Issue - meetings

Report of Director – Strategy and Commissioning

Purpose of report

This report provides a summary of the key messages from the Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey which was undertaken in July 2016. Full details from the survey are contained in Appendix 1 which is the full report delivered by the company who ran the survey independently on behalf of Cherwell District Council (CDC), Marketing Means. This report will also outline some recommended actions to develop the Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey as an integral part of CDC’s consultation with residents.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

1.1         Note the contents of the report and appendices.

1.2         Use appropriate results in the setting of Business Plan and Service Plan objectives and targets.

1.3         Agree that the 2016 results are used as a baseline for future target setting and benchmarking (given the change in methodology for identifying and receiving information from respondents).

1.4         Agree the action plan for reviewing and developing the survey content for 2017/18.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That appropriate results be used in the setting of Business Plan and Service Plan objectives and targets.

(3)          That it be agreed that the 2016 results be used as a baseline for future target setting and benchmarking (given the change in methodology for identifying and receiving information from respondents).

(4)          That the action plan for reviewing and developing the survey content for 2017/18 be agreed.

The Director – Strategy and Commissioning submitted a report which provided a summary of the key messages from the Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey which was undertaken in July 2016. This report also outlined some recommended actions to develop the Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey as an integral part of Cherwell District Council’s consultation with residents.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That appropriate results be used in the setting of Business Plan and Service Plan objectives and targets.

(3)          That it be agreed that the 2016 results be used as a baseline for future target setting and benchmarking (given the change in methodology for identifying and receiving information from respondents).

(4)          That the action plan for reviewing and developing the survey content for 2017/18 be agreed.

Reasons

While key results have shown a dip in performance when compared to the performance last year, it is critical to consider the improvement in the number and range of respondents we now are using. Instead of asking a very small sample of people who have volunteered to respond, we are posing the questions to a far broader set of respondents and getting a more representative view of satisfaction from Cherwell residents.

The annual satisfaction survey is a core method of getting feedback from our residents. By reviewing the question base to align it with key service requirements for customer opinion and also the aims and priorities of the Corporate Business Plan, we will improve the quality of information we receive and the decisions that are made based on feedback and satisfaction data. A more concise survey may also improve response rates.

Alternative options

Retaining the current survey will mean that we don’t utilise the survey fully as a source of customer feedback information

Using the wider respondent base has meant a dip in results this year but provides a more accurate reflection of opinion in the district. Reverting to a more select group of respondents could potentially mask issues.