Transcript Improving the Respondent Experience in the United Kingdom Julie Curzon/Debra Prestwood UK Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Improving the
Respondent Experience
in the United Kingdom
Julie Curzon/Debra Prestwood
UK Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Overview
• The aim of this programme of work
• Our strategy and why we need to do this
• Research findings and feedback from respondents
• Communication initiatives and what we hope to achieve
• Results of cognitive testing and evaluation
• Concluding comments and next steps
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The aim of this programme of work
Our overall aim is to:
• Improve the respondent experience when dealing
with ONS
We want to:
• Identify and implement measures to help respondents
complete ONS business surveys
• Help them understand why supplying their information
is important, what it is used for and how ONS data can
help their business.
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Our Respondent Strategy
ONS developed a Respondent Strategy
Identified 3 key principles:
• Provide more choice
• Minimise impact
• Improve how we communicate
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Why are we doing this?
• The economic climate and resultant pressure on
respondents
• Risk of losing goodwill and impact on response rates
• To maintain quality of our outputs
• Reduce failure demand activity
• Maintain ONS reputation within the business community
• Respondent feedback
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Research findings (1)
Respondents wanted more information:
• About the survey organisation
• On why the survey is being conducted
• On the use of the statistical outputs
• Clarity on when and how to respond and their legal
obligation
• How we maintain confidentiality of their information
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Research findings (2)
Respondents also wanted:
• Links to the web page where the relevant outputs
were published
• To know how important their data are
Survey
Statistics
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What have we been doing to improve
business survey communication?
• Created a dedicated front line team dealing with incoming and
outgoing respondent calls – a central point of contact.
• Developed a Charter for Business Survey Respondents
• Designed a database specifically for collecting respondent feedback
• Developed respondent information pages on the ONS website
• Standardising written communication e.g. re-designed questionnaire
front pages and newly selected flyers
• Piloted use of e-mail for response chasing
• Introduced a continuous programme of quality assuring telephone 8
conversations with respondents
What did we hope to achieve?
• a reduction in response chasing calls
• a reduction in calls to the Respondent Relations
Team seeking advice on relatively basic issues
• encourage a more timely response
• improve response rates and therefore the statistics
we produce
• reduce respondent burden and improve the
respondent experience of ONS
• increase the credibility of ONS business surveys i.e.
build trust, promote a consistent and corporate image
of ONS
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Respondent Feedback Database
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Feedback on selection in 2013
Top 5 surveys
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Selection - How?
Selection - Why?
Selection How long?
ABI/2 (Non-Production)
Construction Output and Employment Survey
Financial Institutions Proving Survey
MBS
RSI
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Top 5 issues in top 5 surveys
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Examples of improvements .....
• Respondent Information pages on website
• Questionnaire front page developments
• Newly sampled business information flyer
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PROPOSED
CURRENT STYLE
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Slide 17
Clear message
that compliance
is required
Survey purpose paragraph added (if
not already present). The paragraph
should:
•Provide respondents with
information on the concrete use of
the statistical output;
•Provide respondents with a link to
the page where the relevant outputs
are published;
•Emphasise how important the
respondent’s data are (simply adding
the words ‘imperative’ or ‘are key in
contributing to....’ can alter the style
and tone of the existing paragraph);
•Emphasise that it is their data that is
used to produce key outputs (minor
change to language e.g. many of the
survey purpose paragraphs start with
the words ‘The information supplied
is used to estimate....’ when changing
it to ‘the information you supplied is
used to estimate...’ would be much
better).
More visible
deadline date
Guidance will be provided
on how to write these
paragraphs, but we are also
providing example
paragraphs for surveys, and
definitions of measures
such as GDP, RSI etc
More information on
confidentiality – a key
concern for respondents
Contact details moved to
one place so less clutter
& easier to find
BIG PROGRESS!.Addition of
new user friendly URL to take
respondents to respondent
FAQ web pages – hopefully
reducing unnecessary calls to
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RR. Have never been
able to
include this URL before!
Newly Selected Flyer
Old
New
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Results of cognitive testing on the
changes
Cognitive testing revealed that respondents…………
• had an improved understanding of who ONS is and what the data is
used for
• were reassured that the survey request is legitimate and their response
was legally required
• understood the nature of the survey request and what to do next
• had a basic understanding of why their business was selected to take
part in the survey
• located the return date easily; were clear about when the questionnaire
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should be returned; easily identified contact information
Other findings
Importantly, the changes we have introduced have not
had any detrimental affect on response
• Decrease in volume of incoming calls
• Response rates increased
• More timely response
• We recognise one size does not fit all
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What next?
• A survey calendar that gives respondents an indication of
when they can expect to receive a survey
• Introduce more survey specific FAQs on Web
• Roll out the new questionnaire front page and flyer across
further business surveys
• Improve customer service by developing coaching
workshops on dealing with difficult conversations
• Launch of podcast through social media
• Explore how we can provide personalised statistical
feedback
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Conclusion
• We have taken a practical approach so far and are
encouraged that we seem to be on the right track
• We recognise there is much more to do
• We will continue to explore how we can improve the
experience and balance the needs of business
survey respondents and statistical users through
learning and work sharing with international
colleagues.
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Questions
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