Understanding the Drivers - 'Channels' fact sheet

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Published:

1 July 2009

Last updated:

1 July 2009

Copyright:

Crown copyright

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Introduction

Understanding the Drivers is a research project that helps us to understand what the drivers of satisfaction and trust mean to New Zealanders.

Forty focus groups were held across the country in 2008 with the general public, Māori, Asian, Pacific and young people (aged 15 - 30 years). Groups were held in main centres and provincial areas. The views of these New Zealanders have provided us with a wealth of information to assist public service agencies to improve satisfaction and trust in public services.

Face to face and telephone the most preferred channels

The Kiwis Count survey asked New Zealanders how they had contacted public services. The most common contact method was to visit an office or location. The second most common method of contact is calling on the telephone. The survey showed that visiting an office and using the telephone were also the contact methods that New Zealanders most preferred to use.

New Zealanders were also asked about their satisfaction with the method of contact they had used. Visiting an office or location had the highest satisfaction rating. Calling on the telephone, the second most common method, had the lowest satisfaction rating.

This research found that participants preferred to visit an office or use the telephone for more complex circumstances as these methods provided the opportunity to ask questions and obtain more information. In particular, participants felt that it was easier to communicate face to face and they were more likely to get a result by visiting an office:

"You increase your changes of getting what you want done, completed, by going over the counter."

Face to face was also the most trusted channel.

In comparison, using the telephone was less satisfactory. Participants complained about lengthy hold times and being 'bounced from one person to another'. Automated telephone answering systems were unpopular.

"When you are on the phone you expect to be on hold for the first 15 minutes before they talk. Then they are bounced from one person to another and each time you call it is a different person who has no idea what you are on about ... On the phone you expect it to be a painful experience. You don't want it to be."

Internet and mail

Participants felt that mail was useful because it provided documented evidence and was suitable for those who are not computer literate. However, participants also commented that it was too slow.

Participants liked the convenience of websites and email and also the fact that, as with letters, these channels could provide documented evidence of transactions. One participant talked about lodging money in GST accounts:

I can submit it at 3am rather than having to put a stamp on it and having to walk to the Post Office and put it in the mail. I can lodge it on the Internet and I immediately get a response back and it's done, thank you very much.

Some participants commented that public service websites could be difficult to navigate and that it was easy to get lost in the amount of information the websites provide.

Improving telephone services

This research suggests that improving telephone services could increase overall levels of satisfaction. Because calling on the telephone has such low satisfaction ratings, further analysis was carried out on the drivers of satisfaction with telephone services. This showed that improvements could be made in the following two areas, in particular:

  • The service experience met your expectations, and
  • The amount of time it took to get the overall service was reasonable.

In addition, the State Services Commission has established a community of practice for contact centres, where contact centre managers can share expertise and practice and work together on improving services.

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