people-flow-magazine-2015-14

ith millions of people using

its elevators, escalators and

automatic building doors

every day, customer safety

is and has always been

one of KONE’s top priorities. KONE’s people

flow expertise, combined with its preventive

maintenance solutions, helps businesses run

smoothly year after year. KONE also works

actively with its customers and partners to

ensure the safe use of all its products.

“As most of KONE’s elevators, escalators

and doors are in public areas, customer

safety is of utmost importance to us,” says

Nicole Köster

, Marketing & Communication

Manager, KONE Germany. “We have a

zero-accident strategy and work hard – both

internally and with our customers – to make

sure this target is achieved.”

Köster explains that safety starts with

developing, manufacturing and installing safe

products. One of the next steps is to inform

the customers and make sure all the relevant

safety documentation – including signs and

stickers – is in place and up to date.

TRAINING YOUNG MINDS

KONE also creates optional services for

customers, organizing training days,

workshops and events for customers to

ensure the safety of the people actually using

the products. For example, it has designed a

program that specifically targets elementary

school and kindergarten children, who are

brought in for training and awarded an

“elevator and escalator driver’s license.”

“I think we’ve all seen children playing on

escalators, walking up in the wrong direction,

sitting or playing on the steps,” continues

Köster. “Other people at risk include elderly

people with walking frames and people

wearing long skirts, or not holding on to the

handrail. We see these unsafe behaviors every

day and, as the manufacturer, it’s up to us

to work with our customers to minimize the

risks.”

PARTNERING WITH KARSTADT

One KONE customer that jumped at the

opportunity to promote customer safety is

the Karstadt department store in Hanover,

Germany. Karstadt is one of Hanover’s top

department stores, with 22 escalators and

four elevators that are used by an estimated

2,000 customers a day. Last summer, KONE

approached Karstadt Hanover to gauge

its interest in organizing a children’s safety

event.

Jana Bauer

, Karstadt Hanover’s Marketing

Manager, explains:

In retail, nothing is more important than customer experience. When people

are able to move effortlessly and safely, they are more likely to shop for longer

and return to the same retail center.

Focus on safety at Karstadt

TEXT

ISABELLE KLIGER

PHOTO

KONE

“Approximately 120 children participated

in the two-day workshop. We set up a

play area with a huge TV, exciting coloring

books, helium balloons, ice cream and lots

of fun giveaways. Most importantly, each

participant who completed the safety training

received a certificate, issued by KONE and

Karstadt.”

“We used the existing elevators and

escalators and held 30-minute training

sessions for groups of 10 children at a time,”

continues Köster. “I’m certain we increased

their understanding of safety, and the

feedback was really great – both from the

participants and from Karstadt.”

Köster recalls the story of a young girl,

who had just completed the training

being overheard on an escalator with her

grandmother:

“The girl was about four years old and

we heard her scolding her grandmother,

saying, ‘You have to hold on to the handrail

when you’re standing on the escalator!’ This

proved that she’d listened and really learned

something,” she says.

FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

Karstadt and KONE also received positive

feedback from the manager of a local

kindergarten, who expressed an interest in

organizing similar training days for all their

groups of children.

“We’re very happy that KONE provides

such great workshops that allow children

to learn by doing,” adds Bauer. “Of course,

we’ve put up signs indicating the correct use

of elevators and escalators, but children learn

best through play and by experiencing what

works and what doesn’t. We hope to organize

more, similar events in the future.” /

“As most of KONE’s

elevators, escalators and

doors are in public areas,

customer safety is of

utmost importance to us.”

KONE’S DIGITAL GAME FOR

CHILDREN ON ELEVATOR AND

ESCALATOR SAFETY

Featuring:

Safety mascots Max the

mouse and Bob the elephant

Target Group:

Children aged 4 to 10

Nature:

Fun, educational, adventure

Game Plot:

Max accidentally flies

away with a balloon and Bob tries to

find him in a tall building with the

help of elevators and escalators

Aim:

Educate children to use elevators

and escalators safely

Platforms:

Personal computers

including tablets

www.kone.com/safety-game/

Children’s safety

event at Karstadt

department store,

Hanover, Germany

partnership