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Advancing Client Satisfaction in the Canada Revenue Agency

Advancing Client Satisfaction in the Canada Revenue Agency. Presented at the Alberta Federal Council Meeting, February 12, 2004 Sue Wormington, Director, Strategic Planning & Development Division, Client Services. Background: Our Clients. 24 million individual taxfilers

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Advancing Client Satisfaction in the Canada Revenue Agency

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  1. Advancing Client Satisfaction in the Canada Revenue Agency Presented at the Alberta Federal Council Meeting, February 12, 2004 Sue Wormington, Director, Strategic Planning & Development Division, Client Services

  2. Background: Our Clients • 24 million individual taxfilers • 2.1 million GST/HST registrants • 1.5 million corporations • 1.5 million employers • 2.8 million Canada Child Tax Benefit recipients • 22,700 registered pension & deferred profit sharing plans • 79,200 registered charities • Provinces/territories, other federal entities, associations (partnerships)

  3. CRA Approach • Mandate is to promote compliance … through communication, quality service, and responsible enforcement … • Strategic outcomes • Compliance • Innovation (that the CRA is a leading-edge service provider) • Increased focus on client service in early 90’s • Culture of service: provide the right information, tools and assistance to clients, at the right time, so they can • voluntarily comply • receive their benefits and entitlements

  4. Citizen Feedback and Engagement • Cornerstone of service excellence and voluntary compliance in CRA: if clients understand their entitlements and obligations, they will comply • Critical to measure client awareness, needs, preferences and satisfaction with the way we deliver our services • Identifies areas where we need to improve or refine those services, or create new services • Results of client-centric approach (examples): • 90% caller accessibility • 98% of tax returns processed per service standard • 99% of benefit payments issued on time • improvement in satisfaction rating, Citizens First

  5. Improvements to Service • Government On-Line: Increase information and transactions available to clients • Service Improvements: Focus on quality of service channels, integrating services • Future Directions: Vision of how CRA will serve specific client groups over 10 year period (individuals and benefit recipients, small businesses, large business, charities) • Service Strategy for Assessment and Collections Branch: How we plan to deliver programs and serve our clients over next 10 years

  6. Quality Service Delivery: Channels of Choice • Four service channels: • In person • Written material • Telephone • Electronic • Multi-channel service options must be available to clients • CRA strives to ensure programs respond to drivers of satisfaction

  7. Telephone Service Improvements • Telephone still most commonly used service channel • 1998, less than 10% accessibility during peak periods: Unacceptable client service levels / low client satisfaction • Citizens First 1998 findings served to support change initiatives – drivers of satisfaction, especially timeliness • Implemented a 1-800 network across call centres in 2000, extended hours of service, reduce need to call • 2003, over 90% accessibility during filing season, through network, flexible staffing arrangements, call forecasting • Simultaneous focus on increased agent accuracy, better tools, focused training, more probing • Next: Telephone Service Standard, to be published 2004

  8. Electronic Service Improvements • Electronic options for filing tax returns • Implementation of “My Account” • Significant redesign of our website (launched Jan 04), using client-centric approach – clients can access information and find answers to their questions by • Program • Function • Client segment (e.g. seniors) • Alphabetically • More links to other government departments and jurisdictions, they do the same in return • Available 24/7

  9. Service Improvement Initiative • CRA fully supports the government-wide approach to service improvement • Participates actively in Service Improvement Initiative (SII) as a lead department; improved service offerings continue • Service standards implemented: • National Service Standards Steering Committee • CRA-wide methodology established in 2000 for developing service standards (creation of a guide) • 37 published service standards (e.g. standard for timeliness re counter service, tax return processing, Problem Resolution Program) • Starting to use the Common Measurement Tool

  10. Client Survey and Feedback Activities • CCRA Annual Survey • Client Service Rating Cards • Web Site User Survey • Program specific satisfaction surveys (e.g. Canada Child Tax Benefit application form; to come: Business Enquiries Telephone Service) • Usability testing; Focus group testing

  11. Annual SurveyMeasuring Up: How Canadians view the CCRA • Designed to assist the CRA in evaluating the public’s perception about the way we design and implement our programs and services • Baseline in 2000, conducted annually • Targeted primarily to ‘individuals” (re taxes, benefits, customs, cheating) • 2002 study: 3,050 interviews by phone • 64% say CCRA does a good/very good job (61% in 2000) • Helps identify potential areas for more in-depth research • Using aspects of CMT (different measurement scale)

  12. Client Service Rating Cards • Introduced in 1992 to monitor client satisfaction with our counter service • Simple, economical tool provides feedback at local office level • 2002-03 results show 95% of clients received the help they needed and rated the service quality as good • Currently being redesigned using CMT methodology

  13. CCRA Web Site User Survey • Purpose: establish baseline measures of user interaction and satisfaction with the CCRA Web site • Objectives included measurement of • Profile of visitors • Awareness of information and services available on the site • Experiences using the site, including: reasons for visit, whether desired service/information was obtained • Satisfaction with aspects of the site and process of using it; Overall satisfaction (78% gave 4 or 5 rating) • Sample of 1,005 people who had visited the web in 2003 • Conducted in Sept/Oct 2003 (CMT approach) • 21-minute questionnaire • Results currently being finalized

  14. The Common Measurement Tool: Advantages • Questions aligned with satisfaction drivers (Citizens First) • Sound methodology for measuring client satisfaction • Common set of core questions • User-friendly • Multi-channel instrument • Already tested • Can compare with other jurisdictions • Community of knowledge – share best practices • Incorporated into Stats Canada (and other) training courses • Element of Service Improvement Initiative • Results useable by policy and program managers • Free (in exchange for sharing results)

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