Customer Satisfaction in the Public Administration Summary

Customer Satisfaction in the Public Administration

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

“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 ¡

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

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 ¡

…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 choose priorities of intervention Helps to improve service quality and the reputation of the provider Satisfaction adds value to the product

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

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 ¡

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. ¡

Expectation – Experience Reputation – Satisfaction ¡ BEFORE going to court • After going to Court

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 ¡

Gap / coherence analysis: Client: Provider: Expected quality Quality target Perceived quality Quality granted

The Cycle of Satisfaction Improve Report Assess

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

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 ¡

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. ¡

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.

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 ¡

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

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? ¡

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 ¡

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 ¡

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 ¡

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

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… ¡

How to assess satisfaction: the Likert scale ¡ ¡ “Item”: a (positive or negative) statement to be evaluated Five answers possible: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ¡ I Strongly disagree I Disagree I Neither agree nor disagree I Agree I Strongly agree Answers are then summed

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) ¡

Example: ¡ “Court employees are courteous and professional” 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I Strongly disagree I Disagree I Neither agree nor disagree I Agree I Strongly agree

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

Key words Transparency ¡ Listening ¡ Understanding ¡ Openness ¡ Citizen-orientedness ¡ Quality ¡