1. How does Kiwi Experience maintain a continual customer focus?

➢ Kiwi Experience (KE) maintains a continual customer focus through various strategies
and initiatives. Firstly, the company places a strong emphasis on understanding and
meeting the needs of its target market. This is achieved through a culture of service
excellence, where the company aims to give the customer what they want better than
anyone else. The service is designed around the customer's preferences, ensuring that
it offers the best possible experience for its clients.

➢ Additionally, KE actively seeks feedback from customers by surveying them on every

single bus, and uses this feedback to continually improve its service offering. The
company also encourages positive word-of-mouth by ensuring a consistently high
quality of service, stimulating word-of-mouth, and relying on a huge rate of first-time
users.

➢ Furthermore, KE promotes heavily in its target market and attempts to stimulate word-
of-mouth, realizing the importance of advertising overseas and ensuring that customers
are familiar with the service before they purchase it. KE also creates its own
propaganda letters and ensures its service is mentioned in popular travel guides to
reduce the perceived risk customers may have about taking the trip. Overall, the
company's customer focus is evident in its efforts to understand its market,
continuously improve its service, and stimulate positive word-of-mouth.
2. What role does culture and leadership play in the success of Kiwi Experience?

➢ The culture and leadership at Kiwi Experience (KE) play a pivotal role in the company's
success. Highlights the importance of building a culture of service excellence, where
the focus is on understanding and meeting the needs of the target market. The leadership
at KE is deeply involved in understanding the market by staying in backpacker hostels
and interacting with customers directly. This hands-on approach ensures that the
company offers the best possible service for its clients.

➢ Additionally, the leadership encourages a customer-centric approach, where the service

is designed around the customer's preferences rather than what is convenient for the
drivers or the company. The document also emphasizes the significance of the drivers
in shaping the "KE Experience," highlighting their selection process, training, and
crucial role in customer satisfaction.

➢ The leadership's focus on creating a customer-centric culture and ensuring that all
employees are aligned with this vision is fundamental to the success of Kiwi
Experience. This approach has enabled the company to differentiate itself in the market,
maintain a strong understanding of customer needs, and continually improve its service
offering to stay ahead of the competition.
3. Brainstorm as to how other service companies might get customers to pay a more active
role (rather than passive) in the service experience.

➢ Other service companies can encourage customers to play a more active role in the
service experience by implementing strategies that empower and involve customers in
the service delivery process. One approach is to create opportunities for co-creation,
where customers are involved in the design and delivery of the service. For example,
companies can establish customer advisory boards or panels to gather feedback and
ideas from customers on how to improve the service. This not only makes customers
feel valued but also provides valuable insights for the company to enhance its offerings.

➢ Another strategy is to foster a sense of community and belonging among customers.

Service companies can organize customer events, forums, or online communities where
customers can interact, share experiences, and provide support and advice to each other.
This not only enhances the overall customer experience but also creates a network of
loyal and engaged customers who actively contribute to the service ecosystem.

➢ Furthermore, companies can leverage technology to enable customer participation. For

instance, implementing interactive platforms or mobile apps that allow customers to
customize their service experience, provide real-time feedback, and access
personalized recommendations can significantly enhance customer engagement and
satisfaction.

➢ Additionally, incentivizing customer participation through loyalty programs, rewards,

or recognition can motivate customers to take a more active role in the service
experience. By acknowledging and rewarding customer contributions, companies can
foster a sense of ownership and pride among customers, leading to increased
engagement and advocacy.
➢ Overall, by involving customers in the co-creation of services, fostering a sense of
community, leveraging technology, and incentivizing participation, service companies
can effectively encourage customers to play a more active role in shaping their service
experience.
Introduction of company:

Founder: Andrew McIntosh

Kiwi Experience (KE) is an adventure transport network that was established in December 1988
in New Zealand.

The company's concept was to create a coach transport network that offered a unique blend of
flexibility and adventure tour guidance, catering specifically to backpackers and like-minded
travelers. KE provides a transport tour experience that allows customers to get on or off the bus
where they want, while also offering guidance, information, and access to adventure-oriented
places.

The company primarily targets the 18 to 30 age group, with a dominant customer base comprising
international travelers. KE has gained a lead in understanding its target market and has a strong
understanding of its customers' needs and preferences.

While the company is based in New Zealand, it primarily caters to backpackers traveling within
the country.

The experience of KE's customers is a key focus for the company. It places a strong emphasis on
customer satisfaction, continually seeking feedback from customers through surveys and
monitoring the performance of its service to make improvements. KE also encourages positive
word-of-mouth by ensuring a consistently high quality of service and stimulating word-of-mouth
through advertising and promotional activities.

the company has acquired and competes with other bus companies in the international market,
such as Magic Bus and Stray Bus.
P.I: The problem highlighted in this case is the need for Kiwi Experience (KE) to maintain a
consistent standard of quality across the adventure activities it offers. The concern is that if these
activities do not meet the same level of service and quality that KE provides, it could negatively
impact the company's brand image. Additionally, challenges related to managing customer
satisfaction, activities, and flexibility, as well as the need to stimulate positive word-of-mouth and
address competition from other national and regional backpacker bus services and alternative
modes of transport. These issues pose significant challenges for KE in maintaining its competitive
edge and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.

Solution:

The problem highlighted is the need for Kiwi Experience (KE) to ensure a consistent standard of
quality across the adventure activities it offers, as any low-quality activities could reflect poorly
on the company and impact its brand image. To address this, KE should continue to assess and
monitor the performance of every activity it offers, ensuring they meet adequate safety standards
and exceed legal requirements. Additionally, KE should gather feedback from drivers and
customer questionnaires regarding the quality of these activities. By maintaining a rigorous quality
control process and continuously improving their service offering, KE can protect its brand image
and ensure customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, to address the challenges related to managing customer satisfaction, activities, and
flexibility, KE should continue to focus on providing a service designed around customer
preferences, with an unwavering commitment to offering a consistently high quality of service.
This can be achieved through comprehensive driver selection processes, rigorous training
programs, and continuous monitoring of customer feedback. Additionally, the company should
emphasize the importance of stimulating positive word-of-mouth through strategic advertising,
monitoring customer satisfaction, and constantly adding value to its service offering. By
addressing these challenges, KE can maintain its competitive edge and ensure a high level of
customer satisfaction.