Environmental Health Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Mon, 04/30/2018 - 11:40 -- jgoodern

For those that have done customer satisifaction surveys within their environmental health programs, what have your experiences been like (reception to completing the survey, typical responses, etc)? Also what distribution methods have you found to be most successful? We are preparing to roll out our customer satisfaction survey agency wide and our EH department is anxious about how this is going to play out. They have concerns about surveying places they regulate (like restaurants).  I'm looking for real world testimonials I can share to help ease them into the process.

Thanks in advance,

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Marianne Shawley's picture
Submitted by Marianne Shawley on

When I was working at a local health department, we tried many ideas to solicit feedback from EH clients, including email link to survey and QR codes.  We finally found success by handing the client a survey after their inspection with an envelope they could place it in and seal.  All responses were returned in the sealed envelope to the PM Coordinator, who entered them into survey software manually.  We used the same method for other programs where the client was seen in the home, such as Help Me Grow.

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Marianne K. Shawley
QI/Accreditation Coordinator
Henry County Health Department
mshawley@henrycohd.org

jmenchhofer's picture
Submitted by jmenchhofer on

Our experience here has been very simliar to Marianne's above.  I've tried the e-mail link and QR code route in two different health departments where I've worked, and I've been disappointed in the results both times.  During our last round of client surveys the EH division distributed paper surveys with return envelopes, just as Marianne described.  This was done as part of a QI project to increase our survey response rate, and it worked out very well.  Now if we could just get people to provide some actionable feedback when they complete their surveys...

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Jason Menchhofer, R.S.
Sanitarian/Accreditation Coordinator
Mercer County Health District
Celina, OH
jmenchhofer@mchdohio.org
mchdohio.org

Submitted by jgoodern on

Thank you both for your responses. Good to know old fashioned paper surveys in envelopes worked well in both cases. I agree receiving actionable feedback will be an issue, especially with the general questions we are asking. The staff are concerned that owners that have been given a negative report will be retaliatory by being overly negative on the surveys. Have you found this to be true? I try to reassure them that most people that fill out surveys are complimentary.

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Submitted by jillbruns on

Our environmental health specialists were also skeptical.  They handed out the surveys after inspections, with a self-addressed envelope.  The return rate was about 50%.  They were validated in the positive ratings and written responses.  The goal of our program is safe food and lodging, not to "catch" them doing wrong, but to teach and promote good practices that become every day habits.  The surveys gave us insight about how clients value the extra time, explaining the rationale for the rules and how to comply. 

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Submitted by jgoodern on

Thank you for your response Jill Bruns and for sharing your resources! Your program report is very nice!

 

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Submitted by bryn.manzella@j... on

At the Jefferson County Department of Health in Birmingham, Alabama, we have had great success with having the front desk staff in Environmental Health introduce, provide and request collection of paper based customer satisfaction surveys. The front desk staff are often the first person customers have a conversation with and serve as gatekeepers at some level to the needed services. A locked box is provided where customers return completed surveys.

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Bryn Manzella, MPH
Director of Quality Improvement
Jefferson County Department of Health
1400 6th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233
205-930-1578
bryn.manzella@jcdh.org