The Customer Satisfaction Measurement Tool (CSMT) allows councils to target resources more effectively and efficiently, and will provide consistent, robust and comparable data covering the whole of Scotland.
The product has been developed in response to a 2005 Audit Scotland report that identified the need for a common method of measuring the satisfaction levels with service delivery across Scottish councils.
The Crerar Review into the scrutiny of public services in Scotland, published in 2007, also called for more results-focused measurement of public services and more self-assessment to help reduce the burden on councils of external scrutiny.
The Improvement Service has led the development of CSMT in collaboration with Consumer Focus Scotland, the statutory organisation campaigning for a fair deal for consumers, and the Local Authorities Research & Intelligence Association (LARIA), which supports local researchers in the public sector.
Scottish councils including Aberdeen City, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, Stirling and Dundee have also been involved in the development and testing process.
Off the shelf product
"Councils spend about £6m a year on number crunching and data analysis into areas including customer satisfaction," explained Martin Brown, head of Customer Relationship Management at the Improvement Service.
"We're providing an off-the-shelf solution that will save them the time and expense of developing their own system. Importantly, it will also help to drive service improvements and target resource more effectively where improvements are identified and needed."
CSMT is based on a respected Ipsos MORI model for canvassing public service users that was developed for the Cabinet Office in 2004. Available to use with surveys by phone, post, face-to-face or online, CSMT incorporates questions covering service delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism, staff attitude and satisfaction with the service.
Customers are asked to rank aspects of these areas in one of five satisfaction categories from 'very satisfied' to 'very dissatisfied' or 'don't know'. Questions include how their problem was handled; how long it took to speak to somebody; whether the information received was accurate and easy to understand; how well staff did their jobs; how polite and friendly they were and whether the final outcome was satisfactory.
Douglas Sinclair, Chair of Consumer Focus Scotland, said: "As Scotland's consumer champion, we are very pleased to be involved with local government in developing this important new standard. More than 5m people depend on services from Scotland's 32 local authorities, so ensuring these are delivered efficiently, professionally and on time is vital - particularly at a time of unprecedented spending restraint across the public sector."
Councils and other local government organisations will be able to access CSMT through an online 'Community of Practice' that includes sample survey scripts and a comprehensive user guide on designing, implementing, analysing and reporting data from customer satisfaction surveys. Please note you will need to register to access the CSMT community.
