Customer Service Survey 2013 Results
In December 2013, Customer Services Unit, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport carried out a customer service survey of the customers who contacted us in the previous three months. Our customers primarily contact Customer Services Unit as a last call in relation to getting information on services provided by the Department and its Agencies. Customer Services Unit receives approximately 3,600 e-mails queries per annum, averaging out at 300 e-mails per month. The procedure we follow with queries received is to automatically acknowledge receipt of the e- mail, then forward the e-mail to the relevant Division with a copy of the forwarded e-mail cc d to the customer. The Unit deals with approximately 50 to 60 phone queries per month, the procedure we follow is to assist the customer as best we can, then we contact the relevant Division on the customer s behalf and pass on their details and enquiry, where relevant. Where the query is for an Agency or external Government Department, we provide the contact details for the relevant area to the customer. The Customer Service survey was sent out via SurveyMonkey to 400 customers who directly contacted Customer Services Unit during August, September and October 2013. 70 responses were received, a response rate of 17.5%. Whilst this survey is not a full reflection on the customer service provided throughout the Department, it is a snapshot of the opinions provided by the customers who contacted Customer Services Unit to have their Department and Agency queries dealt with. The results of our survey show that the majority of our customers contact us electronically, with 76% of those surveyed contacting us by e-mail and 16% contacting us through our Website Contact Form. Of the 70 responses received, 60% of the queries were for DVCSD, Shannon, 8.5% Public Transport queries, 6% Driving Licence queries, 4.5% queries for other Government Departments with the rest averaging out at 3 to 4% for each of our other Sector areas. Over half of those who responded to the survey had problems contacting the relevant Division or Agency prior to contacting Customer Services Unit. 22 people surveyed had not received a response to their initial query, of these, 60% of those who hadn t received a response related to DVCSD queries, 13% to Public Transport queries, 9 % for Maritime queries and the rest related to one off queries for our other sectors. Overall the satisfaction rating was more dissatisfied customers than satisfied customers with 92% of dissatisfied customers relating to DVCSD queries, 50% of very dissatisfied customers relating to DVCSD queries, 11% - Public Transport, 7% Roads Sports and Maritime and 1 dissatisfied customer each for Tourism and Aviation. At the end of the survey we gave the customers an opportunity to supply us with their contact details for follow up, 31 customers availed of this opportunity. Of these 31, 24 were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied customers, half of the queries were in relation to the DVCSD with a fairly even spread throughout the other sectors. We contacted each of the customers and resolved their issues through contact and followup with the individual Divisions/Agencies. The following survey results depict a snapshot of the Department s customer satisfaction. On the basis of this survey along with a more extensive customer service survey to be carried out during 2014, we intend developing a Department Customer Charter and accompanying Customer Service Improvement Action Plan by yr. end 2014. A project plan on this basis will be presented to Management Board next month. Customer Services Unit March 2014
Q1 How did you recently contact our Customer Services Unit?? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Telephone E-mail Website Contact Form 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Telephone 8.57% 6 E-mail 75.71% 53 Website Contact Form 15.71% 11 Total 70
Q2 What type of query did you contact Customer Services Unit for? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Vehicle Registration Motor Tax Driving Licences Driving Tests Ministers Offices Public Transport Roads Maritime Aviation Tourism Sports Other - RSA Other Govt Depts 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Motor Tax 25.71% 18 Vehicle Registration 34.28% 24 Driving Lic enc es 5.71% 4 Driving Tests 0% 0 Ministers Offices 0% 0 Public Transport 8.57% 6 Roads 4.29% 3 Maritime 4.29% 3 Aviation 2.86% 2 Tourism 2.86% 2 Sports 4.29% 3 Other (RSA) 2.86% 2 Other (Other Govt Depts ) 4.29% 3 Total Respondents: 70
Q3 Did you try to contact one of our other Dept. Offices or Agency prior to Customer Services Unit? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Yes No 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 No 57.1% 40 Yes 42.9%% 30 Total Respondents: 70
Q4 Are you aware of the direct contact details for our other Department Offices and Agencies? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Yes No 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 No 54.3 38 Yes 45.7% 32 Total Respondents: 70
Q5 How did you try to contact our other Department Office or Agency before contacting Customer Service s Unit? Answered: 54 Skipped: 16 Telephone E-mail Website Contact Form Letter 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Telephone 44.44% 24 E-mail 59.26% 32 Website Contact Form 9.26% 5 Letter 1.85% 1 Total Respondents: 54
Q6 Did you have any problems contacting our other Department Office or Agency? Answered: 61 Skipped: 9 Yes No 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Yes 52.46% 32 No 47.54% 29 Total 61
Q7 If ye s, w hat w e re the problems? Answered: 35 Skipped: 35 Found it hard to get the right phone number to call Difficulty getting an answer on the phone Difficulty using automated phone system Option you needed not available on phone system Found it hard to get the right contac t e-mail address Other (please specify) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Found it ha rd to get the right phone number to call 31.43% 11 Difficulty getting an Answer on the phone 48.57% 17 Difficulty using automated phone system 17.14% 6 Option you needed not a vailable on automated phone system 22.86% 8 Found it ha rd to get the right c ontact e-mail address 22.86% 8 Other (p lease specify) 42.86% 15 Total Respondents: 35 Other THE OPTION I REQUIRED WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I OPTED TO SPEAK TO A MEMBER OF THE TEAM AND THEN WAS CUT OFF. MY NEXT TACTIC WAS TO SEND AN EMAIL. TO DATE 4 MONTHS LATER I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPLY TO MY QUERY. GOT NO REPLY DID NOT GET A RESPONSE WAITED OVER 15 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH TO AN OPERATOR. NUMEROUS TRIES. THEN CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE TRIED TO RING KILDARE MOTOR TAX OFFICE BUT AFTER AN AUTOMATED RESPONSE THAT AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR QUERY IS 6 WEEKS THE CALL HANG UP AND I HAVE REPEATED THAT FEW TIMES BUT THEN QUIT. MY E MAIL WAS FORWARDED NO ANSWER ON PHONE AFTER 5 CALLS KEPT GETTING AUTOMATED RESPONSE. NO OTHER CONTACT AVAILABLE NEED TO SPEAK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL AS QUERY REQUIRED NO ANSWER IT WAS FINE NOT A LONG WAIT ANSWER STRAIGHT AWAY NEVER GOT AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION THE PERSON ANSWERED WAS OF NO HELP DIDN'T EVEN TRY AND RESOLVE MY QUERY NO-ONE GOT BACK TO ME ABOUT MY QUERY, I HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH GETTING AN ANSWER ON THE PHONE AND THEN NO-ONE RESPONDED TO MY MAIL. DISGRACEFUL SERVICE REQUESTED INFORMATION ON SEAMAN'S ID
Q8 Did you receive a satisfactory response from the other Department Office or Age ncy? Answered: 64 Skipped: 6 Yes No 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Yes 40.63% 26 No 60.94% 39 Total Respondents: 64
Q9 Were you happy with the response from Customer Services Unit? Answered: 65 Skipped: 5 Yes No 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Yes 38.46% 25 No 61.54% 40 Total 65
Q10 How did you receive your response? Answered: 54 Skipped: 16 Telephone E-mail Letter 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Telephone 18.52% 10 E-mail 79.63% 43 Letter 9.26% 5 Total Respondents: 54
Q11 How long did it take to get a response? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Less than 1 working day Between 2-3 working days Between 4-5 working days Within 12 working days Response still not receiv ed 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Less tha n 1 working day 7.14% 5 Between 2-3 working days 22.86% 16 Between 4-5 working days 15.71% 11 Within 12 working da ys 22.86% 16 Response still not rec eived 31.43% 22 Total 70
Q12 How satisfied w e re you with the time it took Customer Service s Unit to respond? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Very Satisfied Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Satisfied Satisfied Neither Satisfied/nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Total Average Rating Please choose on e 12.86% 24.29% 14.29% 17.14% 31.43% response 9 17 10 12 22 70 3.30
Q13 What is your overall satisfaction rating of the w ay your question or problem was resolved? Answered: 70 Skipped: 0 Very Satisfied Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Very Satisfied Satisfied Neither Satisfied/nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Total Average Rating Please choose on e 14.29% 21.43% 7.14% 17.14% 40% response 10 15 5 12 28 70 3.47
Q14 What changes, if any, can we make to improve our Customer Services? Answered: 40 Skipped: 30 A RESPONSE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLUTION. MY QUERY IS BEING PASSED AROUND AND NOT BEING DEALT WITH. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT NOBODY IS INTERESTED/CAPABLE OR AVAILABLE TO DEAL WITH MY QUERY. IF THE TELEPHONE WAS ANSWERED INITIALLY WHEN I CALLED IN SEPTEMBER BY A CAPABLE INFORMED PERSON I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HAD MY QUERY ANSWERED BY NOW. REPLY TO EMAILS QUICKER A CONTACT OFFERING MORE DETAILED RESPONSE. DON'T PRETEND YOU DO CARE OR WILL ANSWER? WHEN YOUR NOT NEED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO LEAVE A MESSAGE AND CONTACT DETAILS ON THE PHONE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS E MAILS. CS COULD THEN RETURN THE CALL...RATHER THAN SOMEONE SPENDING A FORTUNE PHONING TO NO AVAIL QUICKER EMAIL RESPONCE SEEK TO 'LOOK AFTER' YOUR TOURISTS RATHER THAN ABUSE THEM AND DRIVE THEM AWAY AS YOU DID WITH ME. OFFICES SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY STAFFED TO HANDLE THE INCREASE IN WORK LOAD. IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO HAPPEN!! I HAVE NO IDEA. PERHAPS CHANGE OF ATTITUDE WOULD BE A GOOD START. SIMPLY GET ON BOARD THE CUSTOMERS ISSUE AND AT LEAST TRY TO HELP INSTEAD OF SENDING AWAY BACK TO WHERE IT'S STARTED. ANSWER MY LETTER THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A LIAISON ( "A" NOT TALKING TO "B") BETWEEN INTERIOR DEPARTMENTS THERE. \EASIER ACCESS TO ACTUALLY TALK TO A PERSON AND SHORTER PERIOD OF RESPONSE TO BE FAIR - THE ISSUE ISN'T WITH YOU GUYS, IT'S WITH DUBLIN BUS, AND I HAVE NO HOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT, WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD NOT TO. FACE TO FACE NEEDS TO BE SCRAPPED AND DEVELOPED FROM SCRATCH. THE AUTOMATED TELEPHONE SYSTEM IS A JOKE. THE MOST FRUSTRATING SYSTEM I HAVE EVER USED. HAD TO GET MY WIFE TO DO IT AND SHE GOT ANNOYED. YOU WOULD NOT SURVIVE AS A STAND ALONE BUSINESS. PEOPLE'S CREDIT IS ALSO BEING USED USING YOUR UNUSABLE PHONE SYSTEM. SOMEONE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY RESPOND WITHTIN RESONABLE TIME FRAME FASTER RESPONSE, SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS RESPOND PROMPTLY GET RESPONSE TO QUERIES YOU COULOD ANSWER THE QUESTION I ASKED THE INFORMATION I NEEDED SHOULD BE AVAILABLE WHEN PURCHASING A SECOND HAND VEHICLE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SEEMS TO BE FINE. WELL YOU TELL ME AFTER GETTING NO RESPONSE I DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITHIN THE DEPT HELPLINE WITH PEOPLE ON THE PHONE WHO CAN GIVE YOU THE HELP YOU NEED. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THERE WAS BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS NO RESULTS RECEIVED BY EMAIL YET, STILL WAITING,IM VERY PATIENT ANSWER THE PHONE,REPLACE EXCISTING ANSWERING SERVICE I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ISSUE HAS BEEN DEALT WITH. PLEASE LET ME KNOW THE RESULT OF MY QUERY. CARRY ON THE WAY YOU ARE ITS A SHAME ALL GOVERNMENT DEPTS ARE NOT AS GOOD. SET OUT THE STEPS TO CONTACT YOU IN AN EASIER FORMAT AND RESPOND TO THE COMPLAINT. NONE HIRE SOMEONE WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS CONSIDER CUSTOMERS POSISTION DO YOUR JOB, AND WORK FASTER, NOT JUST DRINK COFFEE DIRECT LINE TO DEPARTMENT YOU WANT. I HAD TO CONTACT THE MANGER TO GET A RESPONSE. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET A RESPONSE WITHOUT CONTACTING THE MANAGER ANSWER PEOPLES QUERIES ESPECHIALLY WHEN THEY ARE SERIOUS! ANSWER THE PHONE OR RETURN EMAILS.
Q15 This survey w ill be considered anonymous, however if you would like us to contact you in relation to y our responses, please supply y our contact de tails. Any de tails supplied w ill be considered confidential and w ill not be published along with the survey results. Would you like to supply y our de tails for our Customer Services Unit to contact you? Answered: 65 Skipped: 5 Yes No 0% 20% 40 % 60% 80 % 100% Yes 47.69% 31 No 52.31% 34 Total 65