SATISFACTION
SURVEY OF SERVICE REQUESTS IN THE CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS MOSQUITO CONTROL
PROJECT SERVICE AREA – 2008
TIMOTHY D. DESCHAMPS, Executive Director
Central Mass.
Mosquito Control Project
111 Otis Street
Northborough, Massachusetts 01532
ABSTRACT
Residents of our
service area request service from the menu of services offered to them by
CMMCP. Requests for adulticiding (spraying) and larval control are the most
common forms of service requests we receive. We accepts request for service
through a variety of means, primarily by telephone, but increasing more by the
online service request form from the CMMCP website. Additional methods include
personal visits to our office, phone calls on behalf of residents from town
and/or state officials, and direct requests to our field staff. The CMMCP
Commission requested a survey of resident who requested service in 2008 to
determine if our staff was meeting acceptable levels of customer satisfaction.
This is the same survey that was done in 2005 and 2007. After compiling these
results, we find that a majority of residents in our service area were
satisfied with our control efforts and methods, which mirrors our results from
previous years.
SURVEY
METHODOLOGY
In 2008 we received
10,650 requests for service, ranging from adulticiding to larval control. 5,088
adulticiding calls were filtered (multiples removed) and placed into a separate
database. Service calls were sorted according to town, and each town was
tabulated for total requests received in 2008. These towns were then graphed to
show which towns had the most calls. Each town was assigned a percentage
according to this data. This percentage would determine the number of postcards
sent to each town from the overall total. The CMMCP Commission decided that
1,000 postcards would be a representative sample of the service calls received
this year. The survey was designed to be as easy as possible for residents to
access and complete. An online survey was created, and the postcards would
include unique identifiers that the residents would use. The postcards
contained a blind weblink to the survey so that unauthorized users would not be
able to participate in the survey. Information such as how they contacted us,
were the office and field staff helpful and informative, how long did they wait
for service, was the service provided effective, and their overall satisfaction
was measured. This study uses the same methodology as the two previous resident
surveys.
SURVEY FINDINGS
From
1,000 postcards mailed, 224 responses were received (22.4%). The results are as
follows:
1).
In your most recent experience, how did you contact the
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Telephone |
115 |
52% |
|
Website |
100 |
45.2% |
|
In person |
1 |
0.5% |
|
Other* |
5 |
2.3% |
|
Total |
221 |
100% |
2).
If by telephone or in person at the CMMCP office, were your questions or
concerns answered to your satisfaction?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
113 |
96.6% |
|
No |
4 |
3.4% |
|
Total |
117 |
100% |
|
|
|
|
3).
If by telephone, did you experience difficulty reaching our staff?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
11 |
9.2% |
|
No |
109 |
90.8% |
|
Total |
120 |
100% |
4).
If through the website or e-mail, did you find the information you needed in a
satisfactory manner?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
113 |
100% |
|
No |
0 |
0% |
|
Total |
113 |
100% |
5).
Please give the approximate time you waited for service from your initial
request:
NOTE: 94.9% within a week or less
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
1-3 days |
100 |
45.2% |
|
3-5 days |
56 |
25.3% |
|
1 week |
54 |
24.4% |
|
2 weeks+ |
11 |
5.1% |
|
Total |
221 |
100% |
6).
Did you find our response from your initial request to when you received
service within a reasonable amount of time?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
213 |
96.4% |
|
No |
8 |
3.6% |
|
Total |
221 |
100% |
7).
When you received service, did our field representative appear knowledgeable
and competent about his/her profession?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
204 |
95.8% |
|
No |
9 |
4.2% |
|
Total |
213 |
100% |
8).
Were your questions and concerns answered by the Technician to your
satisfaction?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
199 |
94.8% |
|
No |
11 |
5.2% |
|
Total |
210 |
100% |
9).
Did you receive any written information (pamphlets, etc.) from our
representative?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
112 |
51.9% |
|
No |
104 |
48.1% |
|
Total |
216 |
100% |
10).
Did you find this information useful?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
111 |
60% |
|
No |
2 |
1.1% |
|
Did not receive |
72 |
38.9% |
|
Total |
185 |
100% |
11).
Did you request service more than once in 2008?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
108 |
49.1% |
|
No |
112 |
50.9% |
|
Total |
220 |
100% |
12).
If you requested additional service in 2008, was it because the original
application was insufficient to meet your needs, or for a later re-treatment or
follow up?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Re-treatment |
101 |
81.5% |
|
Insufficient |
23 |
18.5% |
|
Total |
124 |
100% |
13).
Would you/did you recommend our service to others in the future?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
216 |
97.7% |
|
No |
5 |
2.3% |
|
Total |
221 |
100% |
14).
In your opinion, did our application made your area better, worse, or had no
effect?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Better |
185 |
85.3% |
|
Worse |
0 |
0% |
|
No Effect |
32 |
14.7% |
|
Total |
217 |
100% |
15).
If you think your area improved, can you give an approximate length of time you
experienced relief from mosquito annoyance?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
1-2 days |
31 |
16.9% |
|
3-5 days |
29 |
15.8% |
|
1 week |
48 |
26.2% |
|
2 weeks+ |
75 |
41% |
|
Total |
183 |
100% |
NOTE: 67% experienced at least a week of
relief, nearly 1/2 report more than 2 weeks of relief
16). On average, our services cost $2.00 – $4.00
per person each year (withheld from local aid rec’d from the State). In
your opinion, is this amount too high, too low, or sufficient?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Sufficient |
179 |
83.3% |
|
Too Low |
35 |
16.3% |
|
Too High |
1 |
0.5% |
|
Total |
215 |
100% |
17).
In which month or months do you recall receiving service?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
June |
58 |
26.7% |
|
July |
54 |
24.9% |
|
August |
37 |
17.1% |
|
1+ |
68 |
31.3% |
|
Total |
217 |
100% |
18).
Overall, are you happy with the service provided this year by CMMCP?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
202 |
91.8% |
|
No |
18 |
8.2% |
|
Total |
220 |
100% |
19).
Do you plan on using our service again in the future?
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
Yes |
219 |
99.1% |
|
No |
2 |
0.9% |
|
Total |
221 |
100% |
Please rate our
performance for 2008 from 0 to 5, where 5 is the best rating, 0 is the worst
rating:
|
QUESTION |
POINTS |
AVERAGE |
|
The information you received over the
phone was informative & helpful |
682 points from 760 |
4.5 average from 5 |
|
The information on our website is easily
available and helpful |
849 points from 925 |
4.6 average from 5 |
|
The response time for service is
reasonable |
1,001 points out of 1,080 |
4.6 average from 5 |
|
Our field staff that responded is
knowledgeable and competent |
968 points out of 1,035 |
4.7 average from 5 |
|
The service provided was effective |
880 points out of 1,070 |
4.1 average from 5 |
|
This service is reasonable compared to
the cost |
986 points out of 1,055 |
4.7 average from 5 |
|
Please rate your overall satisfaction
with the service received in 2008 |
969 points out of 1,065 |
4.5 average from 5 |
|
Total satisfaction rating: 6,335 points out of 6,990
possible – 4.53 average |
||
CONCLUSION
Overall
satisfaction was 91.8%, and 99.1% would use our services again in the future.
One weakness identified in this study is that only 51.8% of the residents polled
recalled receiving our written information. The importance of public education
and outreach will be stressed to all CMMCP personnel in 2009. We will also
continue to explore options regarding our phone system, and push the website as
a viable solution for sending and receiving service requests.
OVERALL SATISFACTION – WERE YOU
HAPPY W/SERVICE?