Another first for customers from Jetstar

12 February 2010 Embargo: 1201am AEDT 12/2/2010
Melbourne (2 pages)

Another first for customers from Jetstar

Low fares leader Jetstar unveils another first, a 10-point Customer Charter known as the ‘Jetstar Customer Guarantee’, through YouTube today.

It applies across Jetstar’s Australian, New Zealand and Singaporean businesses.

The Jetstar Customer Guarantee demonstrates Jetstar’s ongoing commitment to deliver outstanding customer service and low fares.

Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said: “We’re really excited and proud to be the first airline in the region to introduce a Customer Charter which reinforces our commitment to customer service.

“Our Jetstar Customer Guarantee demonstrates how much we care about our customers and their experience with Jetstar.

“At Jetstar, safety is always our first priority, and we strongly believe that getting the lowest fare shouldn’t mean having to compromise on excellent customer service.

“The Jetstar Customer Guarantee will be an evolving and living document that will be constantly reviewed. This will be supported by a customer and staff engagement programme, including a newly established panel involving customers and staff and consultation with consumer advocacy experts.

“This reaffirms our carrier’s public commitment to excellence in customer service and reflects ongoing improvements the airline has been putting in place for customers.

“The Jetstar Customer Guarantee forms such an important part of our future direction that we are making this very public commitment directly to all our customers through our YouTube channel, via email and on our website, to ensure ease of accessibility.”

Jetstar will publish its findings and commitments as well as enhancements to the Jetstar Customer Guarantee.

The Jetstar Customer Guarantee includes self-imposed consequences for the airline, including self-imposed penalties for the benefit of customers when commitments aren’t met.

These commitments include:
• direct and timely communication to ensure customers are informed of delays and cancellations as early as possible;
• helping customers by providing alternative arrangements when their flight is no longer available;
• acknowledging complaints (including online) within 24 hours of receipt;
• maximum 15 business day turn-around for complaint responses and processing of refunds.

If Jetstar breaches a commitment and a customer contacts Jetstar, the airline will provide affected customers with travel vouchers ranging between $50 and $100 in local currency.

Other consequences will include Jetstar directly donating significant sums to World Vision through its StarKids program, which supports projects positively impacting the lives of families living in poverty in Australia and across South East Asia.

“Jetstar has chosen to move first and set the standard by outlining its customer service commitments in writing and with self-imposed penalties for the benefit of customers,” Mr Buchanan said.

“Jetstar’s Customer Guarantee crystallises what the airline needed to focus on delivering to customers, and also ensures customers know our commitment to them.”

Mr Buchanan said the Jetstar Customer Guarantee followed over twelve months of hard work to build and improve upon Jetstar’s capability around customer resolution, tools to improve information flow to customers, increased resourcing to resolve customer issues in a timely manner and an overarching staff engagement and customer service training program.

“We know that in situations that affect customers' travel, keeping customers informed is essential, and through the Jetstar Customer Guarantee we prove our commitment to this,” Mr Buchanan said.

Jetstar Customer Guarantee

1. Your safety is our highest priority
2. We commit to provide the lowest fares with our ‘Price Beat Guarantee’*
3. Our team are always here to help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
4. We’ll let you know your choices if your flight is changed before you travel
5. We’ll keep you updated and provide options if things don’t go to plan on the day
6. You will get what you paid for
7. You can have confidence in how quickly we will respond to an issue
8. You can have confidence in how quickly we will refund your money#
9. We share your passion for protecting our environment
10. We commit to the privacy of your personal information

The Jetstar Customer Guarantee is available here and at Jetstar.com.

Further information is also available at YouTube.

The Jetstar Customer Guarantee will sit alongside Jetstar’s ‘Conditions of Carriage’ and does not replace standard conditions that apply to fares. Both documents are freely accessible at Jetstar.com or upon direct request. The commitments in the Jetstar Customer Guarantee apply in addition to any rights under Jetstar’s Conditions of Carriage or under law.

ENDS

*Jetstar’s Price Beat Guarantee means if you find a published Internet airfare on another airline that Is lower than the lowest available Jetstar fare on the same route at a comparable time on Jetstar.com, call us to book with Jetstar and we will beat the other airline’s fare by 10 per cent. More information at Jetstar.com

#For agreed refunds.

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