Customer Satisfaction in the Public Administration

1. Customer Satisfaction in the Public Administration

2. Summary • What is Customer Satisfaction? • Who is the Customer? • Why we should assess CS? • How can we assess Customer Satisfaction? • Who should do it?

3. “Customer” is… • a person who has a material experience of our services • “potential” customers can provide info about reputation (e.g.: expectations) of the service

4. “Provider” is…. • He who provides a public service and organizes its delivery

5. What is Customer Satisfaction… • Customer Satisfaction is the way services provided meet / surpass / delude citizens’ expectations • The value of Satisfaction is the gap between expectations and experience

6. …and why we should care?? • In a public service, which is normally monopolistic, measuring CS is the only way to assess the performance. Private companies have other tools such as profit. • Helps public services providers to choosepriorities of intervention • Helps to improve service quality • and the reputation of the provider • Satisfaction adds value to the product

7. “Performance” • “The capacity of pursuing the institutional purpose of a public service”. Desired End State Achieved WHERE you get HOW you get

8. On the Provider side, performance is…. • Productivity (the capacity of turning factors of production into a product: input -> output) • Efficiency (working or operating in a way that gets the results you want without any waste)  • Effectiveness: producing the intended results

9. On the Customer side, performance is… • Effectiveness: the way a public service satisfies a need • Customer satisfaction analizes the gap between the customer's expectation of performance and their perceived experience of performance.

10. Expectation – ExperienceReputation – Satisfaction • After going to Court • BEFORE going to court

11. Different perceptions • Client normally takes for granted technical and professional aspects • Provider focusses on tecnical and professional aspects • Client focusses on the quality of delivery and of the relationship • More informations (on technical aspects) = more satisfactions

12. Gap / coherence analysis:

13. The Cycle of Satisfaction

14. Customer Satisfaction assessment methodology: the SERVQUAL model • tangibles • reliability, • responsiveness, • competence, • access, • courtesy, • communication, • credibility, • reassurance, • empathy

15. 1. Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness • Tangibles: Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials • Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately • Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service

16. 2. “CCC”: Competence, Courtesy, Credibility • Competence: Possession of required skill and knowledge to perform service • Courtesy: Politeness, respect, consideration and friendliness of contact personnel. • Credibility: trustworthiness, believability, honesty of the service provider.

17. 3. Reassurance, Accessibility, Communication, Empathy • Reassurance: freedom from risk or doubt. • Access: Approachability and ease of contact. • Communication: Listens to its customers and acknowledges their comments. Keeps customers informed - in a language which they can understand. • Understanding the customer: Making the effort to know customers and their needs.

18. 1. Drivers of quality in a Court: Tangibles • Functionality of the Court building • Cleanliness of the Courtroom • Accessibility of the Courtrooms • Commodities and utilities • Employees’ appearance • Availability of informations • Business hours are comfortable • Employees are recognizable • Level of informatisation

19. 2. Drivers of quality in a Court: Reliability • Employees’ Helpfulness • Transparency / Correctness • Front office: • Competent • Prepared • Precise • Reliable

20. 3. Drivers of quality in a Court: Responsiveness • Employees’ Courtesy (in person /by phone) • Timeliness of delivery • Employees give ready response to questions? • Flexible or bureucratic approach?

21. 4. Drivers of quality in a Court: Accessibility • By phone, e-mail, web • Is it easy to find what you need? • Is it accessible to handicapped, minorities? • Understandability of forms • Understandability of signals/instructions

22. 5. Drivers of quality in a Court: Communication /Empathy • Capacity of listening • Capacity of assisting the customer articulate his needs • Prevention /reduction of mistakes • Openness to Customer Complaint /feedback /claim

23. How to assess and what to assess • Disseminate questionnaires • Make phone calls • Give your clients a way to air complaints, to give feedback, to present compliments • In questionnaires, focus on the whole range of services or one or two sectors

24. What to assess: the 5P • Policy, • Processes, • People, • Premises, • Product/Services (The International Customer Service Institute)

25. Who is doing it? • Interviews can be done by professionals or by yourself • To people who have experienced or are likely to experience Court services • E.g: target on lawyers, citizens etc…

26. How to assess satisfaction: the Likert scale • “Item”: a (positive or negative) statement to be evaluated • Five answers possible: • I Strongly disagree • I Disagree • I Neither agree nor disagree • I Agree • I Strongly agree • Answers are then summed

27. Questionnaires : • Must avoid obscure terminology • Must present questions in a neutral way • Be sure that interviewed know what you are talking about • must not require memory efforts • One aspect per item • Remeber you are assessing sensations (psychometry)

28. Example: • “Court employees are courteous and professional” • I Strongly disagree • I Disagree • I Neither agree nor disagree • I Agree • I Strongly agree

29. What next? • Report transparently (e.g: in the Service Charter) • Learn lessons: discuss with staff • Act to improve what can be improved

30. Key words • Transparency • Listening • Understanding • Openness • Citizen-orientedness • Quality