Customer Focus: KAI Incorporates Passenger Feedback to Improve Services; H1 2026 CSI Reaches 4.53

Some 2.21 million customer interactions and a survey of 3,160 respondents form the basis for evaluating and developing services.

Jakarta (ANTARA) – PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) continues to strengthen its service quality by placing customers at the centre of the company’s evaluation, innovation, and development. According to the Customer Satisfaction Survey for the first half of 2026, KAI’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) reached 4.53 on a five-point scale, up 0.01 points from the 2025 figure of 4.52.

Over the same period, KAI recorded 2,205,691 customer interactions through various service channels. These interactions serve as a source of information for understanding customer needs, helping resolve problems, and setting priorities for service improvements.

Vice President of Corporate Communication at KAI, Anne Purba, said the customer focus approach places the customer experience as an important consideration in the company’s decision-making.

“Customers directly experience every stage of their journey, from searching for information, buying tickets, entering the station, going through the boarding process, right through to arriving at their destination. That is why the customer’s voice is an essential part of ensuring that KAI’s service development remains relevant, measurable, and on target,” said Anne.

According to Anne, the survey results and customer interactions are used to map which aspects of service have earned appreciation and which parts still require attention. The data is then passed on to the relevant units as the basis for developing facilities, strengthening staff competencies, harnessing technology, and improving travel information.

The First Half 2026 Customer Satisfaction Survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 3,160 respondents spread across nine Operational Regions (Daops) and four Regional Divisions. Respondents were customers who had used KAI services at least twice in the previous six months.

The measurement covered the customer experience at stations and on board trains, as well as services on the Jabodebek LRT, South Sumatra LRT, tourist trains, and trains operating under the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme. The survey used a scale of 1 to 5, assessing both the physical and non-physical aspects of service.

“The survey provides a structured picture of customer satisfaction levels. Meanwhile, interactions through service channels provide context on the questions, needs, feedback, and obstacles that customers raise in their day-to-day travel activities,” said Anne.

By service object, the satisfaction index for on-board train services rose 0.05 points, from 4.55 in the second half of 2025 to 4.60 in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, the satisfaction index for station services was recorded at 4.46, compared with 4.50 in the previous survey.

These results have drawn KAI’s attention to strengthening the quality of facilities and the customer experience in station areas. In terms of service character, the non-physical aspect index rose from 4.58 to 4.61, while the physical aspect index was recorded at 4.46. The assessment of KAI’s service objects came from 2,680 respondents for station and on-board train services.

For on-board train services, staff friendliness received the highest score of 4.72. This was 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 toilets at 4.51.

For station services, staff friendliness scored 4.62, accuracy of information and service times 4.57, fares and tickets 4.50, boarding areas 4.39, ticket purchases 4.38, customer service rooms 4.37, and station waiting rooms 4.34.

“Staff friendliness, punctuality, travel information, and security received high ratings from customers. KAI will maintain these achievements through consistent application of service standards, supervision, evaluation, and improvement of staff competencies,” said Anne.

The 2,205,691 customer interactions throughout the first half of 2026 comprised 1,380,724 interactions via social media, 132,981 via email, 231,030 via 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, receive questions, help resolve travel needs, and follow up on customer reports.

“Each channel has a different character. All of these interactions help KAI read customer needs more broadly whilst providing responses appropriate to the type of information and its level of urgency,” explained Anne.

The interaction data is then analysed by theme, type of service, region, and follow-up needs. The results are passed on to the relevant units to be verified and translated into improvement measures.

The survey results were analysed using Importance–Performance Analysis to map the aspects customers consider important alongside their level of satisfaction with them.

Based on the first half 2026 analysis, the priority areas for improvement include station waiting rooms, boarding areas, customer service rooms, fares and tickets, and toilets on board trains.

For station waiting rooms, customers’ concerns covered comfort, cleanliness, seat availability, lighting, and room temperature. Feedback on boarding areas related to cleanliness, completeness of facilities, smoothness of the boarding process, and ease of using the Face Recognition Boarding Gate.

For customer service rooms, customers considered the availability of desks and chairs, queue seating, queue number systems, cleanliness, and room comfort to be important.

On fares and tickets, customer feedback related to price fairness, variety of classes and fares, ease of obtaining tickets, and clarity of travel terms. Meanwhile, concerns regarding on-board toilets covered cleanliness, availability of water, jet sprays, tissues, hand soap, rubbish bins, and air fresheners.

“Survey data and customer interactions must lead to operational steps. Every relevant unit needs to draw up follow-up actions with clear targets, implementation timelines, and evaluations so that customers can feel the results of the improvements,” said Anne.

The survey results also showed variations in service performance across regions. Daop 3 Cirebon achieved the highest service object CSI of 4.71, comprising a station CSI of 4.63 and an on-board train CSI of 4.79.

Daop 5 Purwokerto recorded the largest CSI increase, at 0.28 points compared with the previous survey. For the physical aspect, Daop 3 Cirebon obtained the highest score of 4.61, whilst also achieving the highest non-physical aspect score of 4.82.

In terms of station cleanliness, Cirebon Station and Surabaya Pasar Turi Station received the highest scores of 4.58. For regional train service cleanliness, Daop 6 Yogyakarta obtained the highest score of 4.76.

This customer focus approach aligns with the theme of the 81st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia in 2026, namely “Indonesia Berdaulat, Adil, dan Makmur” (Indonesia: Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous). The spirit of justice is applied through services that respect every customer, are easily accessible, and are responsive to the public’s needs.

“KAI will maintain the aspects that have received good ratings and accelerate improvements at service points that still require attention. The customer’s voice serves as our compass so that service improvements are increasingly on target and can be felt on every journey,” Anne concluded.