Top 10 Highlights of Taking Care of Business 2
Taking Care of Business 2 (TCOB 2), the second in a series of leading-edge research initiatives, explores and defines the perspectives of Canadian businesses on public sector service delivery.
This study, co-ordinated by ICCS, was commissioned by a consortium of 15 federal, provincial, territorial and municipal public sector organizations. The pan-Canadian survey of 6,000 Canadian business clients was carried out by ERIN Research Inc.
The 2006-2007 research identifies the key drivers of business client satisfaction and gives managers in all jurisdictions the information they need to improve service delivery. It enables public sector managers to pursue further service improvements based on sound empirical research.
- Good government service is critical: An impressive eighty-seven percent of businesses agree with the proposition that “Good service from government is essential to a healthy business climate”. This result holds for all regions of Canada, for large, medium and small businesses, and for every economic sector.
- Service standards: Businesses and citizens share similar expectations for timely service in most service delivery channels – telephone, in-person, voicemail, email, and fax. Businesses have higher expectations of surface mail.
- Tracking trends in service quality: The overall trend is upward! The average rating across all services is currently 65 out of 100, compared to 61 in 2003, (a statistically significant advance).
- Access matters: Each access problem encountered by a business client causes a substantial drop in satisfaction. Two-thirds reported such problems. For example, getting bounced from one person to another or lack of response to telephone messages reduces satisfaction levels by 25 points out of 100.
- Two-thirds of service experiences are multi-channel: On average, business clients report using 2.1 channels per service.
- The telephone is the most-used channel: Sixty-two percent of business clients used it at some point during their recent experience. Forty-four percent used mail services and 29 percent used the Internet.
- Drivers of satisfaction are now determined for business clients in three major service delivery channels:
- Mail, email and fax services;
- Internet services;
- Person-to-person services.
- Routine or periodic transactions (e.g., filings, payments, etc.);
- Getting information or advice (including ordering publications);
- Solving a problem or correcting an error (including complaints);
- Applications and registrations (e.g., permits, licences, zoning, etc.)
The single thing that will increase business clients’ satisfaction scores most dramatically is to make public sector service delivery faster. Timely service, is constant across all these contexts.
- Authentication. Business clients find government authentication easy to deal with. The eight percent who disagree state that processes take too much time or are too complicated.
- Integrated model of service delivery to business. TCOB 2 developed an integrated, empirical model of service delivery to businesses. This model highlights the role of the drivers of satisfaction, and also shows how access and past service experience work with the drivers to jointly determine satisfaction.
- Confidence in government: Good government service helps contribute to business clients’ confidence in public institutions. TCOB 2 identifies empirical linkages between the two.
The Road Ahead
TCOB 2 was written primarily for public sector service delivery managers to provide them with a deeper understanding of business clients and to provide them with practical advice on service improvements. The results of TCOB 2 are encouraging for three important reasons:
- Service quality scores appear to be improving;
- The drivers of satisfaction chart the way toward further progress;
- Good service has been shown to contribute to confidence in public institutions.
TCOB 2 shows that we have the tools to move forward, and compelling grounds as well.