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Summary of Research How do Canadians Feel About the Telephone Channel?

Summary of Research How do Canadians Feel About the Telephone Channel?. Prepared by: Cathy Ladds, Chief Information Officer Branch, and Charles Vincent, ICCS June 2005. Agenda. Recent research studies Use of the telephone to access services Satisfaction with telephone service delivery

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Summary of Research How do Canadians Feel About the Telephone Channel?

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  1. Summary of ResearchHow do Canadians Feel About the Telephone Channel? Prepared by: Cathy Ladds, Chief Information Officer Branch, and Charles Vincent, ICCS June 2005

  2. Agenda • Recent research studies • Use of the telephone to access services • Satisfaction with telephone service delivery • Ease of Access to services via the telephone • Strengths and Weaknesses of the telephone as a delivery channel • Channel Decision Framework: Who should use the telephone when? Slide/

  3. What do we know? • Recent Canadian studies looking at telephone service delivery in the public sector: • Compas - Multi-Channel Service Delivery (2003) • Ipsos-Reid – Govt. Service & Satisfaction (2005) • Ekos – Rethinking the Information Highway (2005) • Citizens First 3 (2002) and Citizens First 4 (2005) • Taking Care of Business (2004) Slide/

  4. How Businesses and Citizens Access Service The telephone is the most popular channel for accessing government services: The People’s Channel Slide/

  5. Channel Choice Research from Ekos (below) and Ipsos-Reid supports the popularity of the telephone for accessing government services 40% Slide/

  6. Satisfaction by Channel Despite being the most popular channel, it consistently delivers some of the lowest satisfaction scores 68 Internet/email 62 Office visit 62 Kiosk 56 Phone 55 Mail 54 Other 0 25 50 75 100 Very poor SERVICE QUALITY Very good Source: Citizens First 3 Slide/

  7. Ease of Access by Channel Moreover, “Ease of Access” scores are also lowest for the telephone Source: Ekos -Rethinking the Information Highway Slide/

  8. Ease of Access – Multi-Channel When citizens use the phone with other channels, “ease of access” scores are lowest Two Channels Internet + Mail 77 Office + Mail 76 Office +Internet 68 Phone + Office 64 Phone + Mail 63 Phone + Internet 59 Single Channel Office Visit 75 Kiosk 74 Internet/email 69 Mail 65 Telephone 63 Source: Citizens First 3 Slide/

  9. Barriers to Access When asking about “ease of access” in general, issues related to the telephone rise to the top. 1. Telephone lines were busy 2. Bounced around from one person to another 3. Trouble with Interactive Voice Response or Voice Mail 4. Did not know where to start 5. Could not find the service in the Blue Pages Source: Citizens First 3 Slide/

  10. Drivers of Satisfaction Understanding the drivers of satisfaction can help us focus our service improvements efforts • Drivers of Satisfaction: • Timeliness • Knowledge • Fairness • Extra Mile / Courtesy • Outcome • Citizens who get good service on all 5 drivers rate SQ at 89 out of 100 Slide/

  11. Timeliness Timeliness has received a fair amount of attention since it is the most significant driver of satisfaction, as well as the one rated lowest Q. How long did the entire experience take - from the time you first contacted the government until you got what you needed? Source: Citizens First 3 Slide/

  12. Citizen Perceptions The telephone is perceived to be a relatively “fast” channel Slide/

  13. Citizen Experiences The telephone is also used in many “quick” service situations. Slide/ Source: Ekos -Rethinking the Information Highway

  14. Service Standards With these facts in mind, many organizations have turned to setting service standards related to the speed with which the phone will be answered. When you telephone a government office with a routine request, what is an acceptable length of time to wait before you speak to a person? Slide/

  15. Importance of First Contact? However, more than speed, first contact appears to have a significant impact on satisfaction... Slide/

  16. How Canadians decided to call… • Phonebook/Blue Pages 32% • Number listed on letter/form/ advertising/brochure 23% • Number listed on Website (Government or Other) 16% • Word of Mouth/Personal Knowledge 10% • Other/Don’t Know 19% Source: Ipsos-Reid Government Service & Satisfaction Slide/

  17. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Telephone What Canadians consider to be STRENGTHS of the telephone channel: • Accessibility – can call from home or work • Cost – inexpensive (local or 1-800) • Speed – can be fast, efficient, instantaneous • Information – detailed answers to specific questions, referrals • Convenience – no office visit, no office line-ups • Personalized service – human touch, advice, one-on-one, accountability (can get service rep’s name) • Other – privacy, anonymity, less intimidating than office visit Slide/ Source: Compas

  18. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Telephone What Canadians consider to be WEAKNESSES of the telephone channel: • Accessibility – IVR/voice mail, calls not returned, no extended hours, run-around, busy periods • Cost – expensive if no toll-free or local number • Speed – long waits or put on hold • Staff – not always helpful/knowledgeable, inconsistencies, rudeness, accents • Information – can be conflicting, wrong or incomplete, not a good medium for large volume of information • Other – confidentiality problem in smaller communities Source: Compas Slide/

  19. Channel Service Client Channel Decision Framework The channel decision framework is a function of both client characteristics and service characteristics Slide/

  20. Service Characteristics CHANNEL SUITABILITY - TELEPHONE: • To start or prepare for an office visit • To obtain general information/request information • To get answers to specific or personal questions • To get answers to program-related questions • To obtain advice/guidance • To conduct simple transactions Source: Compas Slide/

  21. Channel use in specific situations Q. I would now like you to tell me which way of contacting the Government of Canada—Internet, telephone, in-person, mail or at a kiosk—you would most likely choose when looking for the following kinds of service or information? Source: Ipsos-Reid Slide/

  22. Client Characteristics • Demographic profile of those who use the telephone to contact government: • More likely to live in rural areas, be middle-aged and older and have lower levels of education and income • Regionally, telephone is used more often than average by those in Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba • Note: Ekos-RIH study also suggested that women tended to use the telephone more than men Source: Ipsos-Reid Slide/

  23. Discussion/Questions Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none. Doug Larson Slide/

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