Development of indicators on consumer satisfaction and Pilot survey

Development of indicators on consumer satisfaction and Pilot survey 1. Introduction 1.1 Background to this assignment

Project for the European Commission Directorate General on Health and Consumer Protection Development of indicators on consumer satisfaction and Pilot survey Contract n° B5-1000/03/000382 FINAL REPORT February, 2005 © Communautés européennes, 2005 This report was produced by a joint team INRA and Deloitte & Touche for DG Health & Consumer Protection and represents the views of the contractor or author These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or DG Health & Consumer Protection's views The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof Table of Contents Introduction 1.1 Background to this assignment _ 1.1.1 The EU consumer policy _ 1.1.2 Policy-makers need information _ 1.2 Scope of the assignment 1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.2.5 Main objectives and expected outcomes _ Policy-making needs Geographical coverage _ Sector coverage Additional requirements 2 3 1.3 Methodology adopted _ 1.3.1 1.3.2 1.3.3 1.3.4 1.3.5 1.3.6 1.3.7 1.3.8 1.3.9 Overview _ Clarification of objectives and requirements Desk research Organisation of focus group discussions _ Model development _ Questionnaire design Conducting a Pilot survey Statistical analysis of the Pilot survey data _ Development of final guidelines 5 6 7 8 The measurement of consumer satisfaction 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Concepts and definitions 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 Consumers Consumer satisfaction 10 Manifest and latent variables _ 11 Indicators and indexes 14 2.3 The development of national customer satisfaction indexes 15 2.3.1 General concept and origin 15 2.3.2 The American Customer Satisfaction Index and related approaches 15 2.3.3 The European Consumer Satisfaction Index _ 17 2.4 Development of a provisional model 18 2.4.1 Conceptual model _ 18 2.4.2 Overview of the variables for the provisional model _ 20 2.4.3 Main differences from other models _ 22 2.5 Discussion of the variables included in the provisional model _ 22 2.5.1 2.5.2 2.5.3 2.5.4 2.5.5 2.5.6 2.5.7 2.5.8 2.5.9 (Perceived) Quality _ (Perceived) Pricing _ Image _ Market and personal factors _ Consumer expectations _ Complaint behaviour _ Alternatives and substitutes Trust and commitment Overall consumer satisfaction 22 24 25 26 27 30 31 31 33 The Pilot survey 34 3.1 Questionnaire 34 3.1.1 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4 Design of the questionnaire Structure of the questionnaire Contents of the questionnaire Rating scales _ 34 34 35 41 3.2 Sampling plan _ 41 3.2.1 Objective 41 3.2.2 Sample 41 3.3 Fieldwork and timing 42 The analysis and validation of the model 43 4.1 Consistency of the proposed model - Reliability and manifest variables analysis _ 43 4.1.1 The method: Cronbach’s alpha _ 43 4.1.2 Results 44 4.2 Direct versus indirect measurement of expectations 46 4.2.1 Disconfirmation theory 46 4.2.2 Indirect measurement 46 4.2.3 Results: (dis)confirmation versus overall satisfaction 47 4.3 Data Modelling Process 48 4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3 4.3.4 4.3.5 4.3.6 The method: SEM _ Why SEM? _ The modelling process Results A consumer satisfaction index Conclusions 48 50 50 52 56 57 Consumer Satisfaction Survey – Guidelines for implementation 58 5.1 Context and objectives _ 58 5.2 Consumer satisfaction survey - Technical parameters _ 58 5.2.1 Geographical coverage and target population 5.2.2 Interview technique 5.2.3 Sample 5.2.4 Final questionnaire _ 5.2.5 Research plan _ Research plan – CATI long questionnaire _ Research plan – CATI short questionnaire Research plan – Face-to-face Ad hoc 58 59 61 62 63 63 63 63 5.3 Consumer satisfaction survey – Indicators _ 64 5.3.1 Standard analyses and reports _ 64 5.3.2 Analyses based on the model 69 5.3.3 Other considerations _ 71 Annex1 Selected bibliography and sources used 72 Annex Overview of the results from the focus group discussions 75 Annex Questionnaire survey used for the Pilot survey 97 Introduction 1.1 Background to this assignment 1.1.1 The EU consumer policy In its ‘Consumer Policy Strategy 2002-2006’1, the European Commission states that the development of a consumer policy at European Union (EU) level is the essential corollary of the progressive establishment of the internal market Indeed, the free circulation of goods and services requires the adoption of common, or at least convergent, rules to ensure both sufficient protection of consumer interests, and the elimination of regulatory obstacles and competitive distortions The EU consumer policy includes the following areas of concern: o A number of safety, economic and legal issues relevant to consumers in the internal market place, and consumer information and education Products and services placed on the internal market should be safe Consumers should receive adequate and relevant information in order to make appropriate choices Consumers should also be protected from abusive practices o A coherent and common environment that will ensure that consumers are confident in shopping across borders throughout the EU Consumers should have comparable opportunities to benefit fully from the potential of the internal market in terms of greater choice, lower prices, and the access to and affordability of essential services o Ensuring that internal market rules and practices promote consumer confidence in cross-border transactions Barriers to cross-border trade should therefore be overcome 1.1.2 Policy-makers need information In its strategy paper, the Commission underlined the need for consumer policy to be backed by relevant information and data, in order to adjust policies and set the appropriate priorities It stated that a more comprehensive, systematic and continuous effort is needed to develop a suitable knowledge base as an essential tool for policy-makers The development of indicators on consumer satisfaction is mentioned explicitly as one of the key actions needed to expand this knowledge base and to improve the quality of consumer policies The Commission, through its Directorate General on Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO), has already undertaken preliminary initiatives to gauge the degree of ‘satisfaction’ of consumers These initiatives include the EUROBAROMETER and focus groups Now the time has come to develop a more rigorous policy tool, in the form of a set of consumer satisfaction indicators To achieve this objective, as a first step the Commission launched a call for tenders for the development of a European set of indicators for consumer satisfaction and for the launch of a Pilot survey The assignment was awarded to a joint team of INRA Europe and Deloitte This report presents the final results of this assignment2 COM (2002) 208 of May 2002 Preliminary research results and a more comprehensive discussion of the components of consumer satisfaction have already been reported to the Commission within the first and second interim reports Only a synthesis of these elements is reported in this final report Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 1.2 Scope of the assignment 1.2.1 Main objectives and expected outcomes The first objective of the assignment was to develop a methodology for the construction of consumer satisfaction indicators in the European Union This methodology should be practical and have a sound scientific basis, reflecting recent research insights into consumer satisfaction and its measurement The second objective was to develop and conduct a Pilot survey, based on the proposed methodology The purpose of this Pilot survey was to test the methodology and its underlying modelling, and to propose a preliminary set of indicators Both objectives were interlinked The analysis of the Pilot survey’s outcomes was expected to indicate some adaptations to the methodology developed in the first stage The report was also intended to include an appropriate survey framework (i.e questionnaires, population and sampling, survey methods, etc.), a proposal for the statistical methods to be used, and methods for calculating and visualising the consumer satisfaction indicators 1.2.2 Policy-making needs There are many ways of designing indicators Within this assignment, a key criterion was that the indicators should be designed in such a way that they are helpful in European consumer policy-making More specifically, the set of consumer satisfaction indicators to be developed was meant to enable the European Commission to: • understand how consumers perceive certain markets, what their main requirements are, and how key service areas meet their expectations • identify priorities for improvements, i.e the areas where improvements will produce the greatest gain in consumer satisfaction • benchmark performance amongst EU countries within particular sectors • benchmark sectors’ performance within a specific country or at the EU level • set goals for improvement and monitor progress Ideally, the indicators should become a reference tool for European policy-makers, allowing them to gauge overall consumer satisfaction levels and to measure the specific elements that determine satisfaction levels in individual areas The indicators should also provide signals of whether the internal market is functioning properly and whether corrective regulatory or enforcement measures need to be taken Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 1.2.3 Geographical coverage The original specification within the tender (issued for the first time in 2002) was targeted at the former composition of the EU, covering the 15 countries that were then members The Pilot survey initially foreseen in the proposal of the contractors covered these countries During the assignment the Commission and the contractors agreed to modify the original work programme, to ensure that the proposed consumer satisfaction indicators would be applicable to the new EU members (e.g to avoid ignoring factors that are of particular importance in these countries) This led to some changes in the initial research approach and in the sample of countries used in the Pilot survey 1.2.4 Sector coverage Some existing tools and surveys in certain countries, such as national customer satisfaction indexes (see next chapter), produce ‘overall’ indicators of consumer satisfaction, relating to the economy as a whole This was not the purpose of this assignment Rather, the Commission was interested in the construction of indicators that covered a relatively small number of sectors in a rigorous and in-depth way The sectors to be included within the scope of this assignment were: • • • • • • • • • Utilities (gas, water, electricity)3 Postal services Mobile telephone Fixed telephone Urban transport (within town/cities: tram, bus, underground, rail/RER) Extra-urban transport (between town/cities: rail, bus) Air transport Retail banking (retail financial services for individual consumers) Insurance Extension to other (and possibly all) sectors of the economy could be envisaged at a later stage, but was not part of the assignment Care has been taken, nevertheless, that such possible extensions at a later stage would not be jeopardised In summary, the indicator set should allow meaningful comparisons of how consumers feel (a) across sectors in one Member State; (b) in one sector across Member States; (c) over time Following the outcomes of the focus groups, it was decided in common agreement with the Commission, that the sector Utilities (gas, water, electricity) was to be represented by one of its components in the Pilot Survey This was necessary in order to respect the 20 minutes’ duration of the interview The electricity sector was selected for the pilot survey However, the model that was developed remains applicable to all three sectors Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 1.2.5 Additional requirements When developing the tools and methodology, the following considerations were also kept in mind: o The methodology should be powerful as well as practical and easy to use at a reasonable cost This means that some trade-offs have to be made • A ‘perfect’ model for measuring consumer satisfaction would take into account all possible factors for a given sector Such a model may be complete, but it also risks becoming irrelevant from a practical point of view Indeed, the questionnaire surveys that are required to feed data into a complex model might be so cumbersome and time-consuming that it is no longer feasible to undertake the survey • A ‘perfect’ model for one sector will be different from that for another sector This means that comparability will be lost Such a model could also quickly become outdated, as new changes in the sector would require continuous adaptation Therefore, a less perfect model may be preferable if it allows greater comparability between sectors and is more robust against changes over time There is thus no point in merely constructing a methodology for consumer satisfaction measurement that is ‘perfect’, if it would not be economically feasible to undertake the surveys o Consumer satisfaction is not something static, but evolves dynamically with the environment For instance, satisfaction is strongly related to expectations, and in a period of economic downturn (or in regions that are declining), people tend to lower their expectations Such considerations should also be built into the survey methodology, to ensure that the results remain reliable and useful over time The model should allow adaptation at a later stage, if this is necessary 1.3 Methodology adopted 1.3.1 Overview INRA and Deloitte have undertaken a range of activities and applied several methodologies, in order to complete this assignment The key steps in the assignment were: o Clarification of objectives and requirements o Desk research o Organisation of focus group discussions o Model development o Questionnaire design o Conducting a Pilot survey o Statistical analysis of the survey data o Development of final guidelines On several occasions, inputs were obtained from experts in the field of customer satisfaction and statistical analyses, to ensure the validity of the proposals and findings Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 1.3.2 Clarification of objectives and requirements During the early stages of the assignment, the objectives and scope of the assignment were clearly identified The following elements were discussed with the Commission: o Purpose of the assignment o Type and nature of the indicators required o Need for comparability with other initiatives, such as ACSI or EPSI o ‘Consumer’ concept (as compared with ‘customer’) o Geographical coverage o Sector coverage o Characteristics of the Pilot survey This clarification of requirements mainly took place at the beginning of the assignment Some elements were discussed following the submission of the interim reports 1.3.3 Desk research A major desk research effort was undertaken The focus was on two main areas: o Existing (national) models and tools for consumer satisfaction indicators o Research results in relation to consumer behaviour and satisfaction measurement The existing national consumer satisfaction indices and their underlying methodologies and assumptions were analysed in depth4 This analysis allowed us to identify most of the factors that were likely to be related to consumer satisfaction, as well the way these factors have typically been aggregated into so-called ‘latent’ variables such as ‘quality’ At the same time, a literature survey was conducted on consumer satisfaction and its measurement The state of the art and recent research results were reviewed This was necessary to fully understand the current methodologies for consumer satisfaction measurement, and to be able to develop a robust and scientifically valid methodology that could incorporate the Commission’s requirements The full list of documents analysed is included in Annex of this report Thanks to the desk research activities, valuable insight was gained about past and current theories on consumer satisfaction measurement and the construction of indicators The desk research was mainly conducted in the period January–March 2004; it continued throughout the assignment A full description of several of these indicators was provided as an annex to the first interim report Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 1.3.4 Organisation of focus group discussions In the first phase of the assignment, eleven focus group discussions were organised in a number of different cities across Europe, including three in new EU countries5 The focus groups consisted of consumers that were representative of the population by sex, age and socio-cultural background The focus groups were led by a psychologist or psychologically trained moderator, who made sure that all topics were discussed, that all participants had a chance to express their thoughts and that views were widely exchanged The main purpose of these focus groups discussions was to get a clear picture of the most relevant factors for consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction This picture served as a complement, and partially a validation, of the results of our desk research The specific objectives of the focus groups were: o To develop a good understanding of what ‘consumer satisfaction’ and ‘consumer dissatisfaction’ really mean for European consumers (in relation to the sectors that were selected for the Pilot survey) o To identify the most relevant drivers of consumer satisfaction, both generally and in each of the sectors concerned o To assist in the development of a model for consumer satisfaction measurement, a model that could be applicable across sectors and countries The group dynamic of the focus groups yielded a rich inventory of opinions and attitudes The focus group outcomes helped to enrich and validate all the key manifest variables that had been identified throughout the desk research6 The focus group discussions took place in the period March–April 2004 1.3.5 Model development Based on the results of the desk research and the focus groups, we developed a ‘provisional’ and fairly comprehensive model for consumer satisfaction measurement The model is presented in the next chapter This model incorporates a long list of factors that are related to consumer satisfaction (e.g reliability, availability of staff, price transparency, respect of confidentiality, trust and so on), including some specific requirements of the Commission concerning its consumer policy (e.g cross-border purchasing) These factors, or ‘manifest variables’ 7, were grouped into higher level ‘constructs’ – the socalled ‘latent variables’ (e.g quality, price, image, market and personal factors), between which cause and effect relationships are assumed to exist (e.g ‘price’ affects ‘image’) Surveys undertaken on the basis of such a model allow the measurement of consumer satisfaction and also explain the main factors which contribute to it In Germany, France, and the UK, two focus group sessions were organised at different locations One focus group discussion was organised in Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic Detailed information about the outcomes of the focus group discussions were provided in the first interim report and its annexes The definition of “manifest” and “latent” variables will be discussed in the next chapter Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector FIXED TELEPHONE PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL IN CASE OF A MONOPOLISTIC MARKET SITUATION (SUPPLIER NAME) offers reasonable prices IN CASE OF A LIBERALISED MARKET SITUATION WITH MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special tariffs for specific target groups or for specific usage (e.g heavy users) PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 112 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector MOBILE PHONE QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, all the time, at any place in (YOUR COUNTRY) and abroad SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service; there are no health risks involved OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY (SUPPLIER NAME) respects my privacy and demonstrates discretion when dealing with delicate problems INFRASTRUCTURE They invest in maintaining and modernizing their infrastructure POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE It is very easy to buy new services from (SUPPLIER NAME) TRANSPORT COMFORT TRANSPORT NETWORK OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 113 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector MOBILE PHONE PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL IN CASE OF A MONOPOLISTIC MARKET SITUATION (SUPPLIER NAME) offers reasonable prices IN CASE OF A LIBERALISED MARKET SITUATION WITH MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special tariffs for specific target groups or for specific usage (e.g heavy users) PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 114 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector POSTAL SERVICES QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well: fast deliveries for letters and parcels, within (YOUR COUNTRY) and to other countries SAFETY OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY (SUPPLIER NAME) respects my privacy and demonstrates discretion when dealing with delicate problems INFRASTRUCTURE POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE It is very easy to buy new services from (SUPPLIER NAME) TRANSPORT COMFORT TRANSPORT NETWORK OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 115 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector POSTAL SERVICES PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL IN CASE OF A MONOPOLISTIC MARKET SITUATION (SUPPLIER NAME) offers reasonable prices IN CASE OF A LIBERALISED MARKET SITUATION WITH MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special offers PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 116 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector URBAN TRANSPORT QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, they are fast, punctual and have a good frequency SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service, in the evening as well OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT My supplier offers a high quality technical service when it comes to the maintenance of their network and vehicles QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY INFRASTRUCTURE They invest in maintaining and modernizing their infrastructure POINTS OF SALES They have a ticketing service near to you ORDER EASE It is very easy to buy services from (SUPPLIER NAME) TRANSPORT COMFORT They allow you to travel comfortably TRANSPORT NETWORK They offer a wide network of connections OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 117 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector URBAN TRANSPORT PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 PRICE LEVEL IN CASE OF A MONOPOLISTIC MARKET SITUATION (SUPPLIER NAME) offers reasonable prices IN CASE OF A LIBERALISED MARKET SITUATION WITH MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special tariffs for specific target groups (students, older people…) PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 118 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector EXTRA-URBAN TRANSPORT QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, they are punctual and fast, they offer good frequency SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service, in the evening as well OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT My supplier offers a high quality technical service when it comes to the maintenance of their network and vehicles QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY INFRASTRUCTURE They invest in maintaining and modernizing their infrastructure POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE It is very easy to buy services from (SUPPLIER NAME) TRANSPORT COMFORT They allow you to travel comfortably TRANSPORT NETWORK They offer a wide network of connections OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 119 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector EXTRA-URBAN TRANSPORT PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL IN CASE OF A MONOPOLISTIC MARKET SITUATION (SUPPLIER NAME) offers reasonable prices IN CASE OF A LIBERALISED MARKET SITUATION WITH MULTIPLE SUPPLIERS (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special tariffs for specific target groups (students, older people…) PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 120 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector AIR TRANSPORT QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, they are punctual and fast, they offer good frequency SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT My supplier offers a high quality technical service when it comes to the maintenance of their planes QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY (SUPPLIER NAME) respects my privacy and demonstrates discretion when dealing with delicate problems INFRASTRUCTURE They invest in maintaining and modernizing their planes POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE You can easily order your tickets TRANSPORT COMFORT They allow you to travel comfortably TRANSPORT NETWORK They offer a wide network of connections OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 121 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector AIR TRANSPORT PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special tariffs for specific target groups (students, older people…) PROFITABILITY TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 122 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector RETAIL BANKING QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, bank transactions are realised on time and accurately SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY They respect my privacy and demonstrate discretion when dealing with delicate problems INFRASTRUCTURE POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE You can easily order banking services TRANSPORT COMFORT TRANSPORT NETWORK OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 123 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector RETAIL BANKING PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special offers: for savings, for loans… PROFITABILITY Savings and investments generate reasonable profit and loans are offered at a good rate TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 124 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector INSURANCE QUALITY QL1 Next, we will discuss the quality of service of (SUPPLIER NAME) I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 10 11 12 13 14 15 RELIABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) offers a reliable service It works well, they offer good protection, compensations are realised on time and accurately SAFETY (SUPPLIER NAME) provides a safe service OFFER - RELEVANCE Their products/services fully meet my needs INFORMATION They inform me regularly and correctly TECHNICAL SUPPORT QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS HANDLING When contacting them for questions or problems, they react promptly and adequately AVAILABILITY They can always be reached when needed, at any time STAFF Their staff is professional, helpful and friendly CONFIDENTIALITY They respect my privacy and demonstrate discretion when dealing with delicate problems INFRASTRUCTURE POINTS OF SALES They have an agency near to you ORDER EASE You can easily order insurance services TRANSPORT COMFORT TRANSPORT NETWORK OVERALL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers high quality services, overall 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 125 EUROPEAN CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SERVICES Manifest variables by sector INSURANCE PRICE PR1 Let’s move on to pricing issues now Again, I will read out a number of statements and would like you to give me a score from to 10, with … • meaning that you TOTALLY DISAGREE • 10 meaning that you TOTALLY AGREE You can shade your answers by using the in-between scores RULES • THE TOP MANIFEST VARIABLES SHOULD CARRY THE SUPPLIER NAME • THE “OVERALL” STATEMENT ALWAYS COMES LAST AND CARRIES THE SUPPLIER NAME • RANDOMISE BETWEEN MANIFEST VARIABLES AND MANIFEST VARIABLES TOTALLY DISAGREE TOTALLY AGREE 1 PRICE LEVEL (SUPPLIER NAME) offers competitive prices TRANSPARENCY Tariffs and invoices are clear and easy to understand PAYMENT PROCESS It is very easy to pay their invoices AFFORDABILITY (SUPPLIER NAME) costs more than you can afford to pay ACCURACY Their invoices are correct COMMERCIAL OFFER They have attractive special offers, for specific insurances, for long-term clients… PROFITABILITY They make you participate to their profits TAXES Taxes for these services are too high OVERALL Overall, (SUPPLIER NAME)’s prices are fair, given the services provided 10 D N K 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 Version – 20July 2004 Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 126 ... reputation in the market, overall Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 39 MARKET AND PERSONAL FACTORS Question MPF1– Evaluation of market conditions and personal factors on. .. report and its annexes Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 15 Consumer Customer expectations Consumer Customer complaints Perceived value Consumer Customer satisfaction. .. organisation-related associations Development of consumer satisfaction indicators & Pilot survey 16 2.3.3 The European Consumer Satisfaction Index The ECSI initiative (European Consumer Satisfaction