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W
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
20
21
partnership
partnership