Measuring Customer Satisfaction - King County

Measuring Customer SatisfactionImproving the experience of King County's customers

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1011CustomerSatisfactionGuide.indd skrau

Office of the King County Executive401 Fifth Ave. Suite 800Seattle, WA 98104-1818

206-263-9623

Prepared by the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget

and the Customer Service Director, King County Executive's Office

1. Introduction............................................................................................................5

Purpose...........................................................................................................................6

Scope...............................................................................................................................8

Principles for customer satisfaction measurement....................................10

Framework for managing customer satisfaction........................................11

2. Defining your customers.........................................................................13

3. Defining drivers of customer satisfaction...............................15

4. Developing and conducting the customer satisfaction survey.....................................................17

Scale...............................................................................................................................17

Types of questions...................................................................................................18

Length...........................................................................................................................20

Survey administration.............................................................................................20

5. Developing and conducting focus group discussions....23

6. Analyzing, reporting, and using customer satisfaction information..................................................25

7. Taking the first steps...................................................................................27

Appendix A.................................................................................................................29

Appendix B..................................................................................................................31

Appendix C.................................................................................................................33

Appendix D.................................................................................................................35

Table of contents

KING COUNTY MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

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1. IntroductionTheseguidelinesaredesignedtohelpdepartments,agencies,andprogramsfocusoncustomersatisfaction,measurecustomersatisfactionacrossprograms,usetheinformationgatheredtomakeservicedeliveryimprovements,andreporttomanagementandthepubliconprogressinbetterserving—andsatisfying—customers.

Thedocumentprovidesthefollowing:

n Animplementationframeworkformanaging customersatisfaction;

n Acommondesignforapproachingand measuringcustomersatisfaction;

n Toolsandresourcesformeasuring customersatisfaction.

Inthepast,KingCountyhasassessedcustomersatisfactioninavarietyofdepartmentsandprograms.However,pastassessmentshaveuseddifferingmeasurementmethodsandtools.Accordingly,theseguidelineswillhelpthecountyestablishmoreuniformapproachesandmeasurementprocedures,whichwillresultinmoreuseful,meaningfulcustomersatisfactioninformation,increasedunderstandingofcustomersandthepublic,andimprovedabilitytobetterservethepublic.

Thislighthouseismeanttodrawattentiontokeypointsandguidelines.

Thedocumentprovidesastartingpointinanydepartment’seffortstoenhanceinsightintoitscustomers,improvetheproductsandservicesoffered,andfindwaystoimproveservicestocustomersandthepublic.Itisintendedthatthedocumentwillberevisedperiodicallybasedonthecounty’slearningandexperienceswithcustomersatisfactionmeasurementandserviceimprovementwork.

TheseguidelinesarebasedonKingCounty’spreviouscustomersatisfactionmeasurementexperienceandeffectivepracticesfromotherjurisdictions(seeresourcelistinAppendixA),whichhavebeenmodifiedtofitKingCounty’sparticularinterestsincustomersatisfactionandprocessimprovement.Althoughnotcomprehensive,theguidelinesaredesignedtoaddressthemostcommonlyaskedquestionsaboutpurpose,designanduseofcustomerinformationtoimproveservicesandprograms.Inaddition,moretechnicalresourcesfordesigningandfielding(oradministering)surveyscanbefoundinAppendixA.


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PurposeKingCountytaxpayerssupporttheworkofcountyemployeesanddeserveexceptionalcustomerservicethroughpositive,respectful,responsive,andeffectiveinteractionswithallcountyemployees.Focusingoncustomersatisfactionisacomponentofgoodgovernance,anditisacountywidepriority.

Customersatisfactionmeasurementhasacriticalroleininformingserviceimprovement.Itallowsanagencytounderstandwhatitscustomersvalue,howvaluesvarybetweendifferenttypesofcustomers,andwheretheagencycantakeactiontoimproveservicedelivery.

KingCounty’scustomersatisfactionmeasurementeffortsareinformedby1)theKingCountyStrategicPlanadoptedin2010,2)thecounty’sperformancemanagementsystem,and3)theDirectorofCustomerService.

King County Strategic Plan

The2010countywidestrategicplanelevatestheimportanceandroleofcustomersatisfactioninourwork.Theplanestablishesthreecross-cuttingguidingprinciplesthatrelatetocustomersatisfaction,theneedtomeasureit,andtheneedtoimproveourservicesinresponsetocus-tomerexperiences:

n Service-oriented–Welistenandrespondtoourcustomersinaculturallyresponsive wayandprioritizetheirsatisfactionaswedoourwork.

n Results-focused–Weestablishcommunitydrivengoals,measureourperformance, andreporttothepubliconoursuccessinmeetingthosegoals.

n Innovative–Wearecreative,learnfromexperienceandresults,andseekoutnew andefficientwaystosolveproblemsandservethepublic.

Service Excellence is one of eight goals in the plan. TheServiceExcellencegoalistoestablishacultureofcustomerserviceanddeliverservicesthatareresponsivetocommunityneeds.Underthisgoal,Objective1isto“Improveourcustomers’satisfactionwithKingCounty”withthefollowingstrategies:

a.Makecustomerserviceaprimaryfocusforallcountyemployees

b.Gathercustomerfeedbackregardingservicedeliveryandreportresultsaspart ofthecounty’sperformancemanagementsystem

c.Improvelocalservicedelivery


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Measuring customer satisfaction has a critical role in achieving all three of these strategies.

There are three other related objectives under the Service Excellence goal:

1.Buildacultureofperformanceandimprovetheeffectivenessandefficiencyof countyprograms,services,andsystems

2.FosteranethicofworkingtogetherforOneKingCounty

3.IncreaseaccesstoKingCountyservices,personnel,andinformation

Furthermore, two other important and related goals in the plan are as follows:

n QualityWorkforce-DevelopandempowerKingCountygovernment’smost valuableasset,ouremployees.

n PublicEngagement-Promoterobustpublicengagementthatinforms,involves,and empowerspeopleandcommunities.

Listeningtoourcustomers,measuringcustomersatisfaction,improvingourservices,andengagingemployeesinmakingthoseimprovementsallsupportthesestrategicplangoals.

King County’s performance management system

ThefocusoncustomersatisfactionisalsoreflectedintheCounty’sperformancemanagementsystem,andcustomersatisfactionresultswillbereportedwithotherperformancemeasures.

Thestandardframeworkforcustomersatisfactionmeasurementappliestodepartments’anddivisions’majorproductsandservices.Inmeasuringandreportingoncustomersatisfaction,departmentsanddivisionswillincludethefollowing:

1.Identifytheprimarydriversofsatisfactionfortheircustomers,anddescribe howtheydeterminedthem(see Chapter 3).

2.Providemeasuresof:

a.overallsatisfaction,

b.keydriversofsatisfactionforadepartment’s,division’s,orprogram’s uniquecustomerbase,and

c.otherrelated,objectively-derivedperformancemeasures.

3.Explaintheactionstheyaretakingtoimprovecustomersatisfaction,and reportonprogresswithkeyperformanceindicators.


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Director of Customer Service

ADirectorofCustomerServicehasbeenappointedtoadvancebothcustomersatisfactionandemployeesatisfactionbyimplementingimprovementstocustomerserviceandensuringthatsystemsforfeedbackfromcustomersandemployeesareinplace.TheDirectorofCustomerServiceisresponsibleforestablishingperformancemeasuresforcustomersatisfactionandinspiringacultureofperformanceandcontinuousimprovementbyempoweringemployeestoworktogetherasoneKingCounty.StafffromtheOfficeofPerformance,StrategyandBudgetwillassisttheDirectorinimplementingthisguidanceandcanprovideadditionalspecificguid-ancetodepartmentsinsurveydesignandimplementation.

ScopeSomedepartmentsandprogramsinthecountyhaveexistingcustomersatisfactionmeasure-mentandserviceimprovementefforts.Eventually,everycountyprogramshouldhavesomewayofunderstandingandassessingitscustomers’opinionsandimprovingcustomersatisfac-tionovertime.Thisappliestobothexternalandinternalservices.

Allprogramsdonothaveequalresources,similarcustomers,orsimilarproductsandservices.Therefore,itisnotpossibletoprescribeasinglemeasurementtoolormethodologythatcouldbeusedbyalldepartmentsandprograms.However,itispossibletoprescribeauniformgoalforalldepartmentsandprograms:Everydepartmentandprogramwillimproveitscustomersatisfactionapproachesandmeasuresovertime,withintheresourcesthatareavailable.

Forexample,someprogramsmayincreasetheiruseofcustomercommentcards,andothersmaymovefromcommentcardstoonlineormailsurveys.Allformsofmeasurementthathelpdepartmentsbetterunderstandandservetheircustomersareencouraged,includingpostcardmailers;commentcards;andphone,mail,inperson,orelectronicsurveys.Lowandno-costmethodsareencouraged,wherepossible,iftheymeetbothinformationalandprogrammaticneeds.

Whilemanydifferentmeasurementapproachesmaybeappropriateandusefulincustomersatisfactionmeasurement,allmeasurementshouldfocusongatheringcustomersatisfactioninformationrelatedtoaspecificagencyproductorservice.Customersatisfactionmeasurementdiffersfromthecommunity-levelsurveysthattheCountyhasconductedinthepast,suchasthe2009KingCountyCommunitySurveydoneinsupportofthecountywidestrategicplanningprocess.Forexample,the2009CommunitySurveysurveyedarepresentativesampleofallcountyresidents,notnecessarilyonlythosethathavehadadirectserviceinteractionwiththecounty.

Eachdepartmentwillberesponsiblefordevelopinganddeployingitsowncustomersatisfactionmeasurementapproaches.Therewillbesomecentralizedreporting,coordination,andtechnicalassistancesupportfordepartmentsurveysthroughtheCustomerServiceDirectorandtheOfficeofPerformance,Strategy,andBudget.


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Choosing programs to measure

Itisnotpossibletomeasureeverythingatonce,anddepartmentswillneedtomakechoicesaboutwhichprogramsandservicestomeasure.Inordertocreaterealisticexpectationsandtobeabletolearnfromourexperience,departmentsandagenciesshouldidentifyafewprogramsthatwillserveaslearningopportunitiesforcustomersatisfactionmeasurement.

Althoughtherearenohardandfastrulesaboutwhichprogramsandservicesshouldbeassessedfirst,thefollowingaresomerecommendedcriteriatoconsider(notinrankedorder):

n Largestnumberofpeopleserved

n Largestprogram,intermsofbudgetorstaff

n Clearopportunitiesareavailabletoimprove(programswithknowncomplaints/issues)

n Higheststrategicpriority

n Highprofileprogramsorprogramswithknowncontroversy.


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Principles for customer satisfaction measurement

Thefollowingprinciplesshouldinformandguidedepartments’customerserviceperformancemeasurement:

n Theultimategoalforallcustomerserviceshouldbe“serviceexcellence.”

n Agoodwaytofindoutwhatyourcustomerscareaboutandwhattheir experiencesareistoaskthem.

n Customersatisfactionresultsareimportanttounderstandservicedelivery, willbeusedbymanagementandemployeestoimproveservices,andwillbe reportedtothepublicalongwithchangesmadebasedontheresults.

n Wheneverpossible,leverageexistinginformationandbuildonexistingsurveys andcustomer-focusedwork.

n Differencesinprograms,services,andcustomerpopulationsmayrequire differencesindatacollectionprocedures,measures,andstrategiesfor improvement.

n Customersatisfactionmeasurementshouldfocusontheentirecustomer experience,notjustthefinalresultordecision.

n Everyprogramshouldstrivetoobtainscientificallyrepresentativeandvalid data,eventhoughthedegreetowhichthisisachievedmayvarybasedon resourceavailability,typesofcustomers,andproducts/servicesoffered.

n Customersatisfactiondatacollectioneffortsshouldbeadaptedtoand modifiedfordiversecustomerpopulations.

n Customersatisfactionmeasurementshouldbeproximal,orcloseintime, tothetimeofserviceorinteraction.Assesscustomersatisfactionwhena customer’sexperienceisfresh.

n Measurementshouldreflectthevariousways(channelsormethods)customers accesstheservice.


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Framework for managing customer satisfactionMeasuringcustomersatisfactionisacriticalcomponentofimprovingcustomerserviceandsatisfaction.

Measuringcustomersatisfactionisameanstoanend:serviceimprovement.

The service improvement process includes the following:

n definitionandreflectionabouttheserviceanditscustomers,

n gatheringexistingcustomer-relateddata,

n measuringyourcustomer’sexperience,

n dataanalysisanddevelopinginsights,

n developinganactionplanandcommunicatingaboutthatplan,and

n takingactiontoimprovetheservice.

ThefollowingdiagramrepresentsthecustomersatisfactionmeasurementandimprovementprocessinKingCounty.

King County Customer Satisfaction Measurementand Improvement Process

Analyze survey results(overall satisfaction,drivers, open-ended

feedback

Communicateresults to

customers &the public

Develop & implement actionplan (with measures) to

improve customersatisfaction & service

Refine definition of drivers and review

customer satisfactionsurvey

Identify/defineyour products& customers

Identify/define drivers of satisfaction

(review data • focus groups)

Develop & conduct customer satisfaction survey

(methods • instrument)


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2. Defining your customersCustomersaretherecipientsoftheproductsorservicesthatanagencyproduces.

Anagency’sproductsorservicesaretheresultofitsinternalprocesses,andcanbedefinedusingnouns,whicharenamesofthingsthatcanbecounted.Productsandservicesshouldnotbeconfusedwiththeinternalprocessesortheworkthatanagencydoes,whichcanbedefinedusingverbs.

Examples of agency products and services:

n permits,

n parks,

n licenses,

n immunizations,

n treatmentplans,

n contracts,

n websites,and

n busrides.

A product is something created by work, which can be given to someone else to achieve a desired outcome. Ken Miller, The Change Agent’s Guide to Radical Improvement

Customersarepeoplewhodirectlyreceiveand/orusetheproductsandservicesprovidedbyKingCounty.Contactbetweencustomersandthecountyoccursinpersonatacounterandinthefield,overthephone,bymail,andonline.

Othernamesforcustomersmightincludethefollowing:

nApplicant nAttendee nAuditee

nCandidate nCase nRecipient

nClient nComplier nDefendant

nDriver nResident nViolator

nClaimant nFamily nInmate

nJob seeker nOffender nParolee

nPermit applicant nProgram participant nPark user


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Notallcustomersareexternalcustomers.Fordepartmentsprovidinginternalservices,customersaretypicallycountyemployees.Manydepartmentsalsoprovideregionalor“wholesale”services;inthiscaseyourprimarycustomersmaybecities,firedistricts,orotherorganizations.

Here are some examples of county programs and their customers:

Program/Service/Product Customer

Bus Busriders

Jailvisitation Inmatefamilies

Healthclinics Clinicpatients

Restaurantinspections Restaurantowners&managers

Parks Parkusers

Cartabs Carowners

Taxcollection Propertyowners

Buildingpermits Permitapplicants

Email Emailusers

Customer surveys vs. citizen surveys

Operationally,forthepurposesofassessingcustomersatisfaction,wearereferringtocustomersratherthantaxpayers,citizens,orresidents.Customersaredistinguishedfromgeneralresidentswhomaybenefitindirectlyfromthedeliveryofcountyservices.Residents,astaxpayersorvoters,haveaclearinterestintheeffectiveandefficientprovisionofcountygovernmentservices.Taxpayersorresidentsingeneralareanalogoustoinvestorsorshareholdersofacompany;theycaredeeplyaboutthecompanybutdonotnecessarilyuseitsproducts.Infact,manyorganizationsneedtobalancetheneedsoftheircustomerswiththeneedsofthepublicinterestorthecommunityatlarge.Forexample,thinkoftheconflictinginterestsofjailinmatesandthebroaderpublicinterestintheirsecuredetention,ortherestaurateurbeinginspectedandthediningpublicwhowantsasafediningexperience.

Althoughgeneralopinionsurveyscanprovidecontextforcustomersatisfactionmeasurementandensurethevoiceofthegeneralresidentisincluded,thatisnotthefocusofcustomersatisfactionmeasurement.


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3. Defining drivers of customer satisfactionThekey driversofcustomersatisfactionarethosefactorsthatmostinfluencecustomersatisfactionforaparticularserviceorproduct.

Manyfactorsaffectthecustomerexperience,positivelyornegatively.Thesefactorscanberelatedtothethingsthatcustomersvalueaboutaparticularproductorservicedelivery,ortheycanberelatedtowhethercustomers’expectationsaremetorexceeded.Somefactorswillinfluencethelevelofoverallsatisfactionmorethanothersdo.

Animportantpieceofcustomersatisfactionmeasurementinvolvesidentifyingandunderstandingthekeydriversthatcausecustomersatisfactionordissatisfaction.

Departmentsshouldprovideanalysisofkeydriversofsatisfactionaspartoftheircustomersatisfactionreporting.

Ifpossible,departmentswillassesscustomerprioritiesfirst,determinethekeydriversofcustomersatisfaction,andthendevelopthecustomersatisfactionsurveyaroundthekeydrivers.

Therearevariouspotentialmethodsforidentifyingdrivers.Someofthetypicalmethodsincludefocusgroupsorsurveyingcustomers.Youcanalsouseexistingadvisoryboards,committees,orcommissionsasexpertsknowledgeableaboutyourservice.Usethesegroupstogatherqualitativeinformationaboutthefollowing:

n Exploreimportanceofdifferentaspectsofservicedeliveryorproductquality.

n Definespecificexpectationsaboutquality.

Forexample,aprogramcoulduseanexistingstakeholdergrouptounderstandexpectationsandmorespecificallydefineandwhatismeantby“timeliness”or“accessible.”


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Servicequalityliteratureprovidesanumberofdifferentinterpretationsofthedriversmostimportantininfluencingcustomersatisfaction.KingCountyhasdevelopedalistofpotentialdriversofcustomersatisfactionforcountyagenciestoconsiderwhendevelopingtheirsurveys.Listedbelow,thesedriversofsatisfactionaredescribedinmoredetailinAppendixB.

Drivers of Satisfaction List n End result–Product/servicequality,processoutcome/decision

n Timeliness–Speedandtimelinessofservicedelivery

n Information–Qualityandcompletenessofinformation

n Staff competence–Professionalism,expertise

n Reliability–Performanceofservicefacilities,goods,andstaff

n Staff attitude–Courtesy,politeness,friendliness

n Fairness–Honesty,justice,andfairnessofthesystem/organization

n Access–Availabilityofstaff,services,products

n Look and feel–Appearance,comfortofenvironment,facilities,staff

n Safety and security–Customersafetyandconfidentiality

n Convenience–Easeofobtainingproductorservice

n Value and cost–Valueoftheproductorservicecomparedtocost


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4. Developing and conducting the customer satisfaction surveyInordertounderstandcustomersatisfaction,theCountyisrecommendingthatallsurveysinalldepartmentsuseacommon,five-pointscaleandincludethefollowingtypesofquestions:

n Aquestionaboutoverallsatisfaction

n Questionsrelatedtokeydriversof satisfaction

n Questionsaboutcustomercharacteristics (demographicinfo)

n Anopen-endedfeedbackquestion

Moreinformationabouteachofthesefourquestiontypesisprovidedbelow.

Itisvitalthatthesurveybetailoredtoeachdepartments’services,customerbase,informationneeds,andresources.However,itisimportantthatinformationgatheredbecomparableandmeaningful;usingthecommonscaleandsimilartypesofquestionswillhelpensurethat.SamplesurveyquestionsareprovidedasastartingpointinAppendixC.AdditionalpotentialsurveyquestionsareavailablefromtheCanadianMeasurementToolQuestionBankreferencebook(availablefromtheOfficeofPerformance,StrategyandBudget).

ScaleOneoftheissuesthatmanagersandthepublicoftenconfrontwhentryingtointer-pretresultsfromdifferentsurveysisthelackofacommonscaletomeasurerespons-estoquestions.Forexample,doratingsrangefromonetoten,oronetofive?Doesonerepresentthehigh(good)orthelow(bad)?Althoughthereisnouniversallyap-pliedscaleforcustomerresearch,theLikert(pronounced“lick-urt”)scaleisperhapsthemostwidelyusedapproachinsurveyresearch.

Toensurecomparabilityofdata,andsothatresultscanbeconsideredinthesamegeneralcontext,KingCountyisadoptingacommon,five-pointLikertscale,withfiveconsideredthehighestrating.


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Theformatforfive-levelLikertresponsesisasfollows:

Satisfaction

1.Verydissatisfied

2.Dissatisfied

3.Neithersatisfiednordissatisfied

4.Satisfied

5.Verysatisfied

Agreement

1.Stronglydisagree

2.Disagree

3.Neitheragreenordisagree

4.Agree

5.Stronglyagree

Why adopt a five point scale?Scales with even numbers force a choice in respondents that may not reflect their true beliefs. For example, a scale using one to four does not have a middle option and forces respondents to make a more positive or negative choice than they may believe. Scales with more than five options, such as 1-7 or 1-9, can be confusing and are more difficult for respondents to use.

Questionscanalsoincludea“Notapplicable”option.“Notapplicable”allowsasurveyrespondenttoacknowledgewherethequestiondoesnotapplytothem;however,theseresponsesarenotincludedinthecalculationofratings.

Types of questionsKingCountyrecommendsthatcustomersatisfactionsurveysshouldincludefourtypesofquestions.

1. Overall satisfaction

Overallsatisfactionmeasuresarederivedfromquestionsthataskthecustomertoratetheserviceasawhole,suchas,“Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwiththeserviceprovidedbythisdepartment?”Thiskindofquestionisintendedtocaptureallaspectsofthecustomerex-perience,fromthetimethecustomerbeginshisorherquesttofindtheproductorservice,throughreceiptoftheproductorservice,andintotheuseoftheproductorservice.Thecustomerexperiencecanincludecustomers’interactionswithservicestaffthroughoutthecourseofthisprocess.


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2. Drivers of customer satisfaction

Ifpossible,thedriversofcustomersatisfactionwillbeidentifiedpriortodevelopingacus-tomersatisfactionsurvey.Oncethekeydriversofsatisfactionhavebeenidentified,effec-tivesurveyquestionscanbedevelopedaroundthesedrivers.SeeAppendixBforamenuofdriversofcustomersatisfactioncompiledbyKingCountybecausetheyarelikelytoapplytocountycustomersatisfactionmeasurement.

Forexample,staffcourtesymaybeakeydriverofcustomersatisfaction.Inthatcase,thecustomersatisfactionsurveymightincludequestionsaboutelementsofcourtesyimportanttothecustomers,suchasrespectfulness,empathy,orasensethatstaffgotheextramile.Asanotherexample,akeydrivermaybeaccesstoonlineservices,andthiscouldleadtoquestionsaboutwebnavigability,downtime,orhoursofavailability.

Ifkeydriverscannotbedeterminedpriortoasurvey,thesurveycanincludequestionsaskingcustomerstoratebothsatisfactionwithandtheimportanceofasetofpossibledrivers.Forexample,asurveycanaskhowsatisfiedacustomeriswiththecleanlinessofthefacilityandthenaskhowimportantcleanlinessistothecustomer.These“importance”resultscanthenbeusedasthebasisforkeydriveranalysisandhelpguidefuturesurveys.

3. Customer characteristics

Departmentsshouldgatherinformationthatisimportanttobetterunderstandservicedeliv-ery,customersegments,andoverallcustomerdemographics.Examplesofservicedelivery-relatedinformationareasfollows:

n Howservicesareaccessed(online,inperson,overthephone)

n Dayortimeservicesareaccessed

Inordertounderstandandanalyzeyourcustomer’scharacteristics,itisrecommendedyougatherbasicdemographicdata(attheendofyoursurvey)onthefollowingbackgroundcharacteristics:

n Age

n Gender

n Race/ethnicity

n Income

n Zipcode

Yourprogrammayhavemandatedreportingrequirementsfordemographicinformationandifsothenthosecategories(forexample,ageranges)shouldbeused.Ifnot,thentheCounty’ssuggesteddefaultcategoriesarepresentedinAppendixC.

Thecounty’sEquityandSocialJusticeOrdinancefocusesonrace,income,class,gender,andneighborhood.Manyoftheseitemswouldbedirectlyaddressedbyincludingquestionsaboutthecharacteristicsrecommendedabove.AppendixCpresentssuggestedwordingfortheseandadditionaldemographiccharacteristicsthatmaybeusefultoyourprogramforreviewingresultswithanequity/socialjusticelens.Suggestedwordingforquestionsonemploymentstatus,primarylanguage,andeducationlevelalsoisincluded.


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4. Open-ended questions

Recommendedquestionsuptothispointhavebeenstructured,fixed-alternative,Likert-typequestions(e.g.,multiplechoice).Inordertogathertruequalitativeimpressionsfromcustomersandallowthemtoexpressthemselvesintheirownwords,itisrecommendedthateachsurveyincludeatleastoneopen-endedquestion.

Examplesofpossibleopen-endedquestionsareasfollows:

n Isthereanythingelseyouwouldliketotellus?

nWhatisthemostimportantthingcanwedotoimproveourservice?

nSuggestions/comments?

LengthThelengthofsurveysisalwaysaseriousconsiderationsinceitdirectlyimpactsthenumberofcompleteresponsesyouwillreceive.Surveysshouldbeasshortaspossiblewhilegatheringneededinformation.Aroughguideforsurveylengthisasfollows:

nOnlineandmail–5to10minutes

nTelephone–5to20minutes

nPapersurvey(atpointofservice)–2to5minutes

Althoughacommentcardisnotareplacementforastatisticallyvalidorrepresentativecustomersatisfactionsurvey,commentcardsdoprovidehelpfulinformationaboutissuesthatneedtobeaddressedbyaprogramorservice.Commentcardsprovideasimplewaytogetbasiccustomersatisfactioninformation.

Survey administrationAlthoughthisguidelineisnotmeanttoreplacemoretechnicalsurveydesigninformationin-cludedinthereferencessection,thefollowingrecommendationsshouldbeconsideredwhenfieldingcustomersurveys.

Methodology

Thesurveymethodologyshouldbecapableofreachingarandomorrepresentativesampleofyourcustomersandgatheringtheinformationyouneed.Themethodologyalsoshouldmeetyourresourceconstraints(forexample,timeandbudgetlimitations).

Pre-testing

Beforefieldingthesurveywithalargersampleofcustomers,thesurveyinstrumentshouldbepre-testedwithasmallnumberofcustomerstomakesurethatquestionsmakesense,arerelevant,andprovideusefulinformation.Inaddition,thesurveymethodologyshouldbepre-testedtoinsurethatitflowssmoothly.


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Advance notice/reminders

Gettingalargenumberofsurveyscompletedrequiresdiligentcontactandfollow-up.Forex-ample,letters(orpostcards)advisingcustomersthattheywillreceiveasurveyandfollowuplettersremindingthemtocompletethesurveyareimportantinobtainingagoodresponsetoamailedsurvey.Similarly,emailsprecedingasurveyandperiodicemailreminderswillbeneces-sarytogetsufficientresponsetoemailed/onlinesurveys.

Scheduling

Holidaysshouldbeconsideredwhenschedulingsurveys.Forexample,itismoredifficulttoob-tainagoodresponsetoasurveyconductedinlateNovemberandDecember(afterThanksgiv-ingandbeforeNewYear’s)thanitistoconductasurveyinlateJanuaryandFebruary.

Translation

Althoughthe2010ExecutiveOrderonwrittenlanguagetranslationonlyappliestoprintedpubliccommunicationmaterialsandvitaldocuments,departmentsareencouragedtotranslatesurveysandrelatedresearchmaterialsiftheprimarycustomerbaseasLimitedEnglishProficiency(LEP)orifthedepartmentisdoingtargetedserviceimprovementworkinaspecificneighborhoodorcitywherefivepercentormoreofthepopulationdoesnotspeakEnglishasaprimarylanguage.PleaserefertotheExecutiveOrderon“WrittenLanguageTranslationProcess”andrelatedguideline(includinglanguagemaps)at:www.kingcounty.gov/exec/styleguide/translation.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/styleguide/translation


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5. Developing and conducting focus group discussionsDepartmentsmaywanttoconsiderusingfocusgroupdiscussionstosupplementcustomersatisfactionmeasures.Focusgroupsbringasmallnumberofpeople(usually6-12customers)togethertodiscussresearchquestionsandgeneratequalitativeinformationabouttheirfeelingsandopinions,aswellastheirreasonsforthoseopinions,attitudes,andbeliefs.

IntheKingCountycustomersatisfactionmeasure-mentprocess,focusgroupswouldbemosthelpful(1)atthebeginningofthemeasurementprocess,toidentifyanddefinedriversofcustomersatisfaction,and(2)neartheendofthemeasurementprocess,tohelpinterprettheresultsofthecustomersatisfactionsurveys.

The following recommendations should be considered when designing and conducting focus groups:

Participant selection

Focusgroupparticipantsshouldbeabletospeaktothequestionsthatwillbeexploredinthefocusgroup.Thus,participantsshouldshareacommonbaseofunderstanding,experience,and/orknowledgethatwillallowthemtoengageinadiscussionofthequestions.Inaddition,relevantbackgroundcharacteristicsmaybeconsideredwhenrecruitingfocusgroupparticipantsinordertoinsurethatarangeofcustomerperspectivesisincludedwhilestillpermittingopendiscussioninthefocusgroup.IfyourprimarycustomerbasehasLimitedEnglishProficiency,thenconsiderholdingafocusgrouptargetedtothatspecificpopulationorcommunity.Focusgroupswithcountyemployeesorinternalservicerecipientscanbeusedbyinternalcountyservices.

Focus group moderation

Inordertohavesuccessfulfocusgroups,thegroupsshouldbefacilitatedbyanexperiencedmoderatorwhoisnotpartoftheorganizationconductingthefocusgroups.Focusgroupmoderationischallenging,andamoderatorwhoisaffiliatedwiththecountyorganizationconductingthegroupsislikelytoinfluencethediscus-sionorcauseparticipantstoframetheircommentsmorecarefully(orpositively)thantheywouldwhentalkinginagroupwithanunbiased,third-partymoderator.


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Analyzing focus group results

Thequalitativeinformationobtainedinfocusgroupscanhelpexplainwhycustomersfeelandperceivethingsthewaytheydo;theirrangeoffeelingsandopinions;andthereasonsfortheirfeelings,perceptions,andopinions.However,focusgroupsdonotgeneratequantitativeinfor-mationand,therefore,willnotgiveanyindicationastowhatpercentagesofcustomershave,forexample,aparticularopinion,experience,orpriority.Thus,focusgroupsareagoodsupple-mentto,butnotasubstitutefor,quantitativesurveyresearch.


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6. Analyzing, reporting, and using customer satisfaction informationIn-line with the King County Strategic Plan’s service excellence goal, customer satisfaction measures will help make customer service a primary focus for all employees while informing managers about opportunities for operational improvements.

ForthepurposesofExecutiveOfficereviewandpublicreporting,agenciesshouldpreparetoreportbothonoverallcustomersatisfactiontrends,andontheircustomers’opinionsaboutkeydriversofsatisfaction–theaspectsofthecustomerexperi-encethatmostinfluencetheiroverallsatisfaction.Inaddition,agenciesshouldtrytorelatesubjectivecustomersatisfactionresultstoobjectiveperfor-mancemetrics.

Thefollowingtypesofmeasuresareexpectedtobereportedregardingcustomersatisfaction:

nOverallsatisfaction

nKeydriversofsatisfaction

nKeyperformancemeasures

Overall satisfaction:Agenciesshouldreporttheaverageoverallsatisfactionratingfromallrespondentsofacustomersatisfactionsurvey.Agencieswouldderivethisfroman“overallsatisfaction”question,forexample,“Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwiththisservice?”Inaddition,agenciesshouldpresentthedistributionofoverallsatisfactionscoresacrossthescale–ofallresponses,whatpercentwereequalto1,2,3,4,and5.

Key drivers of satisfaction:Agenciesshoulddeterminekeydriversofsatisfactionfortheirproductsorservices–thoseaspectsofthecustomerexperiencethatmostinfluenceoverallsatisfaction–throughcustomerresearchsuchasfocusgroupsandsurveys,orthroughhistoricalprograminformation.Agenciesshouldthenusetheircustomersatisfactionsurveytogetcustomerfeedbackonkeydriversofsatisfaction.Aswithoverallsatisfaction,agenciesshouldreportresultsasaverageratingsanddistributionofresponsesacrossthescale.SeeAppendixBforamenuofdriversofcustomersatisfaction.


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Key performance measures: Thesemeasuresareadditionalobjectivedataselectedbytheagencytoprovidecontexttothedatagatheredviasurveys.Theyshouldrelatetothekeydriversofsatisfactionidentifiedbytheagency.Thesemeasuresarenotderivedfromtheircustomersatisfactionsurveys,butcomefromagencyrecords,documentation,andperformancemanagementsystems.

Someexamplesofkeyperformancemeasuresinclude:

nObjectivedataonactualreportedsafetyincidentsvs.perceptionofsafetyderived fromsurveys

nObjectivedataontimelinessvs.perceptionoftimelinessderivedfromsurveys

Oncedatahavebeencollectedandanalyzed,departmentswillcompareagainstperformancetargetsforeachmeasureandshowtrendswhenpossible.

Afterthecustomersurveyhasbeendesignedandadministeredandthesurveyresultsanalyzedtoprovideinsightintocustomerbeliefs,themostimportantpartofthecustomersatisfactionprocesscanbegin:Findingwaystousethesurveyresultsandinsightsthroughoutyouroperationalandmanagementpractices.

Someofthewaysthatcustomersatisfactioninformationshouldbeusedarelistedbelow:

Management & Program Improvement nUnderstandingcustomerperspectivesandfindingareasforimprovementinprocesses

andservicedelivery

nRefiningandimprovingthecustomersatisfactionmeasurementprocess

nInternalstaffmeetingsandmanagementdiscussionsofperformance

nExecutivelevelbriefingsandperformanceforums

Reporting nPublicreportinginannualreports,performancereports,Websites,andnewslettersto

stakeholders,partners,andcustomers

nInternalreportingtoprogramstaff,management,andorganizationalpartners

nStrategicandbusinessplanninganalysesanddocuments

Funding nSharingcustomerdataingrantapplicationsandlevyproposals


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7. Taking the first stepsTheCustomerSatisfactionSurveyDesignWorksheet,includedasAppendixD,canbeusedbystafftoprepareforanddesignadepartmentorprogramcustomersatisfactionsurvey.

Inadditiontothisguide,thereareothercustomersatisfactionmeasurement-relatedresourceswithinthecounty.

Yourdepartment’sCustomerServiceOfficerandPublicInformationOfficershouldbeconsultedandinformedwhenyouinitiateyourcustomersatisfactionwork.

Ifyourdepartmentdoesnothaveexpertiseinchoosingamethodology,designingandconductingasurveyorfocusgroups,oranalyzingsurveyresults,itmaybehelpfultoconsultaspecialist.Thecounty’sHumanResourcesDepartmenthasaconsultantrosterwithconsultantswhocouldassistwithcustomersurveys.TheKingCountyCustomerServiceDirectorandperformancemanagementstaffintheOfficeofPerformance,Strategy,andBudgetarealsoavailableforconsultation,guidelines,andreview.AlsolookattheCustomerSurveyintranetpageforalistofsurveyspecialistswithinthecountywhomaybeabletoprovideconsultationandassistance.

Some final words…Althoughcustomersatisfactionmeasurementmayseemchallengingorevendaunting,theinformationcanbeverymeaningful,powerfulandeveninspiring.HereareafewactualcommentsreceivedfromKingCountycustomersaboutourprogramsandservice:

" Your staff [names] provided excellent, kind and efficient customer service. They are a great team and terrific representatives for King County. Thank you!!"

" Staff member [name] always stood out as someone who genuinely cared about the customer. I see him winning over customer after customer with his smile and ever friendly and cheerful demeanor."

" I arrived in Seattle and was homeless without any money or friends. The King County Veterans Program allowed me time to repair my life and proceed with my education; this was vital."

" I would personally like to thank [staff member name] for all of her hard work on my case. Without her I would never have accomplished my goal."

" This was overall the very best experience I ever had dealing with a county agency. Thank you for a great experience!"


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Appendix A: Additional Resources

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Thereareadditionalresourcesthatmaybehelpfulasyoubetterunderstandyourcustomers,developsurveysinstrumentsandsurveyapproaches,andworktoimproveservicedelivery.

Understanding Your Service and CustomersKenMiller.2006.We Don’t Make Widgets: Overcoming the myths that keep government from radically improving. GoverningBooks (www.governing.com/books).

KenMiller.2002.The Change Agent's Guide to Radical Improvement. ASQQualityPress.

John H. FlemingandJim Asplund.2007. Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter. GallupPress.

Customer Satisfaction MeasurementHarryHatryetal.(ICMA).2006.“How effective are your community services? Procedures for Performance Measurement, 3rd edition.”Seechapteronusersurveys.

TerryGVavra.1997.“Improving your Measurement of Customer Satisfaction: A Guide to Creating, Conducting, Analyzing and Reporting Customer Satisfaction Measurement Programs”

UK Customer Service Excellence: ComprehensivepublicsectorserviceexcellenceprogramintheUK

n Promoting Customer Satisfaction: Guidance on improving the customer experience in Public Services

n How to measure customer satisfaction: A tool to improve the experience of customers

MORISocialResearchInstitute n Measuring and Understanding Customer Satisfaction

Canadian Institute for Citizen-Centered Service: Canada’scustomer-focusedreformefforts

n The Common Measurements Tool

n Toward Citizen-Centered Service Delivery: A How-to Guide for Service Improvement Initiatives

n How to Conduct Customer Surveys

http://www.governing.com/books

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=John H. Fleming

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_2?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=Jim Asplund

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/102037/human-sigma-book-center.aspx

http://www.cse.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/homeCSE.do

http://www.cse.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/UserFiles/File/Cabinet_Office_Guidance.pdf

http://www.cse.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/UserFiles/File/Cabinet_Office_Guidance.pdf

http://www.cse.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/UserFiles/File/Cabinet_Office_Toolkit.pdf

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/DownloadPublication/1202_sri_local_gov_public-service_reform_measuring_and_understanding_customer_satisfaction_042002.PDF

http://www.iccs-isac.org/en/

http://www.iccs-isac.org/en/cmt/

http://www.iccs-isac.org/en/pubs/How To Guide for Service Improvement Initiatives - May 2007.pdf

http://www.iccs-isac.org/en/pubs/How To Guide for Service Improvement Initiatives - May 2007.pdf

http://www.iccs-isac.org/en/pubs/OPS_Guide_E.pdf

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EuropeanPublicAdministration

n European Primer on Customer Satisfaction Management

NewZealand:NewZealandgovernment’sexperienceusingtheCanadianCommonMeasurementTool

n A guide to using the Common Measurements Tool

n Understanding the Drivers of Satisfaction and Trust in Public Services

NationalCenterforCivicInnovation.2008.Tips for Conducting Focus Groups to Develop Government Performance Measures and Reports

Service Delivery ImprovementMichaelL.George.2003.“Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to use LEAN Speed & Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions.”

iSixSigma:WebresourcesonprocessimprovementusingtheSixSigmaapproach.

http://www.eupan.eu/files/repository/document/customer_satisfaction/EU_Primer_English__FINAL_LR.pdf

http://www.ssc.govt.nz/upload/downloadable_files/Guide-to-using-the-CMT-March10.pdf

http://www.ssc.govt.nz/upload/downloadable_files/understanding-the-drivers-umr-full_report.pdf

http://www.ssc.govt.nz/upload/downloadable_files/understanding-the-drivers-umr-full_report.pdf

http://www.fcny.org/fcny/cgp/ReportsandPublications/tips/

http://www.fcny.org/fcny/cgp/ReportsandPublications/tips/

http://www.isixsigma.com/

Appendix B: Drivers of Customer Satisfaction

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Driver Description/Examples

EndResult nThequalityoftheendproductorservice,separatefromthecustomer’sexperienceinobtainingit.

nIntheend,thecustomergotwhattheywanted.

nThefunctionalityoftheproductorservice.Theendproductorservicemeetsthecustomers’needs.

nTheavailabilityofservicefacilities,staffandgoodstothecustomer,includingboththequantityandtherangeofservicesandproductsmadeavailabletothecustomer.

Timeliness nSpeedandtimelinessofservicedelivery.Thisincludesthespeedoftheserviceandtheabilityoftheserviceprovidertorespondpromptlytocustomerrequests,withminimalwaitingandqueuingtime.

Information nTheabilityoftheserviceprovidertocommunicatewiththecustomerinawayheorshewillunderstand.

nTheclarity,completenessandaccuracyofbothverbalandwritteninformationcommunicatedtothecustomerandtheabilityofstafftolistentoandunderstandthecustomer.Thisincludeskeepingthecustomerinformed.

StaffCompetence

nTheskill,expertiseandprofessionalismwithwhichtheserviceisexecuted.Thisincludesthecarryingoutofcorrectprocedures,correctexecutionofcustomerinstructions,degreeofproductorserviceknowledgeexhibitedbycontactstaff,therenderingofgood,soundadviceandthegeneralabilitytodoagoodjob.

nStaff’sapparentcommitmenttotheirwork,includingtheprideandsatisfactiontheyapparentlytakeintheirjob,theirdiligenceandthoroughness.

nAnabilityonthepartoftheserviceworkertoflexiblyamendoralterthenatureoftheserviceorproducttomeettheneedsofthecustomer.

Reliability nThereliabilityandconsistencyofperformanceofservicefacilities,goodsandstaff.Thisincludespunctualservicedeliveryandanabilitytokeeptoagreementsmadewiththecustomer.

KING COUNTY MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - APPENDIX B

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Driver Description/Examples

Staffattitude nFriendliness:thewarmthandpersonalapproachabilityofcontactstaff,includingcheerfulattitudeandtheabilitytomakethecustomerfeelwelcome.

nCourtesy:thepoliteness,respectandproprietyshownbycontactstaffindealingwiththecustomerandhisorherproperty.

nCare:theconcern,consideration,empathyandpatienceshowntothecustomer.Thisincludestheextenttowhichthecustomerisputateasebytheserviceandmadetofeelemotionallycomfortable.

nAttentiveness/helpfulness:theextenttowhichtheservice,particularlyofcontactstaff,eitherprovideshelptothecustomerorgivestheimpressionofinterestinthecustomerandshowsawillingnesstoserve.Thisincludesgoingtheextramile.

Fairness nThehonesty,justice,fairnessandtrustwithwhichcustomersaretreatedbytheserviceorganization.

Access nInperson:theabilitytogettotheservicelocation,visible&clearsignage,navigatetheserviceenvironment.

nOnthephone:theabilitytogetthroughonthephone,navigateanautomatedphonesystem,speakwithanagent.

nOntheweb:theabilitytofindwhatisneededontheweb,easeofnavigationontheweb.

Look&Feel nTheaestheticappearanceandtheambienceoftheserviceenvironment,thepresentationofservicefacilities,goodsandstaff.

nThecleanandtidyappearanceoftheserviceenvironment,facilities,goodsandcontactstaff.

nThephysicalcomfortoftheserviceenvironmentandfacilities.

Safety&Security

nThepersonalsafetyofthecustomerandhisorherpossessionswhilereceivingtheserviceorproduct.

nThemaintenanceofconfidentiality.

Convenience nTheeasewithwhichitistoobtaintheproductorreceivetheservice;nohassles.

Value&Cost nThedegreetowhichcustomersperceivetheproductorserviceasworththeexpense.

nCanincludedirectmonetarycostsaswellasimpliedorindirectcostssuchastheamountoftimerequiredofthecustomertoobtaintheproductorservice(includingpreparationortraveltime).

KING COUNTY MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - APPENDIX C

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Inordertobetterunderstandservicedelivery,customersegments,overallcustomerdemographics,andtoevaluateequityinservicedelivery,thesebasicdemographicquestionsaresuggested.

AgeInwhichoftheseagecategoriesdoyoubelong? n 18to24 n 25to34 n 35to44 n 45to54 n 55to64 n 65to74 n 75orolder

Race/EthnicityAreyouofHispanicorLatinoorigin? n Yes n No

Whichone-ORMORE-ofthefollowingwouldyousayisyourrace... n White n AfricanAmericanorBlack n Asian n NativeHawaiianorOtherPacificIslander n AmericanIndian,AlaskaNative n Somethingelse(specify:)

Annual Household IncomeWhichofthefollowingbestdescribesyourannualhouseholdincomebeforetaxes? n lessthan$24,999 n $25,000-$49,999 n $50,000-$74,999 n $75,000-$99,999 n $100,000-$149,999 n $150,000ormore

Appendix C: Suggested Demographic Categories

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For programs that would benefit from an understanding of customer information on employment, education status, and primary language, these questions are suggested.

Employment StatusAreyoucurrently... n Employedforwages(fullorparttime) n Self-employed n Homemaker n Student n Outofworkformorethan1year n Outofworkforlessthan1year n Retired n Don’twork n Unabletowork

EducationWhatisthehighestgradeoryearofschoolyoucompleted? n Lessthanhighschool n Somehighschool n Grades12orGED(Highschoolgraduate) n College1yearto3years(Somecollegeortechnicalschool) n 4-yearcollegegraduate n Graduateorprofessionalschool

Primary LanguageWhatlanguageisusuallyspokenathome? n English n Spanish n Russian n Ukrainian n Vietnamese n Chinese n Korean n Japanese n Somethingelse(specify)

Immigrant Status n WereyoubornaU.S.citizen?(Yes/No)

KING COUNTY MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - APPENDIX D

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Thisworksheetisdesignedtohelpyouthinkthroughsomekeyissuesasyouplantoconductcustomersatisfactionwork.Thisismeantasastartingpointtohelpyouidentifykeyissuesandallowyoutoplanyourwork.Pleaserefertotheguidelinesdocument,surveyreferences,andanypreviouscustomersatisfaction-relatedworkdonebyyourprogramindevelopingtheseresponses.

Theunderlinedsectionsaredesignedtoallowyoutobrieflywritearesponse,helpyouclarifyyourapproach,andallowyoutogetfeedbackfromothersinyourorganization.

1. Describe your Product/Service n Howdocustomersusetheservice(facetoface,online,forms,phone,viacontractor)?

n Whatisthespecificproductorservicefromthecustomer’sperspective?

n Istheproduct/service:information,voluntary/required,availableatotherplacesorvia alternativevenues(counterservicevs.online,availablefromdifferentagencies),etc.

n Levelofcomplexityofinteractionsforcustomers

n Whatisthedirectcostoftheproduct/serviceforthecustomeratthepointofdelivery?

n Arethereindirectcoststothecustomerassociatedwiththeproduct/service,suchastravel timeortimerequiredtofilloutforms?

n Potentialdisparitiesbetweenagencyandcustomerdescriptionsoftheservice

The product/service we are going to gather customer opinion about can be described as:

Appendix D: Customer Satisfaction Survey Design Worksheet


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2. Describe your customers n Quantity:Approximatelyhowmanycustomersdoyouserve?

n Segmentation:Canyoubreakdownyourcustomersintodifferentgroupsbasedonservice needs,location,orotherkeycharacteristics?Dodifferentgroupsofcustomersneed differentproducts/servicesorisit“onesizefitsall”?

n Demographics:Howwelldoyouunderstandthedemographicsofyourcustomers? Ethnicity,age,gender,income,educationallevelcanallplayaroleinhowyouprovideand assessyourproduct/service.

n Otherpatterns:Doyouhaveasteadystreamorirregularcustomers?Aretheretimeofday orseasonalpatterns?

n Potentialcustomers:Definingpotentialcustomerscanhelpyouidentifykeyissuesyoumay needtoconsiderinexpandingyourcustomerbaseorservicedemand.

The customers of this product/service can be described as having the following characteristics:

Our customers can be segmented in the following ways:

3. Identify the key drivers of satisfaction for your customers. How do you know these are the key drivers? n Drawuponprevioussurvey,outreach,focusgroup,complaints/feedback,andother

customerinteractionwork.

n ReviewthemenuofKeyDriversinAppendix Bforideas.

n Conductanewsurvey

n Documentthebasisforthekeydriversyouhavechosen.


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The key drivers of satisfaction for this product/service are:

We know that these key drivers are important based on the following:

4. Based on the key drivers selected, which specific questions will you use?Youcanusemorethanonequestiontounderstandanyparticularkeydriver,butremainmindfuloftheoverallsurveylength.

Key Driver 1: _______________________________________________________

Proposed Questions:

Key Driver 2: _______________________________________________________

Proposed Questions:

Key Driver 3: _______________________________________________________

Proposed Questions:

Key Driver 4: _______________________________________________________

Proposed Questions:


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5. Do you have other performance measures relative to customer satisfaction that you can use that are not survey-based (e.g., objective quantifiable data) to use for comparison and to provide additional context? n Thethreemostlikelykeydriversthatwouldhaveotherperformancedatainclude:

availability(forexample:Internetuptimeordowntime),timeliness(forexample:actualtime measuresofservicespeedortimeelapsed),andsafety/security(forexample:reportedor investigatedsafetyincidents).

n Asanexample,ifyouhaveconductedpreviousfocusgroupsandyoulearnedthatyour customersexpecta2minuteorlesswaittime,youcangatherwaittimedatathrough anothermethod(e.g.,periodictimedobservations,automatictimetrackingtechnologies).

n Withsafetyasanexample,perceptionsofsafetyareimportantbutdon’ttellthewhole story,actualincidentdatacanbehelpfultoshowthatbusesaresafeorcrimeisgoing downinaneighborhood.

These additional measures are also helpful in helping us understand the context of our customer’s experiences:

6. What are the best ways to reach your customers to gather their opinions? n Considerwaysthatyouwillbeabletogetfeedbackfromyourcustomers:inperson,

online,throughtheU.S.Mail,viaaphonesurvey,withcommentcards.

n Considercost,practicality,andhowthesemayimpactresults.

The best way to reach our customers to gather their feedback is:

7. How will you use random sampling principles to ensure the customers you survey represent your entire customer base? n Randomsamplinghelpsassurethatyouarenotonlygettingfeedbackfromthemost

unsatisfiedorsatisfiedcustomers,butamixofcustomersthatrepresentyourentire customerbase.


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n Ifyouhavesmallnumberofcustomers,youmayneedtotrytogatherfeedbackfromallof themtoensureadequaterepresentativeness.

n Forlargernumberofcustomers,howwillyoudevelopasamplingapproach?Willitbe everyothercustomer,everythirdcustomer,every10thcustomer,etc.?

The sampling approach for this survey is designed as:

This sampling approach addresses random sampling/representativeness by:

8. After you have completed the survey and analyzed the results, you need to draw some conclusions and propose potential service improvement or management actions. n Whichdriverisgoingtobethefocusofyourimprovementefforts?Whatdidyourdatatell

youaboutwhatareamayneedimprovement?

n Isanyactionwarranted?Ifso,whatisyouractionplanorkeysteps?

n Whereareyougoingtoreportthedata?Optionsmightincludeatstaffmeetings,in reports,onyourWebsite,etc.

The driver(s) of satisfaction that we are going to initially focus on is:


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What are we going to do to improve our customer’s experience with our product/service?

We plan to present these customer satisfaction findings at:

Measuring Customer Satisfaction - King County

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