Cheshire East Council Service Expectations

Transcription

1 Contacting Cheshire East Council: Service expectations Influence Cheshire East Cheshire East s citizens panel Autumn 2012 Survey

2 Produced by BMG Research Bostock Marketing Group Ltd, th February 2013 Project: 8885 Registered in England No Registered office: 7 Holt Court North Heneage Street West Aston Science Park Birmingham B7 4AX UK Tel: +44 (0) UK VAT Registration No Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Member No. B4626 Market Research Society Company Partner British Quality Foundation Member The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 20252:2006 The provision of Market Research Services in accordance with ISO 9001:2008 Investors in People Standard - Certificate No. WMQC 0614 Interviewer Quality Control Scheme (IQCS) Member Company Registered under the Data Protection Act - Registration No. Z The BMG Research logo is a trade mark of Bostock Marketing Group Ltd

3 Contents Executive summary... 4 Introduction... 6 Chapter 1: Service expectations... 8 Telephone contact service expectations... 8 Face to face contact service expectations Written contact service expectations Chapter 2: The use of automated response to telephone calls Appendix A: The Autumn 2012 questionnaire Page 3

4 Executive summary Introduction During November and December 2012, Cheshire East Council carried out a survey of their citizens panel the Influence Cheshire East (ICE) Autumn 2012 Survey. Overall, 1574 residents responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 54%. This report details the feedback from the 1574 respondents that completed Section E about contacting Cheshire East Council. Key findings When calling Cheshire East Council 87% of all panel members expect a call to be answered within 10 rings. However, there is a preference for calls to be answered by someone who is able to resolve queries rather than calls being answered quickly (68% cf. 29%). When visiting a council service centre without an appointment, the most commonly accepted waiting time is 6-10 minutes (29%) and minutes (26%). The largest proportion of panel members feel that correspondence should receive an acknowledgement within one day (38%), or even quicker, within half a day (29%). Almost two in five then feel that a full response to an enquiry should then be received within 3-5 days (38%), although 21% would like this response in 2 days. When considering correspondence by letter, 38% of panel members feel that an acknowledgement should be received within 3 to 5 days, followed by 29% within 2 days. A full response to a letter was most commonly expected within either 3 to 5 days (30%) or 6-10 days (38%). When considering contact through the council website, almost two thirds (65%) of panel members expect this to be acknowledged the same day (34% within 1 day and 31% within half a day). A full response to queries submitted via this channel should then be replied to within 3 to 5 days (32%) or 2 days (22%). The council uses IVR technology to filter calls they receive. While more than one third (36%) of panel members are happy with the use of this technology, almost six in ten (58%) do not think it should be used. Continuing to explore the use of IVR, the largest proportion of panel members believe that three options is the maximum that should have to be traversed before reaching an operator, with this response given by 47% of panel members. While 14% of panel members feel that the maximum should be above three options (12% said four and, 2% said five or more), 25% say the maximum should be just two and 13% say just one option should be provided before reaching an operator. Page 4

5 Conclusions The responses from this section of the Autumn 2012 ICE survey provide clear indicators of the standards the public expect Cheshire East Council to reach when handling incoming communications. The response times provided per channel are standards to which the council should aspire, although a review of their practicality and viability is required. Comparing these preferences to existing performance data on customer contact (call waiting times data for example) will be an important next step in order to examine whether there is any gap between public expectations and what the council is able to deliver. Any such gap has the potential to reduce satisfaction with the council overall. In relation to telephone contact, there appears to be a preference for ensuring the person callers speak to is able to handle their query, rather than just answering the phone quickly. Yet alongside this, a majority have a preference for IVR not being used, a system which can filter calls to appropriate call handlers. These two demands may be contradictory and difficult to fully reconcile. Page 5

6 Introduction Influence Cheshire East (ICE) Cheshire East s citizens panel - was recruited during More than 3,000 members were recruited to represent the 295,000 Cheshire East residents aged 18 and above. The panel s demography is representative of the borough s population by gender, age, ethnicity and geographic location. The ICE Autumn 2012 Survey was conducted between November and December Members of the panel were invited to complete a questionnaire, either on paper or online, with a closing date of 7 th December. In order to maximise response rates, a reminder was sent out midway through the fieldwork period to those yet to respond. The final sample size at the end of the fieldwork period comprised of 1574 panel members; 1047 who completed a postal survey and 527 who responded online. Overall, 54% of those asked to complete a survey did so. Further analysis of response rates shows that 36% of those who were contacted by and 71% of those who received postal surveys responded. Confidence testing A sample of 1574 was achieved in this research. This sample base is robust and is subject to a maximum standard error of ±2.47 % at the 95% confidence level on an observed statistic of 50%. Thus, we can be 95% confident that responses are representative of those that would be given by the total adult population, if a census had been conducted, to within ±2.47% of the percentages reported. This means that if the total adult population had conducted the survey and a statistic of 50% was observed, we can be 95% confident that the response lies between 47.53% and 52.47%. Weighting the data On receipt of each completed questionnaire, BMG coded the verbatim (open-ended) questions, input and then analysed the data. As part of the analysis process the data was weighted by gender, age and geography (MSOA) to ensure that it accurately matches the known profile of Cheshire East s population by these characteristics. Survey questionnaire The questionnaire was divided into sections, questions for which were set by the different departments within the council, and by partner organisations. The sections were: Section A: Crime and anti-social behaviour Section B: Perceptions of the council Section C: Council satisfaction Section D: Internet access and digital exclusion Section E: Contacting Cheshire East Council Section F: Qualifications, skills and apprenticeships. The full questionnaire can be found in Appendix A of this report. Page 6

7 Report contents The following report analyses and presents results for Section E (questions 27 to 32).The purpose of these questions was to establish what the public feel are appropriate customer service standards for different forms of inbound contact to the council. Rounding Figures and tables are used throughout the report to assist explanation and analysis. Although occasional anomalies appear due to rounding differences, these are never more than +/-1%. These occur where rating scales have been added to calculate proportions of Panel members who are satisfied at all (i.e. either very or fairly satisfied). For example, if 25.4% of residents state they are very satisfied and 30.3% of residents are fairly satisfied, these figures are rounded down to 25% and 30% respectively. However, the sum of these two responses is 55.7% which is rounded up to 56%, whereas the individual responses suggest this total should be 55%. Data tables Alongside this report, using the survey responses, a set of data tables has been produced, which presents the results broken down by the groups listed below. These cross tabulations are based on the information held on all Panel members and their location. Gender Age Disability Ethnicity Housing tenure Local Area Partnership Town and Rural Area (TaRAs) Index of multiple deprivation quintile Mosaic Super Group. Page 7

8 Chapter 1: Service expectations Cheshire East Council is developing a Customer Charter which will set out what its customer service response timescales will be, e.g. it will state how quickly we should aim to respond to telephone calls, s, letters, visits in person etc. A series of questions was presented to panel members in order to inform these standards. Telephone contact service expectations When calling Cheshire East Council 87% of all panel members expect a call to be answered within 10 rings. Within this, 36% expect an answer within 7-10 rings, 45% expect an answer within 4-6 rings and 6% expect an almost immediate answer within 3 rings. Figure 1: Within how many rings do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM that telephone calls to the council should be answered? (All responses) 3 rings 6% 4 to 6 rings 45% 7 to 10 rings 36% 11 to 15 rings 5% 16 to 20 rings More than 20 rings Not sure / Not applicable Not provided 2% 1% 3% 2% Unweighted Sample base: 1574 Customer service expectations appear to be particularly high among Social Housing tenants. Using the MOSAIC super groups within the data set, 21% of this group would expect a call to be answered within three rings. This proportion is significantly higher than in every other super group and is well above the survey average of 6%. Page 8

9 When calling Cheshire East Council there is a preference for calls to be answered by someone who is able to resolve queries rather than calls being answered quickly (68% cf. 29%). Therefore, while the previous information about the number of rings is useful for the council to be aware of, having initial points of telephone contact that are able to deliver information and solutions needs to be a central pillar of the council s contact strategy. Figure 2: When contacting the council, do you think it is more important for calls to be answered as quickly as possible or would you prefer to wait a little longer to speak to someone who can resolve your query? (All responses) 2% 29% It is more important for calls to be answered quickly 68% It is more important for calls to be answered by someone who is able to resolve queries Not provided Unweighted sample base: 1574 Page 9

10 Face to face contact service expectations When considering response times when walking into a council customer service centre (without an appointment) there is a broad range of opinion regarding what is an appropriate time to wait before seeing someone. The most common responses are that waits of 6-10 minutes (29%) and minutes (26%) are acceptable, but both shorter and longer waiting times were also selected. The full distribution of public opinion on this issue is shown in the figure below. Figure 3: Within how many minutes do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM that you should be seen by someone who can deal with your enquiry when walking into a council customer service centre without an appointment? (All responses) 1 to 2 minutes 1% 3 to 5 minutes 17% 6 to 10 minutes 29% 11 to 15 minutes 26% 16 to 20 minutes 11% 21 to 30 minutes 9% More than 30 minutes 2% Don't know 4% Not provided 1% Unweighted Sample base: 1574 Page 10

11 Written contact service expectations The next questions asked panel members to indicate how quickly three forms of written contact should be both acknowledged and fully responded to. These expectations are summarised on a channel by channel basis below. service expectations The largest proportion of panel members feel that correspondence should receive an acknowledgement within one day (38%). A further 29% feel that an acknowledgement should be provided even quicker within half a day. Almost two in five then feel that a full response to an e- mail enquiry should then be received within 3-5 days (38%), although 21% would like this response in 2 days and 12% feel a response should be even quicker (at least 1 day). Table 1: Expectations around acknowledgement and response (All responses) Acknowledging receipt of Full response to 1/2 day 29% 1% 1 day 38% 11% 2 days 15% 21% 3 to 5 days 7% 38% 6 to10 days 1% 15% 11 to 15 days *% 3% 16 to 20 days *% *% 21 to 30 days 0% *% 31 + days 0% *% Don't know 6% 6% Not provided 4% 5% Unweighted sample base: 1574 * denotes less than 0.5% Page 11

12 Letter service expectations When considering correspondence by letter, 38% of panel members feel that an acknowledgement should be received within 3 to 5 days. If this written correspondence is to be acknowledged in turn by letter (rather than say by or phone), meeting this response time will require an almost immediate acknowledgement to be written and despatched (once postage times are taken into account). A further 29% of panel members feel that a letter should be acknowledged within 2 days and 18% feel that an acknowledgement should be provided even quicker. When considering how quickly a full response to a letter should be provided by Cheshire East Council the most common expectations are that a response is received in either 3 to 5 days (30%) or 6-10 days (38%). Table 2: Expectations around letter acknowledgement and response (All responses) Acknowledging receipt of letter Full response to letter 1/2 day 4% 1% 1 day 14% 3% 2 days 29% 8% 3 to 5 days 38% 30% 6 to10 days 8% 38% 11 to 15 days 1% 12% 16 to 20 days 0% 3% 21 to 30 days *% 1% 31 + days 0% *% Don't know 2% 2% Not provided 4% 3% Unweighted sample base: 1574 * denotes less than 0.5% Page 12

13 Website contact service expectations The Cheshire East Council website has functionality that allows enquires to the council to be submitted online. Almost two thirds (65%) of panel members expect any such electronic communications to be acknowledged the same day (34% within 1 day and 31% within half a day). In the eyes of the public, responses to queries submitted via this channel should then be replied to in full within 3 to 5 days (32%) or 2 days (22%). Table 3: Expectations around website contact acknowledgement and response (All responses) Acknowledging receipt of website contact Full response to website contact 1/2 day 31% 2% 1 day 34% 13% 2 days 15% 22% 3 to 5 days 6% 32% 6 to10 days 1% 12% 11 to 15 days *% 3% 16 to 20 days 0% 1% 21 to 30 days 0% *% 31 + days *% *% Don't know 9% 9% Not provided 5% 5% Unweighted sample base: 1574 * denotes less than 0.5% Page 13

14 Chapter 2: The use of automated response to telephone calls Many organisations, including the council, use Interactive Voice Response (IVR - a.k.a. automated response) as part of their customer services telephone system - the automated voice which asks you to select options depending on the reason for your call, before you are put through to an operator. The advantages to the council of IVR are that they reduce operator time spent on individual calls, meaning the council can process a higher volume of calls and that all calls are answered. The disadvantages are the impersonal nature of automated response, and the potential annoyance for customers. Having been provided with this information in the survey questionnaire, all panel members were asked whether they think that the council should use automated response telephone calls. While more than one third (36%) of panel members are happy with the use of this technology, almost six in ten (58%) do not think it should be used. Figure 4: Do you think the council should use automated response telephone calls? (All responses) 5% 1% 58% 36% Yes No Don't know/not applicable Not provided Unweighted sample base: 1574 Support for the use of IVR is marginally higher among those aged (40%) and (40%), but overall demographic variations in opinion on this issue are minimal. One interesting variation in the data is that those who use the internet daily are more likely to support the user of IVR (40%) than less frequent internet users (24% never). It is possible to suggest from this finding that the more impersonal IVR approach is less off-putting for those more likely to be conducting other transactions online. Irrespective of their preferences about the use of this technology all panel members were also asked what they think the acceptable maximum number of options callers should be required to Page 14

15 press before getting through to an operator. The modal response was that three options is the maximum that should have to be traversed before reaching an operator, with this response given by 47% of panel members. While 14% of panel members feel that the maximum should be above three options (12% said four and, 2% said five or more), 25% say the maximum should be just two and 13% say just one option should be provided before reaching an operator. Figure 5: Whether you think automated response telephone calls should be used or not, what do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM number of options you should be required to press before getting through to an operator? (All responses) One 13% Two 25% Three 47% Four 12% Five or more 2% Not provided 1% Unweighted sample base: 1574 Page 15

16 Appendix A: The Autumn 2012 questionnaire Pro_8885_v1 Influence Cheshire East - Autumn 2012 Survey Please read each question carefully and cross a box to indicate your answer. For most questions you will be asked to cross one box only, but please take time to read the instructions as sometimes you will need to cross more than one box - all instructions are given in italics. Always answer the next question unless otherwise instructed. Please mark each box with a cross [X] rather than a tick. This questionnaire consists of 12 pages and should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. All your answers will be treated as strictly confidential. Once you have completed the questionnaire please return it in the pre-paid envelope supplied by Friday 16th November if we have not received a completed questionnaire from you by that date a reminder will be sent out. Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire, we very much appreciate your input. Results will be published on our website at from February 2013, and will be included in the ICE newsletter which will be sent to members with the next survey. Throughout the survey we ask you to think about 'your local area'. When answering, please consider your local area to be the area within minutes walking distance from your home. Section A: Crime and Anti-social behaviour Q1. In your view, what are the major causes of crime in Britain today? Please cross all that apply Alcohol... Breakdown of family... Drugs... Lack of discipline from parents... Lack of discipline from school... Poverty... Too few police... Too lenient sentencing... Unemployment... Other (please cross and write in below)... 1 Page 16

17 Pro_8885_v1 Q2. How much is YOUR OWN quality of life affected by fear of crime on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is no effect and 10 is a total effect on your quality of life? Please cross one box only Total No effect effect 10 Q3. How much is YOUR OWN quality of life affected by actual crime on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is no effect and 10 is a total effect on your quality of life Please cross one box only No effect Total effect 10 Q4. How safe do you feel... Please cross one box only for each statement Very safe Fairly safe Neither safe nor Fairly unsafe unsafe Very unsafe Don't know walking alone in your local area during the day?...when you are alone in your own home at night? Q5. How worried are you about Please cross one box only for each statement having your home broken into and something stolen?...being mugged and robbed? Very worried Fairly worried Not very worried Not at all worried Not applicable having your car stolen? having things stolen from your car? being a victim of crime? Q6. Would you say there is more crime or less crime in your local area since two years ago? Please cross one box only A lot more crime A little more crime About the same A little less crime A lot less crime Don't know / Not lived in the area that long Q7. Has your concern about crime in your local area increased or decreased over the last few years? Please cross one box only Don't know / Not lived in Increased Stayed about the same Decreased the area that long 2 Page 17

18 ...noisy neighbours/loud parties? Pro_8885_v1 Q8. Thinking about your local area, how much of a problem do you think each of the following is Please cross one box only for each statement A very A fairly Not a Not a big big very big problem No problem problem problem at all opinion...parents not taking responsibility for the behaviour of their children?...people being attacked or harassed because of their skin colour, disability, ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation?...people being drunk or rowdy in public places?...people using or dealing drugs?...vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles?...young people/teenagers hanging around on the streets? Q9. How confident are you that Please cross one box only for each statement...the authorities in your area are effective at reducing anti-social behaviour?...the authorities in your area are effective in bringing to justice those who carry out anti-social behaviour? Very confident Fairly confident Not very Not at all confident confident Q10. Overall, how well informed do you feel about what is being done to tackle these sorts of problems in your local area? Please cross one box only Very well informed Fairly well informed Not very well informed Not at all well informed Don't know Not aware of any issues I need to be informed about Section B: Perceptions of the Council Your local area receives services from Cheshire East Council. Cheshire East Council is responsible for a range of services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, education, social care services and road maintenance. Q11. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Cheshire East Council runs things? Please cross one box only Neither Very satisfied Fairly satisfied satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know 3 Page 18

19 Pro_8885_v1 Q12. On balance, which of the following statements comes closest to how you feel about Cheshire East Council? Please cross one box only I speak positively of the council without being asked... I speak positively of the council if I am asked about it... I have no views one way or another... I speak negatively about the council if I am asked about it... I speak negatively about the council without being asked... Don't know... In considering the next question, please think about the range of services Cheshire East Council provides to the community as a whole, as well as services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of the services Cheshire East Council provides to the community. We would like your general opinion. Q13. To what extent do you agree or disagree that... Please cross one box only for each statement Neither Strongly Tend to agree nor Tend to Strongly Don't agree agree disagree disagree disagree know...cheshire East Council provides value for money?...cheshire East Council acts on the concern of local residents?...cheshire East Council takes account of residents' views when making decisions...you can trust Cheshire East Council to spend money wisely Q14. Overall, how well informed do you think Cheshire East Council keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides? Please cross one box only Very well informed Fairly well informed Not very well informed Not well informed at all Don't know Section C: Council satisfaction Cheshire East Council is committed to improving levels of customer satisfaction. When answering the next three questions, we would like you to think about how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with Cheshire East Council, and what makes you feel as you do. 4 Page 19

20 Pro_8885_v1 Q15. For each of the following statements please indicate how strongly you think each one affects your level of satisfaction with the council. Please cross one box only for each statement A very strong A A strong moderate A slight No effect effect effect effect effect at all How easily you are able to contact the council when you need to How informed you are about what the council does How quickly the council deals with your issues How you are treated by council employees and other local public services officers The amount the Chief Executive is paid Whether you feel the council delivers services efficiently or not Whether you feel the council provides value for money or not The amount of Council Tax you pay How the council is portrayed within the media (e.g. news stories about the council) What your friends, family and acquaintances think of the council What you think of local councillors Whether you feel the council listens to your opinions when making decisions or not Whether you feel the council is working to improve your local area or not Your level of satisfaction with your local area as a place to live Q16. Is there anything else that you feel strongly affects your level of satisfaction with the council? Please write in below Q17. If you do not think the council provides value for money, or do not trust the council to spend money wisely, why is this? Please write in below and give examples where possible As well as trying to understand how we can improve these levels of satisfaction, we will also try to take practical steps to improve our service delivery. In the last ICE survey (Spring 2012), 82% of you were satisfied with waste and recycling services, 11% were dissatisfied, with 8% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. We would like to know how we could improve this service further. 5 Page 20

21 Pro_8885_v1 Q18. Thinking about your experience of our waste and recycling collection service in the last 12 months, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you Please cross one box only for each statement...that your bins are collected when they should be...that your emptied bins are put back in the right place after collection...that your waste is not spilled during collection...with how well informed you are about when collections are and what to do...with the frequency of collections...with the range of items collected for recycling...with the attitude of the waste and recycling crews...with the time taken to collect bins after a missed collection Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Q19. Is there any other way the council could improve its waste and recycling service? Please write in below Don't know / Not applicable Section D: Internet access and digital exclusion The following section has been included after a panel member contacted us to say they felt this was an important issue affecting them. When we say using the internet this includes going online to browse, send and receive s, use social media, shop, watch TV, play games, bank, donate to charities, gamble etc. Q20. How often, on average, have you used the internet in the last year? Please cross one box only Every day or almost every day... At least once a week (but not every day)... At least once a month (but not every week)... Less frequently than once a month (but have used it)... Never... Go to Q25 Go to Q21 Go to Q21 Go to Q21 Go to Q21 6 Page 21

22 Pro_8885_v1 Q21. Which of the following reasons stop you from using the internet more than you do now? Please cross all that apply You don t need to... You don t want to... You don t have enough skills/don t know how to... You don t have the confidence... You don t have time... Equipment costs are too high (e.g. for computer/laptop/ipad/smartphone etc)... Access costs are too high (e.g. for broadband connection)... Access availability in my local area is not good enough (e.g. broadband speed)... You don t think the internet is safe to use (e.g. privacy/security concerns)... Other (please cross and write in below)... Q22. If available, would you be interested in taking training, assistance or guidance to help you access the internet more? Please cross one box only Yes Go to Q23 No Go to Q25 Q23. Which of the following people would you most like to receive training, assistance or guidance from? Please cross all that apply A digital champion - someone who has volunteered to help others learn how to get online... A family member... A friend... A professional teacher/tutor... A work colleague... Other (please cross and write in below)... Q24. Where would be the best place for you to receive training? Please cross all that apply At a local school/college... In your local bingo hall... In your local library... In your local pub... In your own home... Other (please cross and write in below)... 7 Page 22

23 Pro_8885_v1 Q25. How strongly do you agree or disagree that... Please cross one box only for each statement...you feel that you belong to your immediate neighbourhood Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know...you feel that you belong to society...not having internet access does/would make you feel excluded from society...you are forced to use the internet to access services or information when you don't necessarily want to use it...the internet is a positive influence on your day to day life...the council should move its services online as much as possible... having council services online makes them more accessible...the internet is an important way of keeping informed Q26. Is there anything you would like to add about internet access and digital exclusion? Please write in below Section E: Contacting Cheshire East Council Cheshire East Council s Customer Charter - Your customer service expectations Cheshire East Council is developing a Customer Charter which will set out what our customer service response timescales will be, e.g. it will state how quickly we should aim to respond to telephone calls, s, letters, visits in person etc. The following questions are included to find out what you think acceptable timescales are. When answering these questions, please think about the experiences you have had when contacting other organisations, e.g. banks, doctors/dentists etc. Q27. Within how many rings do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM that telephone calls to the Council should be answered? Please cross one box only 3 rings... 4 to 6 rings... 7 to 10 rings to 20 rings... More than 20 rings... Not sure / Not applicable to 15 rings... 8 Page 23

24 Pro_8885_v1 Q28. Within how many days do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM that s, letters and contacts to the Council website (e.g. feedback forms/ rate this page forms not including s) should receive a) an acknowledgement of receipt (confirmation we have received your contact), and b) a full response? Please cross one box only for each statement Acknowledging receipt of Full response to Acknowledging receipt of letter Full response to letter 1/2 day 1 day 2 days 3 to 5 days 6 to10 days 11 to 15 days 16 to 20 days 21 to 30 days 31 + days Acknowledging receipt of website contact Full response to website contact Q29. Within how many minutes do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM that you should be seen by someone who can deal with your enquiry when walking into a council customer service centre without an appointment? Please cross one box only Don't know 1 to 2 minutes... 3 to 5 minutes to 15 minutes to 20 minutes... More than 30 minutes... Don't know... 6 to 10 minutes to 30 minutes... Q30. When contacting the council, do you think it is more important for calls to be answered as quickly as possible or would you prefer to wait a little longer to speak to someone who can resolve your query? Please cross one box only It is more important for calls to be answered quickly... It is more important for calls to be answered by someone who is able to resolve queries... The use of automated response to telephone calls Many organisations, including the council, use Interactive Voice Response (IVR - a.k.a. automated response) as part of their customer services telephone system - the automated voice which asks you to select options depending on the reason for your call, before you are put through to an operator. The advantages to the council of IVR are that they reduce operator time spent on individual calls, meaning the council can process a higher volume of calls and that all calls are answered. The disadvantages are the impersonal nature of automated response, and the potential annoyance for customers. Q31. Do you think the council should use automated response telephone calls? Please cross one box only Yes No Don't know / Not applicable Q32. Whether you think automated response telephone calls should be used or not, what do you think is the acceptable MAXIMUM number of options you should be required to press before getting through to an operator? Please cross one box only One Two Three Four Five or more 9 Page 24

25 Pro_8885_v1 Q33. In the last 12 months, have you contacted the council over a Council Tax issue? (e.g. to tell us you were moving house, to claim a discount, to query your tax band). Please cross one box only Go to Go to Don't know / Go to Yes No Q34 Q36 Can't remember Q36 Q34. Generally speaking, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your Council Tax issue was dealt with? Please cross one box only Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Neither Fairly dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Don't know Q35. How could the council best improve the way it deals with Council Tax issues? Please cross all boxes that apply Improve online customer self service options... Respond more quickly to written/ enquiries... Reduce telephone response times... Remove automated phone service... Offer text reminders before arrears letters are sent... Other (please cross and write in below)... Section F: Qualifications, skills and apprenticeships Q36. Which of these qualifications do you have? Please cross every box that applies if you have any of the qualifications listed. If your UK qualification is not listed, cross the box that contains its nearest equivalent. If you have qualifications gained outside the UK, cross the Foreign qualifications box and the nearest UK equivalents (if known). 1-4 O levels/cses/gcses (any grades), Entry Level, Foundation Diploma... NVQ Level 1, Foundation GNVQ, Basic Skills O levels (passes)/cses (grade 1)/GCSEs (grades A*- C), School Certificate... 1 A level/2-3 AS levels/vces, Higher Diploma... NVQ Level 2, Intermediate GNVQ, City and Guilds Craft, BTEC First/General Diploma, RSA Diploma A levels/vces, 4+ AS levels, Higher School Certificate, Progression/Advanced Diploma... NVQ Level 3, Advanced GNVQ, City and Guilds Advanced Craft, ONC, OND, BTEC National, RSA Advanced Diploma... Degree (for example BA, BSc), Higher degree (for example MA, PhD, PGCE)... NVQ Level 4-5, HNC, HND, RSA Higher Diploma, BTEC Higher Level... Professional qualifications (for example teaching, nursing, accountancy)... Other vocational/work-related qualifications... Foreign qualifications... No qualifications Page 25

26 Pro_8885_v1 Q37. Which of these activities best describes what you are doing at present? Please cross one box only Employee in full time job (30 hours plus per week)... Employee in part time job (under 30 hours per week)... Self employed full or part time... Unemployed and available for work... Permanently sick/disabled... Wholly retired from work... On a government supported training programme (e.g. modern apprenticeship) Full-time education at school, college or university... Looking after the home... Other (please cross and write in below)... Go to Q39 Go to Q38 Go to Q39 Go to Q39 Go to Q39 Survey complete Go to Q39 Go to Q39 Go to Q39 Go to Q39 Q38. Would you like to work full-time but have been unable to find a full-time job? Yes Q39. How strongly do you agree or disagree that in your current or last job, you have/did have enough opportunity to use your knowledge and skills? Please cross one box only Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither agree nor disagree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know / not applicable No Q40. Thinking about the last five years, have you experienced any problems getting a job or progressing in your career because you did not have the required skills or qualifications? Please cross one box only Yes Go to Q41 No Go to Q42 Not applicable Go to Q42 Q41. What types of skills or qualifications were required that you did not have? Please cross all that apply An educational qualification... Teaching skills... A vocation or professional qualification... Computer, internet or software skills... Management skills... Technical or craft skills... Foreign language... Caring skills... Driving licence (incl. HGV, PCV, fork-lift trucks)... Other skills or qualifications (please cross and write in below)... Don't know / Can't remember Page 26

27 Pro_8885_v1 Q42. Thinking about the next three years, are there any additional skills or qualifications that would be beneficial for your job or career prospects? Please cross one box only Yes... Go to Q43 No... Go to Q44 Q43. What is stopping you from getting these additional skills or qualifications? Please cross all that apply There is nothing stopping me from getting these skills or qualifications... I do not feel confident enough... I cannot afford to do the training... I am unsure what is available... I feel too old to learn new skills... I do not have the time due to family pressures... I do not have time due to work pressures.. My employer would not allow me the time to train... My employer cannot or will not pay for training... My manager(s) or colleagues would not support my training... My manager(s) or colleagues want me to learn different skills... The training courses on offer are not appropriate... There is not sufficient space to train... Other (please cross and write in below)... Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to earn money and learn at the same time, through practical on the job experience. Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16, including those who have been working for years and want to improve their skills or want a new challenge. Q44. Did you know that apprenticeships are open to people of any age, as long as they are over the age of 16? Please cross one box only Yes No Q45. Would you consider an apprenticeship as an option for you in the future? Yes Survey complete No Go to Q46 Q46. Why would you not consider an apprenticeship? Please cross all that apply I do not want any further training... The wage would be too low... I do not feel confident enough... Other people may think I am too old... I am too old... It would not be suitable for my job or career choice... Other (please cross and write in below)... Thank you for completing this survey. Please return it in the pre-paid envelope provided by Friday 16th November Page 27

28