KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 – Prasarana Malaysia Berhad said a structured training programme for around 4,000 of its frontliners has led to a 50 per cent drop in customer complaints over the past six months.
Prasarana’s Group Chief Human Capital Officer, Harigaran Bharatham, said the programme developed with corporate trainer Learning Edge, trains bus drivers, station operators, and customer service staff in grooming, communication, and problem-solving.
“We recognised the need to reevaluate our approach and equip our frontliners with new skills and behaviours to serve the public better,” he told reporters here.
“Thus far we’ve spent close to RM1.3 million on training close to 4,000 staff in the six and a half months we started this programme.”
Meanwhile, its Senior Vice-President Mohd Dzulkaedah Zaharuddin said the training has addressed common complaints about staff behaviour and service inconsistencies.
“The most common complaints were about staff behaviour and service inconsistencies. By standardising greetings, grooming, and customer interaction protocols, we’ve seen tangible improvements,” he said.
The programme includes the “Feel-Felt-Found” technique for conflict resolution and a three-second pause strategy to reduce reactive responses.
Supervisors monitor staff post-training to ensure new skills are applied and provide coaching where necessary.
Additionally, Learning Edge chief executive Perthpal Singh Khosa highlighted that addressing service transition gaps has significantly improved customer satisfaction.
“For many bus drivers and station staff, being brought into a workshop and trained on personal grooming and service etiquette was a first.
“It showed them that their work is valued and that they play a crucial role in representing Malaysia’s public transport system,” Perthpal noted.
Prasarana said it now plans to incorporate virtual reality for maintenance training and artificial intelligence to monitor passenger sentiment as part of its long-term strategy.
