The value that customers desire from companies continually changes over time. The JAL Group is promoting activities with the aim of providing better service through ideas and efforts that are always based on the customer’s perspective.

The environment surrounding the airline industry continues to undergo major changes. After the planned expansion of Narita and Haneda Airports in 2010, new airlines are expected to begin entering the Japanese market, creating a period of intense competition.

What is it that customers are looking for when they select an airline? The JAL Group believes that the answer lies in the comments of our customers, and based on this conviction, we are working to improve our service every day.

Aiming to Achieve Even Greater Customer Satisfaction
Initiatives for Service Improvement
Kyohei Imakita
Customer Satisfaction Support
Japan Airlines International Co., Ltd.
My job is to reply to customer feedback received mainly by email or comment cards. I strive to discern what customers are really trying to say, and respond accurately to their concerns.
While doing this work, I have become aware of many things pointed out by customers. Even recently, a customer comment resulted in the improvement of display monitors providing standby passenger information at the airport. I feel that customer feedback really does provide a gold mine of ideas for service improvement.
Going forward, I would like to carry out even more service improvements in order to achieve even greater customer satisfaction. In April 2007, the JAL Group set up the Customer Satisfaction Improvement Division directly under the president, in order to achieve even greater customer satisfaction through the improvement of service quality from the passenger’s point of view.

The Customer Satisfaction Improvement Division gathers passenger feedback not only by telephone, email, comment cards and letters, but also through service personnel at reservation centers, at airports, and onboard aircraft. In fiscal 2007, comments were received from 39,157 customers.

JAL treats each comment received from passengers as an important asset. After analyzing the feedback and identifying issues that need to be addressed, the Customer Satisfaction Improvement Division shares the information with relevant departments, in order to ensure the customer opinion is used for product development and service improvement.

Examples of service improvements based on customer comments are featured in Skyward, our in-flight magazine, and on the JAL website. In fiscal 2007, there were numerous examples of such improvements, including the expansion of onboard child-seat services, the improvement of information display monitors at Narita Airport, and monthly rotation of in-flight menus on the Narita - New Delhi route. ● Customer Satisfaction Improvement Division

● Number of Customer Comments (FY 2007)

“Due to the crowd of people around the counter, it is hard to hear the standby number announcements. Something should be done to make the process more transparent and less stressful.” This customer comment led JAL to improve its standby information display monitors to show in real time the starting passenger number for each category, and the number of people waiting for standby seats. The new monitors were introduced at Haneda and Itami Airports in March 2008, and will be installed at other airports, as well.