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Measuring and managing success
Local government: Building consents - problems reduce and
satisfaction improves
Paul Linnell
Although building consent and inspection services continue
to place significant demands on local councils, we are
seeing evidence that the investment made by some councils
during the past few years to improve service has begun to
pay-off.
Since 2007, our annual customer experience study of building
consents and inspection services in New Zealand has been
helping participating councils identify sources of customer
dissatisfaction and set service improvement priorities.
The study has helped participating councils to almost halve
the percentage of customers who experience problems with the
building consent process and shows that customer
satisfaction at participating councils has improved at more
than twice the rate of other councils.
Customer Satisfaction
For participating
councils, the average index of overall customer satisfaction
shows an improvement of 23 index points since 2007.
Responses from customers of other councils, suggest that
their service improvement initiatives may now be falling
behind.
Problem Experience
Amongst councils that have participated in the annual study
there has been an average reduction in problems of 33
percentage points since 2007. However, responses from
customers of other councils suggest that the steady
reduction of problems seen between 2008 and 2009 might now
be drifting upwards again.
Even though I would like to believe it was CTMA's study that
has been making the difference, full credit should go to the
councils involved. It is their concern for their
customers that has led to their participation and their
efforts to improve service that has brought these positive
results.
A paper is available summarising the finding of this annual
study and has been updated with finding from 2010.
The study runs from September to November each year.
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