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Satisfaction With Service Delivery

• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Satisfaction
• 6.3 Dissatisfaction

6.1 Introduction

Satisfaction levels have been measured in the same way since 2006. Respondents were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their most recent contact with government on a five point scale ranging from ‘extremely satisfied’ to ‘not satisfied at all’.

Satisfaction was rated in terms of:

• the outcome
• how long they had to wait for a reply to their enquiry
• the ease of finding the information or service they sought
• the ease of using the service.

For the purpose of this report, a person is regarded as ‘satisfied’ if they gave a score of either ‘extremely satisfied’, ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’. Alternatively, a person is ‘dissatisfied’ if they answered ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’ satisfied. Those who said they were not satisfied with at least one aspect of the service were asked why they were not satisfied.

Respondents were also asked to rate the extent to which they achieved what they intended. This rating was based on an 11 point scale where ‘0’ meant that they did not achieve any of what they intended and ‘10’ meant that they achieved exactly what they intended. In some cases respondents reported using more than one service delivery channel as part of their most recent contact with government. Where this occurred, satisfaction ratings are based on the channel the respondent nominated as their ‘main method of contact’.

6.2 Satisfaction

As in previous years, the majority are satisfied with the level of service they receive:

• Eighty‑seven per cent of people are satisfied with the outcome of the service.
• Eighty‑eight per cent of people are satisfied with the ease of finding information.
• Ninety per cent of people are satisfied with the ease of using the service.
• The lowest level of satisfaction was reported with the length of time it takes to receive a reply, with satisfaction levels falling to 83%.

Figure 29 Satisfaction with services received

Text description of Figure 29 Satisfaction with services received

Q9B-9E. How satisfied were you with …?
Base: Respondents who were able to nominate how they most recently contacted government (n=3667); excludes those who refused or could not nominate their method (or main method if there was more than one) of contacting government (n=17)
Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% because some respondents were not able to say if they were satisfied or dissatisfied.

Figure 30 Satisfaction with services received by level of government

Text description of Figure 30 Satisfaction with services received by level of government

Q9B-9E. How satisfied were you with …?
Base: Respondents who were able to nominate how they most recently contacted government (n=3667); excludes those who refused or could not nominate their method (or main method if there was more than one) of contacting government (n=17)
Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% because some respondents were not able to say if they were satisfied or dissatisfied.

Satisfaction with services received does not vary greatly depending on the level of government contacted. More people were satisfied with the ease of using services provided by state and territory government (92%) and local government (93%) than those provided by the Australian government (88%). Nine in ten (90%) who had contact with the local government were satisfied with the ease of finding specific information compared to only 87% of those who contacted the Australian government.

These differences are not reflected in the type of channel used to contact each level of government. Focus group participants explained that they felt a greater connection with local government offices. Participants were more likely to feel a sense of community with the local government.

‘Well I’m happy to work with the Local Regional Council as I say over the counter.  They are people we meet in the shop; they probably live 300 metres down the road; we’re all part of the community together.  It’s different when you’re dealing with some of the State or particularly with the Federal departments.’

6.2.1 Achieving an outcome

The overall rating for achieving the intended outcome is very high, with an average rating of 8.5. This mirrors results in previous year and is consistent with the high level of overall satisfaction.

There are marginal differences in satisfaction ratings depending on the service delivery channel used. Respondents who had contact in person had the highest average rating (8.8), while those who used the telephone had the lowest average rating (8.0), those who used mail also rated relatively low (8.4), consistent with findings in 2008.

There is little difference in the average ratings for achieving intended outcome compared with previous studies between different service delivery channels, or types of transactions. There was no impact on satisfaction depending on the level of government contacted.

Nine in ten people (87%) were satisfied with the outcome when last contacting government. Those contacting government by telephone or mail are the most likely to be not at all satisfied with achieving their intended outcome, with one in ten (10%) for both telephone and mail reporting this of their most recent experience. 

Participant in the focus groups generally had a high level of satisfaction with the outcome of their dealings with government. In discussions participants revealed elements of the service which were important to them and areas where they did or did not feel outcomes were satisfactory.

‘And truth be told, yes, speed and efficiency of getting to where you want to is a key thing.’

‘...the help that I got on the other end of the phone seems to have actually changed over the years.  I've noticed that recently it's more direct, they're more helpful, they're friendlier and the people on the other end of the phone are actually going a bit more out of their way to give me the right information... it was really easy’

Many participants also suggested improvements, such as governments sharing information to minimise the volume of information which a person has to provide to access services.

‘Part of the reason I think we get a lot of frustration is because we look at a lot of the government branches and say, okay, you should know this, because I’ve talked to the other branch over here and the other branch over here says, well, we really don’t, because we can’t get any of that information…I’d be an advocate for an Australian card that’s bulging with every new certification of things that you do’

6.2.2 Waiting for a reply

As in 2008, overall satisfaction with the length of time taken for a reply was the lowest at 83%. These results exclude where no reply was required. The level of satisfaction with the time taken for a reply across channel used is also similar to findings in 2008. Respondents who used the internet or contacted government in person are more satisfied (88% and 86% respectively) than those who used the telephone (77%) or mail (75%).

The type of transaction has no impact on satisfaction with the length of time waiting for a reply and there was little difference between the levels of government.

In focus groups, participants noted that they would alter their method of contact depending on the nature of their query and the speed with which they needed a response.

‘I think it comes down to... what the matter is, when I rang up about the garbage bin I don't think I would have done it in an e‑mail because I needed to know then and there what I had to do. That way it was done immediately, so it was something I needed to take care of straightaway so I did it by phone but it depends I think on the urgency of it’

‘They won't talk to you unless you write a letter’

‘Some people do, some people will endeavour to get back to you within 48 hours, but it would be good to have that as a blanket across government departments so that if you did contact them, you know that somebody’s received it, you know they’re looking at it and you know within what timeframe it will be for them to get back to you.’

6.2.3 Finding specific information

Nine in ten (88%) of those who used government services were satisfied with the ease of finding specific information, a similar result to 2008 (88%).

The type of channel used to contact government reveals differences in the levels of satisfaction with ease of finding specific information, though satisfaction is high for all channels. Respondents who used the internet to contact government are the most likely to be satisfied (91%), followed by in‑person (88%) and telephone (87%). Those who used mail continue to be the least likely to be satisfied (78%).

The type of transaction has minimal impact on the satisfaction level with ease of finding specific information, with similar findings in 2009 as reported in 2008. There was also no difference in satisfaction scores when considering the level of government contacted.

Focus group participants noted that when they needed specific information they would often make contact in person or by phone as locating specific information on the internet was often difficult. They also said that it was sometimes difficult to know where to look.

‘We’d Google first and we went and put the [key words]... got nowhere near it.  It was really surprising. It was just a very interesting experience to find something like that so difficult just to Google.’

 ‘I just find (using the website) a little bit of a waste of time when I can, you know, I can just get all that information in a quick phone call.’ 

‘Basically just because I get the information that I need and I can ask the questions that I need as opposed to searching for information, finding out what heading it’s under and stuff like that.’

6.2.4 Ease of using the service

Nine in ten (90%) people who contacted government are satisfied with the ease of using the service. This is a similar level of satisfaction to 2008 (91%).

The channel used to contact government does have an impact on satisfaction with ease of using the service. As in 2008, nearly all of those using the internet to contact government (94%) were satisfied. This is closely followed by satisfaction levels for those contacting government in person (91%) and those using the telephone (88%). The satisfaction levels for those contacting government by mail remains lower with over four in five (83%) satisfied.

While the level of satisfaction with the ease of using the service is very high, focus group participants raised a range of concerns, particularly with ease of use for particular groups and individuals.

 ‘Assistance with … the elderly or people that are visually impaired are not going to have a good time on the internet that's just a given…’

‘It wasn't very user friendly.  I work in IT and I found it quite difficult to navigate through a page.’

‘Too many usernames and too many passwords it’s just so difficult.’

6.3 Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction levels for contact with government have not changed from 2008 and are relatively low with one in ten people indicating dissatisfaction with:

• the outcome (11%)
• the ease of using the service (8%)
• the ease of finding information (9%).

As in 2008, the largest cause of dissatisfaction (11%) is the length of time taken to receive a reply. This was particularly the case for those contacting the government by telephone (21%), and those using mail (19%).

The level of dissatisfaction varies depending on the service delivery channel used. In 2009, those who used the internet or contacted government in person are, overall, least likely to be dissatisfied. Those who used the telephone or mail are consistently the most likely to be dissatisfied.

The most problematic issue for those using the telephone or mail to contact government is the time spent waiting for a reply (21% for telephone, and 18% for mail) and to a lesser extent, the outcome of their contact (15%, and 14% respectively).

Figure 31 Dissatisfaction by service delivery channel used to contact government 2007‑2008

	Internet		Telephone		In-person		Mail
Reason for dissatisfaction	2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009	2008	2009
	%
Outcome	7	7	15	15	8	9	15	14
Wait for reply*	8	8	19	21	12	13	20	18
Ease of finding specific information	8	8	10	11	8	7	10	10
Ease of using service	5	5	12	11	7	8	13	12

Q9B-E. How satisfied were you with……
Q4. Thinking of this most recent contact, did you do this….?
Q5. Which was the MAIN method of contact?
Base 2009: Respondents’ most recent contact using the internet (n=1211); telephone (n=965); in‑person (n=1178); mail (n=241); *except for ‘wait for reply’, which excludes where no reply was required: internet (n=791); telephone (n=874); in‑person (n=967); mail (n=193)

6.3.1 Overall reasons for dissatisfaction

The main reasons for overall dissatisfaction with contact with government have not changed from 2008. The key reasons again are customer service and usability related. Access was also a reason cited for dissatisfaction.

Customer service—Over three in five (63%) of those who were dissatisfied with their most recent contact with government mentioned at least one customer service issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically:

• One in three (32%) of those who were dissatisfied felt they had to wait too long to be served.
• One in ten (9%) felt the person they dealt with did not understand the issue, or that their issue was not resolved.
• A small group (8%) believed they were given incorrect advice.
• Eight per cent felt that they did not receive the desired response. 

Usability—One in four (25%) mentioned at least one usability issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Depending on the channel used to contact government, the reasons reported were either ‘telephone usability’ (11%) or ‘website usability’ (14%).

Access—One in ten (10%) mentioned an access issue as a reason for being dissatisfied. For 8%, a reason for their dissatisfaction was that they could not complete their enquiry by telephone.

Focus group comments about the areas of frustration and dissatisfaction when contacting government by internet or telephone included:

Accessing services

‘The assumption is that everyone has quick and easy access to the internet when that's really not a reality.  With a telephone if you're desperate you can go to a payphone and ring up and ring the [the government agency] from a payphone.  There's no equivalent in the digital realm.  You can't just log on; if I had to log on right now somewhere I wouldn't know where to go, I’d have to get home and deal with issues that apply there.’

Accessing information

‘That can be a bit of a problem with some of the government things like just trying to download it, open it and being able to read it, or it might only be a read‑only and you can't print it or send anything with it.’

Customer service

‘They should have a focus on customer service and they should also understand, [the government agency] is such a huge organisation, so many people access it, they need to staff it accordingly.  They need to have enough staff to answer the phones.

I think that exacerbates the problem because by the time you’ve waited on the phone for however long, and it can be a long, long time, you’re uptight the minute you get on the phone aren’t you?'

6.3.2 Dissatisfaction with the internet

The main reasons for dissatisfaction for those who used the internet to contact government are customer service, website usability, and website content.

Customer service—Two in five (39%) mentioned at least one customer service issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically, one in five (18%) felt they had waited too long to receive a reply.

Website usability—A quarter (25%) of those dissatisfied with contact by internet mentioned at least one website usability issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically, one in seven (14%) experienced website navigation difficulties.

Website content—One in seven (13%) mentioned at least one website content issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

Focus group participants described a range of experiences in dealing with difficult websites.  In particular they raised the issue of having difficulty finding information which they are looking for and of understanding the language used by some government websites.

‘I just go, I just type and type and keep looking until I find something relevant and if I don’t I just get annoyed.’

‘if you don’t know exactly where to look you are kind of lost’

‘I would have been beating around the bush had I tried to work it on the net.’

6.3.3 Dissatisfaction with the telephone

The main reasons for dissatisfaction for those who used the telephone to contact government are customer service, access and telephone usability.

Customer service—Three in four (73%) mentioned at least one customer service issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically:

• Thirty‑eight per cent felt they had to wait too long for an answer. Thirteen per cent felt that the person did not understand the issue and one in ten (11%) felt they were transferred too many times.

Access—One in six (16%) mentioned at least one access issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

Telephone usability—One in five (20%) mentioned at least one usability issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically, 9% found the automated menu too complicated, and 8% were dissatisfied that they couldn’t talk to a real person, or had to do use automated answering.

Focus group participants talked extensively about issues with the telephone. They frequently raised concerns about being transferred numerous times, navigating automated systems, and not knowing where the person they were talking to was based.

 ‘You ring up somebody, just a minute please, what do you want? Press so and so, press so and so.  Half an hour later, you’re still pressing numbers to try and get to talk.  All I want to do is talk to somebody.’

 ‘You ring half a dozen times and each time you get, we are experiencing long delays perhaps you would be better to ring later.  So you ring later and they still, the delays are still the same and that’s frustrating.’

‘On the phone, because we’re on the menu system; transferred from one department to another, put you on hold, wait, wait, wait.  If I am coming in to town I prefer to do things on the spot here.’

6.3.4 Dissatisfaction with in-person contact

The main reasons for dissatisfaction for those who contacted government in person relate to customer service and access.

Customer service—Seven in ten (72%) mentioned at least one customer service issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction. Specifically, two in five (39%) felt they had to wait too long to be served and a further 12% did not think the person understood the issue.

Access—A small group (8%) mentioned at least one access issue as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

6.3.5 Dissatisfaction with mail contact

The number of people expressing dissatisfaction with contact by mail was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of the reasons.

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