Hartman Quarterly
The secret of our success
When it comes to dealing with its customers and partners, KLM finds adopting a ‘refreshingly genuine’ approach works best
We don’t have many secrets at KLM. The few that we do have are mostly related to safety, security and legislation. Furthermore, we try to go through life as transparently as possible. In our long history, we’ve learned that that works best. Our customers want to know who they are dealing with, and how we do things, so that they can be confident everything is well-organised. That may sound simple, but I can assure you it’s not quite so easy to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the approximately 22 million passengers who travel with us every year. Taking care of all the accompanying baggage, and the fact that our KLM Group passengers fly to 191 different destinations from Schiphol alone, results in a highly complex logistical operation. And every now and then things go wrong, particularly during peak times. Despite doing our utmost to resolve issues as quickly and thoroughly as possible, the passenger may sometimes be inconvenienced. We also have to be transparent about that.
Pioneers and travellers
If you’re hearing a little Dutch matter-of- factness in this approach, you’re right. KLM’s identity is definitely influenced by our Dutch roots. The Dutch are known as pioneers and travellers, but also as people who speak their minds, are practical and pragmatic, and like to plan ahead. If you translate that as common sense, friendliness, honesty and treating others with respect, then that is exactly what KLM stands for. We call it ‘refreshingly genuine’.
Ultimately, the most important thing is whether you agree with us; whether you enjoy doing business with this down-to- earth, blue, Dutch airline company. Many of you do, but not all of you. The secret of our success is that we try to make those of you who are happy with us even happier, and to convince those of you who aren’t (yet) of our qualities. We do that not by regarding you as a ticket, or as a number, but as a customer who has questions, or wishes, or uncertainties, is pushed for time or stressed. You should always be able to count on the fact that KLM employees will do their best to help you and that they’ll do so in a sensible, caring and pragmatic way.
We can’t always solve everything, but we will always try. That is what you can expect from us. I’m not secretive about that. Our aim is to enhance your travel experience openly and transparently, in the hope that you will remember us as distinguishingly genuine.
