Customer-Centric Approach, KAI Engages Customer Feedback to Enhance Services; First Semester 2026 Customer Satisfaction Index Reaches 4.53

PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) (KAI) continues to strengthen its service quality by placing customers at the center of the company's evaluation, innovation, and development efforts. Based on the First Semester 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey, KAI's Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) reached 4.53 out of 5, an increase of 0.01 points compared to the 2025 score of 4.52.

During the same period, KAI recorded 2,205,691 customer interactions across its various service channels. These interactions serve as a valuable source of insight to better understand customer needs, resolve issues, and determine priorities for service improvements.

KAI Vice President of Corporate Communication Anne Purba said that the company's customer-centric approach places customer experience at the heart of its decision-making process.

"Customers experience every stage of their journey firsthand—from searching for information and purchasing tickets to entering the station, completing the boarding process, and arriving at their destination. That is why customer feedback plays a vital role in ensuring that KAI's service improvements remain relevant, measurable, and well-targeted," Anne said.

According to Anne, customer survey results and service interactions are used to identify areas that have received positive feedback as well as aspects that require further improvement. These findings are shared with the relevant business units to support facility upgrades, strengthen employee competencies, expand the use of technology, and enhance travel information services.

The First Semester 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 3,160 respondents across KAI's nine Operational Areas (Daop) and four Regional Divisions (Divre). Respondents consisted of customers who had used KAI's services at least twice within the past six months.

The survey measured customer experiences both at stations and onboard trains, as well as on LRT Jabodebek, South Sumatra LRT, KAI Wisata services, and Public Service Obligation (PSO) train services. Responses were evaluated using a five-point scale covering both physical and non-physical aspects of service.

"The survey provides a structured overview of customer satisfaction levels. Meanwhile, customer interactions through our service channels offer valuable context regarding the questions, needs, feedback, and challenges customers encounter during their daily journeys," Anne explained.

Based on service categories, the customer satisfaction index for onboard services increased by 0.05 points, rising from 4.55 in the second semester of 2025 to 4.60 in the first semester of 2026. Meanwhile, the satisfaction index for station services was recorded at 4.46, compared to 4.50 in the previous survey.

These results encourage KAI to further strengthen the quality of station facilities and enhance the overall customer experience. In terms of service characteristics, the non-physical service aspect improved from 4.58 to 4.61, while the physical aspect recorded a score of 4.46. These service assessments were based on responses from 2,680 customers using station and onboard train services.

For onboard services, staff friendliness received the highest score of 4.72, followed by punctuality at 4.68, travel information at 4.61, security at 4.59, passenger cabins at 4.56, dining cars at 4.54, and train toilets at 4.51.

For station services, staff friendliness scored 4.62, followed by the accuracy of information and service timeliness at 4.57, fares and ticketing at 4.50, boarding areas at 4.39, ticket purchasing at 4.38, customer service rooms at 4.37, and station waiting areas at 4.34.

"Staff friendliness, punctuality, travel information, and security received particularly high ratings from customers. KAI will maintain these achievements through consistent implementation of service standards, supervision, evaluation, and continuous employee competency development," Anne added.

Throughout the first semester of 2026, KAI handled a total of 2,205,691 customer interactions, consisting of 1,380,724 interactions via social media, 132,981 via email, 231,030 through WhatsApp, 16,764 outbound communications, and 444,192 inbound communications.

Social media interactions came from various platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok. Meanwhile, email, WhatsApp, and inbound and outbound communication channels were used to provide information, respond to inquiries, assist customers with their travel needs, and follow up on customer reports.

"Each communication channel has its own characteristics. Together, they enable KAI to better understand customer needs while providing responses that match the type of inquiry and its level of urgency," Anne explained.

Customer interaction data are then analyzed based on themes, service types, regions, and follow-up requirements. The findings are forwarded to the relevant business units for verification and translated into concrete service improvement initiatives.

The survey results were analyzed using the Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) method to identify the aspects customers consider most important and measure their level of satisfaction with those aspects.

Based on the first semester 2026 analysis, several priority areas for improvement were identified, including station waiting areas, boarding areas, customer service rooms, fares and ticketing, and onboard train toilets.

For station waiting areas, customer feedback focused on comfort, cleanliness, seating availability, lighting, and room temperature. Feedback on boarding areas covered cleanliness, facility completeness, the smoothness of the boarding process, and the ease of using the Face Recognition Boarding Gate.

Regarding customer service rooms, customers emphasized the importance of adequate tables and chairs, queue seating, queue numbering systems, cleanliness, and overall comfort.

For fares and ticketing, customers highlighted pricing, fare and class options, ticket availability, and the clarity of travel policies. Meanwhile, feedback on onboard train toilets focused on cleanliness, water availability, jet showers, tissues, hand soap, waste bins, and air fresheners.

"Customer survey findings and interaction data must ultimately lead to operational improvements. Every relevant business unit needs to establish follow-up actions with clear targets, implementation timelines, and evaluation measures so that customers can experience tangible service improvements," Anne said.

The survey also revealed variations in service performance across different regions. Operational Area 3 Cirebon (Daop 3) recorded the highest overall service CSI at 4.71, consisting of a station CSI of 4.63 and an onboard service CSI of 4.79.

Operational Area 5 Purwokerto (Daop 5) recorded the largest CSI improvement, increasing by 0.28 points compared to the previous survey. In the physical service category, Daop 3 Cirebon achieved the highest score of 4.61, while also recording the highest non-physical service score of 4.82.

For station cleanliness, Cirebon Station and Surabaya Pasar Turi Station received the highest score of 4.58. Meanwhile, for onboard train cleanliness by region, Operational Area 6 Yogyakarta (Daop 6) recorded the highest score of 4.76.

KAI's customer-centric approach aligns with the theme of Indonesia's 81st Independence Day in 2026, "A Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia." The principle of fairness is reflected through services that respect every customer, remain accessible, and respond effectively to the needs of the public.

"KAI will continue maintaining the service aspects that have received positive evaluations while accelerating improvements in areas that require greater attention. Customer feedback serves as our compass, ensuring that every service enhancement is well-targeted and delivers meaningful benefits throughout every journey," Anne concluded.

VP Corporate Communication KAI