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 qualityQuality target Perceived qualityQuality granted

The Cycle of Satisfaction Assess Report Improve

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: 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, , 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 5P  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. I Strongly disagree 2. I Disagree 3. I Neither agree nor disagree 4. I Agree 5. 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. I Strongly disagree 2. I Disagree 3. I Neither agree nor disagree 4. I Agree 5. 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