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk a little bit about customer challenges.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: We've seen a number of complaints about flight delays,
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: cancellations,
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: and I know you've told us a lot about some of the changes and the improvements that
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: KQ has been doing over the last couple of months.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you can tell us when it comes to delays and cancellations,
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: because that is clearly a pain point and has been a pain point in the past.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: What causes these delays and how is KQ working to change that situation?
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: As a company, we are transparent where there are challenges.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: We recognize the challenges.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: And what is important is what are you doing about the challenges?
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, first, maybe to put it in context, delays and disruptions are not uncommon in our industry.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: Again, going back to the statistic I shared,
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: The average on-time departure for airlines is,
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think for 2023 was about 74%,
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: meaning about a quarter of the flight for reasons,
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: and I'll share some of those reasons,
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: do not depart on time.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_01: Some of the reasons are, let's say, outside our control and some of the reasons are within our control.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: of the reasons that ultimately drives a delay or ends up with us delaying a flight,
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: sometimes it could be weather-related,
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_01: weather conditions.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: It could be rain.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: It could be fog.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: Safety, remember, is paramount, of course, even for customers.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: When they talk of customer excellence, they expect you to be a safe, reliable airline.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_01: So if you wake up in the morning and hear JKIA
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: There's fog, so visibility is limited.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_01: Depending on the standards that are defined worldwide,
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: sometimes we are not able to land and that would cause disruptions.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: Also, aircraft maintenance.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we have unexpected technical issues with an aircraft.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's good to recognize that aircrafts are machines.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes you will find that there's an issue and they can't be able to fly because,
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: again,
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: for safety reasons,
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: that has to be fixed.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_01: First, also airport operations in a constrained airport.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we've got issues with either the baggage system.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think like recently we had an issue with refueling.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: There was no fuel at the airport.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: That leads to delay.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes also staff issues like industrial actions or strikes.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_01: crew availability for various reasons.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_01: And for some other airports that are slot restricted and very busy,
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_01: like Mumbai,
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: where it's a very busy airport using one runway.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: So you will find that it is very easy to pick delays.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: So these are some of the reasons that,
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: outside our control,
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_01: there are of course reasons within our control,
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: which we normally bundle them as operational efficiency.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: How coordinated are we as a company, especially in the area of operations?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: Things like our tunnel
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_01: around times how we scheduled our network to make sure that the flow and
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: connectivity of our passengers is seamless.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_01: So that's within our control.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a lot of work that we do to ensure that we are minimizing delays from
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_01: things that we can control.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then for things that we can't control, it's just how do you manage those delays?
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: Indeed,
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think especially the last couple of weeks,
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: it's been tough for us and tough because relative to how we were doing last year,
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: last year,
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: we actually even won an award.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think we were the second most punctual and reliable airline in Africa.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: And this year,
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: it's been a bit of a challenge,
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_01: but we've taken a number of actions to improve our on-time performance.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I can confirm in the last three weeks, we've seen a big improvement, more than 50% improvement.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: We've reduced flight delays by more than 50,
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: 60%,
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: which we are also now starting to get,
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: again,
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: good feedback from our customers.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: And again, how have we done this?
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: We've addressed this by making sure that we've got aircrafts available to fly.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: We had shared some time back that we acquired an aircraft.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: We list an aircraft to just help with operations and that aircraft operates to Dubai.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: We've also internally been working on driving higher staff productivity,
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_01: making sure especially our flight crew staff are available so that we also minimize
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: especially delays that are within our control.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: Again, Teriyan,
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: delays outside our control.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_01: We try as much as possible to manage by being very proactive and communicating to the customer.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: Another customer challenge that we've seen is lost and late baggage.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, an issue that comes up from time to time.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you can tell us what KQ is doing to address that particular challenge when
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: it comes to lost or delayed luggage on the ground.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: Baggage is a big one.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_01: In fact,
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: when we get feedback from our customers,
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: one of the key attributes they share that is important for them when they choose
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: and fly an airline is,
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: baggage.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: How their bag is handled.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: Will they get it on time?
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: And if they don't get it on time,
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: is the airline responsive and available,
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: of course,
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: to make sure that they reunite the bag with the passenger as quickly as possible.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: In terms of baggage, we're having challenges with certain specific destinations.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: And this is because of the aircraft type that we operate to those destinations,
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: especially where we are operating our smaller aircrafts.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: How have we addressed this?
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: Because we've seen a reduction in baggage that are delayed.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: One is ensuring that we are planning for bigger aircraft where possible.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: Two,
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: we also supplement on some of the routes passenger operation with a cargo freighter
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: because now we have two freighter services.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: And then three, which is more a longer term action,
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: is we have a fleet strategy where we are bringing in bigger aircraft that also
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: ensures that they meet the needs and wants of our customers.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: But apart from that,
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: what we are also doing,
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: which I think is what is important for customers,
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: is enhancing the communication and our responsiveness when customers do not get
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: their bag or when their bag is delayed because customers just want to understand
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: how quickly are you able to reunite my bag.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: And the third one is also we've empowered our frontline staff
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_01: to offer the fast care,
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_01: the fast,
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_01: what we call fast need within airline industry,
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: because sometimes when a bag is delayed and it's coming a couple of hours later,
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_01: someone might have that fast need.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: And so we've empowered our staff to be able to do that on the spot.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: We are also working with third parties to innovate around that area because
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_01: ultimately the solution that would really ease completely the customer pain point
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: is to be able to track your luggage.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: Some airlines call it follow my luggage.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: What DHL does today, when you order for something, you're able to tell where is my parcel at any time.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: When you order something with Amazon, you're able to tell that.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we are working, leveraging on technology with some third parties.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_01: And that is one of the solutions that we are looking to deploy in future where
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: real-time customer will be able to tell where their luggage is at all.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: any time.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: But it's something that has top priority for us.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: But the immediate one,
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: Terian,
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_01: is actually ensuring that we are available and we communicate to our customers
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: where their bugs are.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: And we ensure that we reunite the bugs with the customers as quickly as possible.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think that follow my luggage idea,
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: if I could call it,
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: that is something that will definitely make a difference.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: And we are looking forward to seeing that getting deployed onto KQ.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: So thanks so much for that update.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_00: We've moved pretty fast down our conversation,
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_00: Julius,
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: and we are coming now to look at the future outlook of KQ.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: Looking ahead, perhaps you can tell us
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: Some initiatives or goals that Kenya Airways has in place to continue enhancing customer service.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: And as you have mentioned before,
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: it's a very competitive space,
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: both from an East Africa perspective,
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: a regional perspective and a global perspective as well.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: And it takes somebody to choose, if I may use your own words.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: So what are some initiatives or goals that Kenya Airways has put in place?
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_01: Looking into the future, it's really driving now that excellence.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_01: I would say what we've been able to achieve so far is really setting the foundation,
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: but now we need to scale up and we need to innovate more in the area of customer excellence.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_01: And if I just start with leveraging technology, so that the
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: There are many initiatives that we have within the business where we are looking,
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: especially into the future,
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_01: leveraging technology to improve how we serve our customers.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: I know there's a lot of talk about,
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_01: let's say,
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: AI and what opportunities that probably will bring to the business.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: You've seen like disruptions with chats, GPT, making work easier at a
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: to a certain extent.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: Also infusing partly AI to our call centers,
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_01: to our websites,
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_01: to the chats,
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: so that customers are really able to get real-time information 24-7 in the language
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_01: that they prefer.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: So that is one big area that we are looking at.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: Also, of course, looking forward, it is important, of course, also to
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_01: grow the network for Kenya Airways.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: So we're also looking at expansion.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_01: We will be introducing new destinations because that is also part of what customers want from KQ.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll be flying to more destinations in Africa, but also more destinations outside Africa.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_01: We'll also be driving a lot more partnerships.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, internally, the theme that we had for Customer Service Week was Caring Beyond Journey.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: Of course,
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: the international theme is above and beyond,
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_01: but what we said was relevant and it was more internal within KQ was Caring Beyond Journey.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's because we want to offer a lot more value to our customers outside travel.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_01: And how we will do this is especially bringing in partners around our loyalty program,
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: which we launched,
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was last year.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, Rian, you were in that launch and thank you so much.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: And we've seen really a lot of good traction and thanks to a lot of our customers,
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_01: our membership is growing.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: We are quickly approaching more than 200,000 members.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: And even more important is the partnerships that we are able to bring to drive
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: value beyond travel for our customers.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_01: We've signed up partnerships with hotels where people get discounts when they go
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_01: stay in certain hotel chains.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_01: They also earn points and they can redeem with those hotels.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: We've done the same with eateries.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_01: We've done the same with
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_01: telecom companies.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: We are about to do a big launch towards end of the year or early next year with a
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: bank where we will roll out a Kenya Airways co-brand.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so these are some of the enhancements that we will bring for our customers.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_01: We are also, as I mentioned, looking at fleet renew.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_01: As Kenya Airways financial positions strengthen, we are
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_01: very proud and happy.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: And we thank all of our customers that for the first time in 10 years,
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_01: we were able to post a profit for the first half year of 2024 because a financially
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: sound company is important also for future investment.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we will also be investing in new fleet, new aircraft, and alongside we'll be doing also cabin refresh.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: And this is looking forward, a bit medium term.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, something I know you will ask is Wi-Fi.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think we get a lot of questions from our customers.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: When are you in
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_01: introducing Wi-Fi, again, it is on top of the list in our strategy.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_01: We know today in digital connected world, a Wi-Fi become almost a necessity.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: And if you look especially at Gen Zs and Gen Alphas,
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: some of us,
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: when we are that,
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_01: we feel like it's digital detox.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I normally have a bit of back and forth with different generations to be connected.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I say, I'm not sure I want to be connected.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_01: I might get into trouble for saying this.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: I'm getting some work from my boss, but I'm on a flight.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: My wife is telling me something.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, but Wi-Fi is critical.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: But it's also, of course, the opportunities it offers.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: When we think even things like knowing where your bag is, baggage, tracking.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: So even when you're on board on a Wi-Fi enabled aircraft,
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: Probably you're able to do this, especially when we really connect all the customer points digitally.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why Wi-Fi is important.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think the other, looking into future, I think enhancement that is very critical is the airport.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: The airport must be enhanced because I know we are talking about Kenya Airways, but air
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: Airport is part of that customer journey and part of that customer experience.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: And for most passengers,
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: they don't differentiate,
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_01: especially when they're flying with us and they're here in Nairobi.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_01: They don't differentiate what maybe doesn't work or discomfort because of airport
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: infrastructure and because of KQ.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_01: If boarding gates are crowded because we didn't design well the boarding gates for
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_01: boarding or disembarking to the customer,
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_01: that's an airline pain.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, Kenya Airport Authority is a key stakeholder for us.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_01: We are engaged at different levels.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_01: But since you are asking me about future outlook,
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_01: that is one area also where we must get a better experience in our airport and at
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_01: all the touch points.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I know there are discussions going on, but I don't want to get into that.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_01: But what we expect for Kenya Airways and for our customers is for that airport to
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_01: be enhanced and the experience to be better.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: Before we get to the parting shot,
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: if there is something that I may have left out that you feel is important to share
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_00: or to highlight,
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: please do and then we'll get into our parting shot.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: No, I think you've covered it.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think the only one I wanted to touch on was...
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I alluded to it a bit was especially what we are doing with our staff internally,
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_01: especially on board in flight,
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: because I must be honest,
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_01: we get a lot of leads,
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_01: we get a lot of positive feedback about our in-flight staff.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_01: Most customers tell us when the doors close,
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_01: they really get a very authentic and very caring face on board.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_01: And even when things don't go right, the staff on board will always have a solution at hand.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: And that's partly because of a number of deliberate actions that we've taken right from hiring.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_01: We have a training school, what we call Pride Center, where we train pride stars.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: We train them not just for Kenya Airways.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: So these are people who will later become in-flight helpers.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_01: So we train for KQ, but we also train for the market.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: So we also ensure that when we are hiring,
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_01: we hire people with certain attributes and attributes that are customer focused.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: There's also a lot of training and refreshers, ongoing training.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_01: And we've also empowered the team so that when they are on board,
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: we tell them they are the CEOs because those doors have closed.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_01: The aircraft is up there 40,000 or 36,000 feet.
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_01: They need to do what they can to win back the customer or to recover the situation.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we also feel the pride in them because passion is very important also for the staff.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe that's just the other thing that I wanted to add because we continue to
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_01: see very good recognition.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was in 2022, we got four recognition from World Travelers Award.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: Last year, we also got some recognition.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_01: This year,
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: we do expect,
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: I think they're yet to announce,
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_01: but we do expect to also be recognized because indeed,
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: when it comes to Inflite,
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_01: we do a really good job,
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_01: a world-class job we can measure up with many of the world-class airlines.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I do agree with you,
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: not just because I'm a big fan of KQ,
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_00: but I really do agree,
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_00: especially when you travel globally.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: I guess the Kenyan hospitality really does shine through.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_00: As we get to the parting shot now,
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_00: Julius,
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_00: what message would you like to share with customers of Kenya Airways about KQ's
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: commitment to them,
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_00: not just during customer service week,
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: but beyond the customer service week?
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_01: First is, of course, to express
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_01: My gratitude just on behalf of the leadership,
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_01: our CEO,
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_01: just to express gratitude to our customers for their continued trust and loyalty
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_01: and to give them a commitment that,
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_01: yes,
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_01: are aware that sometimes things don't go right,
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_01: but we have a holistic plan to continuously follow.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_01: fix whatever issues come along and to keep moving forward the company to give an
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_01: exceptional customer experience.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_01: And some of the areas that we are really focusing on,
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: especially as we move towards customer excellence,
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: is making sure that we're proving at every interaction the experience,
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_01: make sure that it's a positive and memorable experience.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_01: We are doing this by, again, ensuring that we are hiring the right people, we are
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: training people,
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: but we also empower,
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: especially frontline staff,
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_01: because at midnight at the airport,
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_01: when something goes wrong,
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_01: Julius Naira is not available.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_01: So if we are not empowering the frontline staff who are there,
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_01: handling our customers and giving our customers the service,
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_01: then we are not doing what is right.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we do this, especially with a lot of empathy and professionalism.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_01: The other commitments that I can give our customers is
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_01: We are driving reliability and safety because we understand safety and comfort is a
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_01: priority of our customers,
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: but it's also a top priority for us.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll continue investing,
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_01: especially in technology,
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: in new fleet,
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_01: better aircrafts to ensure a smooth and secure journey,
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_01: but also better infrastructure,
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_01: not just aircraft.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_01: The third commitment is on innovation.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_01: Again, customers...
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_01: Customer excellence is a continuous journey,
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_01: but as we have plans to address whatever gaps that come along,
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_01: then we do it in innovative way,
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: but we also do it in collaborative way.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_01: And here with innovation,
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_01: also we cover,
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: because we do understand also when you talk of customer excellence today,
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_01: also you cannot not talk about sustainability because
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of our customers do want to be close to brands that are taking care of not
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_01: just the environment,
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_01: but also the social welfare of the communities around them,
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: which is something as Kenya Airways we are doing.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: We've demonstrated this and we are not doing this to just tick the box.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_01: I think it was last week where we opened up
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_01: pirate diesel plant, recycling plastic to get diesel that we will use for our vehicles at the airport.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we also opened a water bottling plant that will serve Kenya Air with needs,
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_01: our customer needs in the plains.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: But also we have plans in future to serve also the communities around us with clean
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_01: water that is affordable.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_01: So innovation and sustainability is key for us.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then my parting shot is ensure and commit to our customers that we are listening to you.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_01: Your feedback is invaluable to us and we'll keep listening and making improvements
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_01: to ensure that customer satisfaction is ultimately a goal that we achieve.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_01: So those would be for me,
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_01: Terian,
• 42:57
  SPEAKER_01: my parting shot,
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: but also just to thank our customers continuously making Kenya Airways their
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: preferred airline.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Julius.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's been a very enlightening conversation,
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_00: just giving us an opportunity to look at KQ's overall service offerings,
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: customer touch points,
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_00: and all the improvements that you have been doing,
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_00: not just for the customer service week,
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_00: but for the airline.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Julius.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_00: I have been speaking with Julius Thayeru.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_00: Julius is the Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_00: Of course,
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: we are stuck in the middle of Customer Service Week,
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_00: which is an internationally recognized event held during the first week.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much, Julius.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also like to thank...
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_00: the Mwango Capital, the Mwango Spaces team for putting together this incredible conversation.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'd like to thank each and everyone who has also made time to listen in and be part
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_00: of the spaces,
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_00: sharing your thoughts as well on Twitter and on social media.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_00: For those we have been able to answer and some of those have been able to include
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_00: into my questions and those that we haven't,
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_00: we will share directly.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_00: with the KQ Customer Excellence team.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you all so very much.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'd like to wish you a wonderful evening.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_00: I know there's so much happening in Kenya tonight.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: We do not take it for granted that you did make time to be here on the Spaces with us.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_00: So for now, it's good night and God bless.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll see you at the next Mwango Spaces.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Terri Ann Chibet.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's been an absolute honor to be part of this conversation.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_00: Good night and God bless.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.