HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991 - A Customer Service Survey for IFD ti
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CITY CLERK'S WFFI/WE
Ithaca, N.Y.
A Customer Service Survey for the
Ithaca, New York
Fire Department
Guy J. Van Benschoten
Assistant Fire Chief
Ithaca Fire Department
An applied research project submitted to the National Fire
Academy as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program.
October 1991
N.
ABSTRACT
Nationally, very few customer service studies of fire departments had ever been
undertaken. The purpose of this research was to conduct a customer service survey
of the Ithaca, NY Fire Department. The questions to be answered were:
1. What do the career members of the department perceive about fire
department customer service quality?
2. What do the elected legislative officials of the City & Town of Ithaca
perceive about fire department customer service quality?
3 . What does a random sample of the population perceive about fire department
customer service quality?
4 . What are the similarities or dissimilarites amongst the three groups?
Findings indicated that accessing the service system was difficult for the public.
Also, most external customers had never used a fire department service, but
thought the fire department did a good job and had the respect of the community.
Extremely few respondents had any idea at all of the cost of fire protection or
the manning level. Although a combination department, none of the random sample of
the public had a household member that was an active member of the department.
The recommendations of the research were to: implement a 911 system, cite the cost
effective value of fire department service, increase minimum manning of the
combination department from one firefighter to four firefighters per engine or
ladder, have the tax exempt universities charge a student fire service user fee,
and that nationally, further research in the area of fire service customer service
quality be undertaken.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
INTRODUCTION • 1
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE 1
LITERATURE REVIEW 2
Summary 6
PROCEDURES 7
Population 7
Instrumentation 7
Collection of data 9
Assumptions and limitations 10
RESULTS 11
DISCUSSION 15
RECOMMENDATIONS 20
REFERENCE LIST 22
APPENDIX A - Paulsgrove
Customer service flow chart model 25
APPENDIX B - The survey instrument 27
APPENDIX C - Graphic portrayal of survey results 34
1 1 1
INTRODUCTION
A study of customer service knowledge and attitudes of both
the user and provider groups did not exist for the Ithaca, New
York Fire Department. The purpose of this paper is to research the
question of customer service in the Ithaca Fire Department and to
determine what, if any, correlation exists between the user group
and the provider group. This study uses a descriptive research
methodology. The research questions to be answered are:
1 . What do career members of the Ithaca Fire Department
perceive about Fire Department customer service?
2 . What do the elected officials of the City & Town of
Ithaca perceive about Fire Department customer service?
3 . What does a random sample of the general population of
the City & Town of Ithaca perceive about Fire Department
customer service?
4 . What similarities or dissimilarites exist amongst the
three survey groups?
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
The National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program
(EFO) requires that original scholarly research be an integral
part of each of the four component courses in the EFO program.
Customer Service and the Ithaca, New York Fire Department is the
research topic for this paper. This research is important to the
1
fire service. it is important to the Ithaca Fire Department as a
tool to measure how effectively it is currently meeting the
public' s perception of what is good customer service, what are
areas of weakness in customer service, and what are misperceptions
in customer service. Determining the cost effectiveness of
customer service will allow the Fire Department to compete more
effectively in the budget process for funding appropriations.
Other fire departments similar to the Ithaca, New York Fire
Department may wish to replicate this study to measure the
customer service effectiveness of their own departments .
LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review for this paper contained two parts. The
first was a review regarding quality customer service in the
public sector. The second was a review of methods for conducting
and analyzing a random sample survey.
Although much has been written about quality customer service
in the private sector, only two definitive texts on public service
quality customer service were found, Ammonds (1984) and Voss,
Armistead, Johnston, & Morris (1985) . The Grading Schedule for
Municipal Fire Protection, Insurance Services Office (ISO) (1974)
may appear to some as the bible of customer service, but really it
is an actuary tool of the insurance industry to calculate fire
insurance premiums. No definitive study regarding the correlation
2
between ISO rating and fire service quality customer service has
been undertaken.
The wealth of literature on private sector quality customer
service does make some comment on the public sector. The chief
fire executive can draw analogies from the private sector and put
them to work in the public sector. The most cited concept is that
of Jan Carizon, president of SAS Airlines. Albrecht (1988) ,
Albrecht & Zemke (1985) , Disend (1991) , Desatnick (1987) , Lash
(1989) , Peters & Austin (1985) . Peters (1987) and Tschohl (1991)
all cite Carlzon' s moment of truth as one of the most important
facets of customer service. "A moment of truth, by Carlzon' s
definition is an episode in which a customer comes into contact
with any aspect of the company, however remote, and thereby has an
opportunity to form an impression. " Albrecht & Zemke (p. 29) .
Another facet of quality customer service is the paradigm of who
is viewing the quality service, a problem with using ISO as the
bible. Peters & Austin (1987) noted the concern regarding
providing top (perceived) quality, drawing the following analogy
from the private sector to the public:
Incidentally, the same caution holds in the public
as in the private sector. Quality is defined by the
customer' s perception of service delivery, not the
legislative parameters of a particular program.
Callousness or indifference in the delivery of an
3
inherently helpful service destroys much of its benefit.
(p.87)
A major concern is that most texts reference quality customer
service to the bottom line, Hanan & Karp (1989) "The satisfied
customer is the true bottom line. " (p. xi) Peters & Waterman
(1982) "The point of this chapter, and a wonderful concomitant to
a customer orientation, is that winners seem to focus especially
on the revenue generation side. " (p. 157) . Peters & Austin (1985)
"The first of the two sustainable strategic advantages we have
observed is an obsession with customers . Customers, not markets .
Not marketing. Not strategic positioning, (whatever that means) .
Just customers . A 'market' has never been observed paying a bill .
Customers do that. " (p. 39) . Disend (1991) "In every industry,
people are willing to pay more for higher quality and better
service, if organizations will only give them a choice. " (p. 15) .
Albrecht (1988) , Tschohl (1991) , Lash (1989) , Desatnick (1987) ,
and Goldzimer (1989) all note the link between quality customer
service and the bottom line.
Clark, et al . (1990) researched quality customer service in
both the private and public sector. They found, "Three common
service quality elements - attributes of the organization,
customer satisfaction, and employee-customer interaction - were
found to be applicable to private, public, and fire service
sectors . " ( p. ii) .
4
In the fire service sector, Hoke (1990) , conducting a
customer service survey of the Fort Mc Coy, WI Fire Department,
recommended that the NFA Learning Resource Center establish a data
base of local fire department customer service surveys . Paulsgrove
(1990) developed a customer service flow chart model for use in
the Austin, TX Fire Department prevention division (see Appendix
A) . No other papers regarding direct results of a fire department
customer service survey were found.
Clark (1982) noted the uniqueness of the fire service and the
lack of any nationally recognized standards for measuring fire
service quality. Clark (1985) developed a methodology to measure
fire service excellence. The survey used objective measures to
rate excellence. In addition, it included listening to the public
as a contributor to excellence, "Excellent fire departments seek
involvement from the public and as a result, have strong community
support. " (p. 46) .
Information on conducting a customer service survey is more
readily available. Church, Knott, Kollen, Lundin, Sailor, & Swope
(1989) developed a straw poll to measure public awareness in
emergency medical service, a common fire department function.
Holzmueller, Jankowski, Riley, Ronayne, Rubin, & Wheeler (1989)
identified the key components of an effective community survey for
the fire service. Atkins, Osterman, Riley, Word, Nixon, Arnold, &
Williams (1987) developed a community feedback system. Streib
(1990) identified the citizen survey as a forgotten public sector
5
management tool . Marinucci & Baldwin (1989) write of a system in
the Farmington Hills, MI Fire Department. There, a pre-addressed
and stamped survey postcard is left with the citizen after every
fifth incident or inspection. The citizen fills out the card &
returns it . The return rate is 60%. Coleman (1990) views citizen
complaints as an opportunity, rather than an adversity. The
National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (1978)
published a sample 'Citizen Fire Protection Attitude Survey' .
Jones (1985) discussed preparing, implementing, analyzing and
using the results obtained from a fire service public opinion
survey.
Summary
Much has been written about quality customer service in the
private sector. Very little has been written about quality
customer service in the fire service, or in the public sector as a
whole. There is a body of literature describing how to conduct a
t
customer service survey for the fire service. Very few fire
service customer service surveys have actually been performed.
6
PROCEDURES
Population
A survey was conducted of three separate groups . They were:
• Fifty-three (53) career members of the Ithaca, New York
Fire Department.
• Fourteen (14) elected legislative officials of the City
and Town of Ithaca, New York.
• Two-hundred-forty (240) registered voters within the
Ithaca Fire Department' s service district broken down as
follows : Thirty (30) voters selected at random from each
of five wards in the City of Ithaca, and three
geographic areas within the Town of Ithaca.
From an interview with Tom Exter, Research Director for
"American Demographics" magazine, it was determined that a random
sample of thirty (30) would assure statistical validity.
Instrumentation
A review of available fire service customer survey
instruments was conducted.. A survey instrument that would measure
specific customer service concerns of the Ithaca, NY Fire
Department was then developed. The instrument was pilot tested and
7
underwent three revisions before the final survey instrument was
used (see Appendix B) .
As many forced closed end questions as possible were used, •
for ease of data analysis. Two open ended questions were included
so that subjective comments of the survey population could be
recorded. The final survey was two pages long, containing 18
questions (see Appendix B) . Individual names were not requested.
Each survey was assigned a control number that denoted to the
author internal or external customer, political subdivision, or
geographic location. The surveyor also noted the sex of the
respondent and, for internal customers, whether the respondent
lived within or outside the area serviced by the Ithaca Fire
Department.
Questions 1 and 2 were included, for if the customer cannot
readily access the service system, then the service system is
substandard. Question 3 measured if the customer knows who the
service provider is. Question 4 inquired as to the individual ' s
perception of adequate community life safety. Questions 5, 6, 7 , &
8 addressed knowledge of the cost and method of payment for fire
and life safety in the Ithaca community. One can better judge the
quality of service provided if the cost of the service is known.
Question 9 had eight sub component parts, each identifying a
fire department service function. The respondent indicated yes or
no should each subcomponent be part of the service delivery
8
program of the Ithaca, NY Fire Department . Question 10 asked if
the respondent would be willing to pay for an increase in fire
department costs in return for an increase in fire department
service. Question 11 concerned actual contacts with the Ithaca, NY
Fire Department, moments of truth, as they are sometimes called.
Question 12 , if question 11 was a yes response, provided an
opportunity for an A to F quality service rating.
Questions 13 and 14 were open ended, providing the
opportunity for subjective answers . Question 15 concerned concept
of community support for the fire department . Question 16 asked
what minimum manning levels should be for engine and ladder
companies . Question 17 determined if a respondent ' s household
contained an active member of the Ithaca, NY Fire Department, as
the department is a combination fire department . Question 18 asked
if the respondent owned or rented his/her home.
Collection of data
After reviewing alternative methods of data collection, the
personal interview, either by telephone or face to face, was
chosen as the data collection method. One surveyor, trained in
proper survey methods, conducted all interviews, assuring
consistency in the interview process. Respondents who did not have
an emergency telephone sticker were provided with emergency phone
stickers (see figure 1 below) . Completed surveys were data
processed on an Apple" MacintoshTM computer, using Filemaker Pr0TM
9
(Claris Corp. ) . Summarized data was then transferred into a WingZT"
(Informix Corp. ) spreadsheet where graphs and charts were created.
WingZT was chosen for its ability to graphically portray the
collected data in a variety of formats. •
FIRE
273-8000
AMBULANCE
MAP#
STREET
HOUSE#
Figure 1 - Sample Phone Sticker
Assumptions and limitations
It was assumed that all applicants would respond honestly and
with candor to the survey instrument. It was further assumed that
a random sample of registered voters would be the best sample
population for the elected public officials to identify with,
rather than the general population. Registered voters are
customers, the general population are consumers . Limiting factors
were the size of the random population survey group and the lack
of nationally recognized and validated survey instruments , to
assure the validity and reliability of this survey.
10
RESULTS
Once entered into the computer, the survey results can be
sorted to find any relationship the surveyor seeks . The primary
sort was career members of the department, elected officials, and
the public at large. The data can also be broken down into
political wards, but to do so here would result in too lengthy a
report . All survey results are available on a 3 . 5 inch floppy disc
by contacting the author.
Knowledge of the emergency phone number was high within the
department, 100%, but low with the general population, 25%, and
elected officials, 36% . Use of the emergency phone sticker was
more widespread, though still greater within the department, 85%,
than elected officials, 86%, and the public at large, 68%.
All members of the department and elected officials knew the
department was a combination department, as well as 84% of the
public. Only 55% of the department thought fire protection was
adequate, while 100% of the elected officials and 94% of the
public believed that it was adequate.
Fifty three members of the department responded to the
survey. Fourteen elected officials, seven each from the City and
Town of Ithaca responded to the survey. Thirty surveys were
conducted in each of the five wards of the city and three
geographic regions of the town, known as east, south, and west
11
hills rescectivelv, for a total of two hundred forty random sample
public survey responses .
Most respondents knew how fire protection was paid for and
felt that the _rccerty tax should be the method used to fund the
fire department . Virtually no one knew the cost per $1000 assessed
value or percentage of each dollar paid in taxes that directly
supports the fire department .
Regarding services the fire department should provide, there
was universal suctort for the existence of a fire department to
provide basic fire protection for the community, 100% for all
survey groups . Basic emergency medical service (EMS) was supported
by 94% of the department, 85% of the elected officials and 81% of.
the public. Advanced EMS was supported by 43% of the department,
36% of the elected officials and 50% of the public. 28% of the
department, 28% of the elected officials, and 65% of the public
felt that paramedic service should be provided by the fire
department. 23% of the department, 50% of the elected officials,
and 21% of the public believed the fire department should provide
emergency ambulance transport for the community. There was
universal support for emergency rescue service, 98%, 93%, and 96%
for department, official and public respectively.
Fire department public education activities had the support
of 98% of the department , 93% of the elected officials, and 99% of
12
vj
the public. Fire inspection services were supported by 89% of the
department, 71% of the elected officials, and 96% of the public.
An increase in fire department budget for an increase in fire
department services was supported by 79% of the department, 36% of
the elected officials, and 83% of the public.
23% of the department, 43% of the elected officials, and 38%
of the public noted that they had used a service of the fire
department . Approximately 67% were fire response, 25% EMS, 6%
public education and 4% other, including code enforcement.
Generally, the level of service was rated very good or excellent .
One below average was noted for code enforcement . One poor was
noted for a fire response involving forcible entry into an
unoccupied structure to investigate an alarm sounding, which
resulted in fire department damage to the entry door.
Few respondents indicated that they had actually used fire
department services . Those who had used a fire department service
generally rated the service provided as very good or excellent .
Most respondents did not list any areas of improvement . For
those that did, a 911 system, increase in manning, and improved
public education were the leading responses . For fire or life
safety problems, those that listed answers noted manning levels,
budgetary concerns, high incidence of false calls at Cornell
University and Ithaca College, lack of funding for the department
13
by Cornell University and Ithaca College, and quality of the older
rental housing stock as the leading responses .
Most respondents felt that the fire department had the strong
support of the community. The career firefighter segment of the
study did not echo the sentiment of the community.
Regarding manning levels per rig, four was the most frequent
response for the members of the department, 47%, and the public,
37%, while 2 was most frequently cited by the elected officials,
43%.
Neither the elected officials nor the public at large listed
a member of their household as being an active member of the fire
department . Three members of the department noted a member of the
household other than themselves was an active member. This results
from one significant other couple listing each other as active
members and one member' s son listed as an active member.
Fifty-one members of the department were male, two were
female. Nine elected officials were male, five were female. Two-
hundred-forty of the public sample were male, two-hundred-forty
were female.
Ninety-one percent (91%) of the department employees owned
their homes, eighty-six percent (86%) of the officials and eighty
14
9..
percent (80%) of the public. Eight employees live in the city,
five live in the town, and forty live outside of the district .
DISCUSSION •
Accessing the fire department through the 273-8000 phone
number is difficult. Approximately 63% of the public had no idea
what the number was when asked. If over half of your potential
customers do not know how to contact you, then this is an area of
customer service that requires immediate attention. This situation
is ameliorated somewhat by 67% of the public having a 273-8000
sticker on their phone. But that leaves one third of the public
with no idea of how to request the fire department . Currently, at
the county level , there is a committee studying the feasibility of
an enhanced 911 system for the county.
Most of the community felt the department was doing a good
job, although this was a second hand perception, as few had
actually used a fire department service.
The cost of fire service was virtually unknown, whether
expressed in dollars per thousand of assessed value of property or
percentage of each tax dollar paid to the city or town. For city
residents, approximately 15% of each city tax dollar supports the
fire department, while in the town the figure is 65% of each town
tax dollar. By themselves, the figures are misleading. The city
budget funds many more services than the town budget. For example,
15
there is no town police department, youth bureau, or trash
collection service, and the size of the planning, DPW, building,
and support staff is much greater in the city than in the town.
he town uses sales tax revenue for direct support of the highway
department . One cannot fairly assess quality service unless the
cost of providing the service is known. The cost difference
between the city and town clearly is not an apples to apples
comparison.
There is strong support for the fire department providing
basic fire protection, public education, rescue service, and fire
i nspection services for the community. Currently, the department
provides all these services . In the area of EMS, the department
currently provides basic EMS, no transport. Transport is provided
by a private, for profit ambulance service. There is strong
support for the fire department to continue to provide basic EMS
or the community. Public sentiment for advanced EMS service is
split 50/50 , while support for paramedic service was present in
55% of the public. 54% of the public favored continued use of
private sector ambulance service. More widespread exposure to
paramedics in the media such as "Emergency" and "Rescue 911" may
account for greater public desire for Paramedic service rather
than advanced EMS service.
The fire department has been successful with its moments of
truth in dealing with the public. Only two comments were rated
lower than a B grade. Both were noted in the Results section.
16
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Concern regarding quality of the rental housing stock and its
fire hazard potential was a common cited concern of those
responding to the question. The responsibility for housing
inspection of rental units by city statute is the responsibility
of the building department, not the fire department .
Manning levels was a difficult question for many to answer.
The department is a combination department . Career minimum manning
level per shift is 11 firefighters, 1 lieutenant and 1 duty chief,
operating 5 engines, 2 ladders, a heavy rescue, a light rescue,
and a command vehicle out of five stations . As a result of
contractual obligations, the minimum manning level is the modal
manning level . This results in one career firefighter per vehicle.
The lieutenant rides with one firefighter on the light rescue
unit, the duty chief drives the command vehicle. Volunteer members
may elect to ride on the rigs, however, most chose to respond in
their own personal vehicles . A student bunker system results in
increased manning level on the rigs during the academic year,
minus school breaks. This increases the minimum average generally
to two personnel per rig, sometimes higher.
Year-round the level of less than two per rig is far below
the most frequently cited number of four trained personnel per
full size rig. In order for this situation to improve, greater
active participation in the resident population must occur. There
is an incongruity in commitment to a combination fire department
18
y
on behalf of the city and town and no members of either the
elected public official or public sample noting a member of their
household as an active volunteer member of the department .
Someone needs to volunteer, it appears to be a not in my
household syndrome, however. This syndrome needs to be corrected,
as there does not appear to be either a desire or an ability to
fund a fully paid department in either the city or the town.
19
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. For the Ithaca Fire Department
It is suggested that the Ithaca Fire Department lobby
strongly for a 911 system for the City of Ithaca and County of
Tompkins .
It is suggested that the cost of service provided per tax
dollar or per $1000 assessed value be noted in budget
considerations, so that the customer can judge value for service
provided more readily.
It is suggested that the manning level per engine or ladder
be increased from one firefighter to four firefighters .
(Firefighters are trained personnel, career or volunteer. )
It is suggested that if the Ithaca Fire Department is to
remain a combination fire department, then more active recruitment
from the population at large must take place.
It is suggested that the fire department more actively market
the services provided to the community, resulting in a higher
level of community awareness of the fire department ' s role in the
community.
It is suggested that customer service monitoring become an
integral part of the fire department operation.
It is suggested that a study regarding upgrading of Emergency
Medical Service from Basic EMT to Advanced EMT be conducted with a
recommendation for fiscal year 1993 produced by July 1, 1992 .
20
It is suggested that a study of a staged response to alarms
at Ithaca College and Cornell University be conducted with a
recommendation due date of March 1, 1992 .
It is suggested that Cornell University and Ithaca College
charge a fire protection use fee of twenty dollars per semester
per full time student .
Revenue from such fees would go to support the fire
protection of the campuses . A supervisory committee comprised of
the city comptroller, and fiscal representative from Cornell
University and Ithaca College would oversee the fund.
B. Other
1 . It is recommended that a copy of this paper be placed on
file at the NFA Learning Resource Center.
It is recommended that a valid fire service customer service
survey instrument be developed for the fire service.
It is suggested that all fire departments get to know their
customers better.
It is suggested that all chief fire officers know and
understand the importance of a moment of truth for their
organization.
21
•
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Albrecht, K. (1988) . At america ' s service . Homewood, IL: Dow
Jones-Irwin.
Albrecht, K. & Zemke, R. (1985) . Service america. Homewood, IL:
Dow Jones-Irwin.
Ammonds, D (1984) . Municipal productivity: a comparison of
fourteen high-Quality service cities . New York: Praeger, Inc.
Atkins, D. K. , Osterman, C. B. , Riley, K. 0. , Word, K. A. , Nixon,
S. , Arnold, J. A. & Williams, R. F. (1987) . Developing- a
community feedback system. Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire
Academy.
Church, C. J. , Knott, J. , Kollen, B. , Lundin, L. , Sailor, K. , &
Swope, G. (1989) . A "straw poll" , one method to measure
public awareness in ems . Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire
Academy.
Clark, B. et al . (1990) . Development of an operational definition
of service quality. Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy.
Clark, B. (1985 October) . In search of fire service excellence:
lessons from america' s best run fire departments. Firehouse,
pp. 43-46.
Clark, B. (1986 June/July) . Measuring excellence. Chief Fire
Executive, pp. 72-74 .
Coleman, R. (1990 December) . Citizen complaints . Fire Chief , pp.
28-31 .
22
Desatnick, R.L. (1987) Managing to keel the customer San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass .
Disend, J. E. (1991) . How to provide excellenct service in any
organization. Radnor, PA: Chilton Book Company.
Goldzimer, L.S. (1989) . 'I 'm first ' . New York: Rawson Associates .
Hanan, M. & Karp, P. (1989) . Customer satisfaction. New York:
AMACOM.
Hoke, D. L. (1990) Customer service survey of the fort me coy fire
department . Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy.
Holzmueller, M. , Jankowski, T. J. , Riley, T. , Ronayne, T. J. III ,
Rubin, D. & Wheeler, R. L. (1989) . The key components of an
effective community survey . Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire
Academy.
Insurance Services Office (1974) . Grading schedule for municipal
fire protection . New York: Insurance Services Office.
Jones, W.J. (May 1985) "Surveying public opinion" . Fire Command
pp. 18-19
Lash, L. M. (1989) The complete guide to customer service. New
York: John Wiley & Sons .
Marinucci , R. A. & Baldwin, P. D. (1989 January) . "Survey says..." .
Fire Engineering, pp. 25-27 .
National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (1978) Urban
guide for fire prevention & control master planning .
Washington, D.C. : U.S . Government Printing Office.
23
•
Paulsgrove, R. F. (1990) . Development 'bf model to implement
customer service methodoloav in a fire service regulatory
process . Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy.
Peters, T. (1987) . Thriving on chaos . New York: Alfred A. Knopf .
Peters, T. & Austin, N. (1985) . A passion for excellence . New
York: Random House.
Peters, T. & Waterman, R. H. , Jr. (1982) . In search of excellence .
New York: Harper & Row.
Streib, G. (1990 August) . Dustiong off a forgotten management
tool , the citizen survey. Personnel Management , pp. 17-19 .
Tschohl , J. (1991) . Achieving excellence through customer service.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall .
Voss, C. , Armistead, C. , Johnson, B. & Morris , B. (1985) .
Coerations management in service industries and the public
sector . Chichester, England: Wiley and Sons .
24
Appendix A
Customer Service Flow Chart Model
Paulsgrove (1990) p. 8
25
.. .
•
A Systems Analysis Of Customer Service
Management Methodology
Respond to Re•Examine
Crisis -÷ Basic Mirst
I
Introduce Value Emphasize
Statements —> Management
Commitment
Evaluate
Customer r •
Perceptions
Establish
Service A ldenttly
Baseline E--- In <— V Customers
Evaluate
Employee
Perceptions
Develop
Service
�9Y
Legend
I I V---7 Point Of Entry.
Analyze Evaluate
Communications < Technical
System > Process y
17;1 Wrftten Report •
Design Service < Define Service —* Direction of Flow
Objedlves > Standards
Reciprocal Flow
W
Deis ntre > Evaluate
Training Re-inforce
26
Appendix
The Survey Instrument
27
First Draft
ITHACA FIRE DEPARTMENT CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY
. What is the emergency phone number for the Ithaca Fire Department?
2. Do you have fire department emergency phone number stickers on
your telephone? `(ES i�NO
7. The Ithaca Fire Department is answer
A. an all volunteer fire department.
B. an all paid fire department.
C. a combination volunteer & career fire department.
is the fire protection adequate? YES NO
If no, what could be done to improve service?
5. How is fire protection paid for? answer
A. City or Town tax
B. County tax
C. Special District tax
D. Not certain
6. Fire protection should be paid for on the basis of assessed value.
YES NO
7. Which of the following serivices do you think are provided by the
Ithaca Fire Department & which do you think should be provided?
PROVIDE SHOULD PROVIDE
A. Firefighting
B. Emergency Rescue
C. Basic Emergency Medical Service
D. Advanced Emergency Medical Service
E. Paramedic Emergency Medical Service •
F. Ambulance Transport
G. Public Education Programs
H. Fire & Building Code Enforcement
8. Would you be willing to pay for an increase in Fire Department services?
YES NO
28
9. What, if any, Ithaca Fire Department services have you used? NONE
Some, please list:
10. If you listed any services in question 9, were you satisfied with the
level of service provided? SATISFIED DISSATISFIED
A. If you were dissatisfied, what could have been improved?
11 . Do you have any complaints about the Ithaca Fire Department?
YES NO DON'T KNOW
A. If yes, what is wrong?
•
12. Does the Ithaca Fire Department enjoy the strong support of the
community? YES NO DON'T KNOW
A. I f no, why not?
13. What are the three most Important fire problems in our community?
1.
2.
3,
14. When a fire engine arrives at the scene of a fire incident, how many
trained personnel should there be on it?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 5 F. 6 G. more than 6 ANS
15. Given a choice between quicker arrival with fewer people and slower
arrival with more people for fire calls, what choice would you make?
Slower with more is defined as arriving no more than four minutes
later than the faster arriving vehicle with fewer people.
Faster arrival with fewer people
Slower arrival with more people
16. Is a member of your household an active member of the Ithaca Fire
Department? YES NO
29
• Second Draft
ITHACA FIRE DEPARTMENT CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY
1. What is the emergency phone number for the Ithaca Fire Department?
2. Do you have fire department emergency phone number stickers on
your telephone? YES NO
3. The Ithaca Fire Department is ANSWER
A. an all volunteer fire department.
B. an all \paid fire department.
C. a combination volunteer & career fire department.
4, Do you believe the fire & life safety protection is adequate?
YES NO
COMMENT:
5. How is fire protection paid for? ANSWER
A. City or Town tax
B. County tax
C. Special District tax
D. Not Certain
6. What is the tax rate per $ 1000 assessed value for fire protection
A) in the City of Ithaca B) In the Town of Ithaca
A. —1.00 B.-1.25 C.-1.50 D.-1.75 E.-2.O0 F.-2.25 G.-2.5O H. Don't Know
7. Should Fire Protection be paid for on the basis of assessed value?
YES NO
•
8. The Ithaca Fire Department SHOULD / SHOULD NOT provide the
following services: SHOULD SHOULD NOT
a. Emergency Fire Response
b. Basic Emergency Medical Service
c. Advanced Emergency Medical Service
d. Paramedic Emergency Medical Service
e. Ambulance Emergency Transport
f, Emergency Rescue Service
g. Public Fire Safety Education
h. Fire & Building Code Inspection Service
9. Would you pay for an increase in Fire Department service? YES NO
30
•
10. Have you ever used any services of the Ithaca Fire Department?
YES NO
1 1 . If YES, please list service(s) provided & grade the quality of each
service with a letter grade A , B, C, D, F as follows:
A. EXCELLENT B. VERY GOOD C. AVERAGE D. BELOW AVERAGE F. POOR
SERVICE PROVIDED SERVICE QUALITY GRADE
12. Please list any comments or suggestions you may have: for service
improvements?
13. What do you believe are the three most important fire problems
facing the Ithaca community?
14. Does the Ithaca Fire Department have the strong support of the
community? YES NO
15. When a fire engine or ladder truck arrives at a fire scene; how many
trained personnel should there be on the engine or truck?ANSWER
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 5 F. 6 G. MORE THAN 6
16. Is a member of your household an active member of the Ithaca Fire
Department? YES NO
17. Do you own or rent your home? ANSWER
A. OWN B. RENT
31
FinalSurvey .
Ithaca Fire Department
Customer Service Survey
Control No.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this two-page survey. Please answer the following
questions to the best of your ability, but rely only on your current knowledge; don't do any research.
Questions Answers
1. What is the emergency phone number for the Ithaca Fire 1.
Department?
2. Do you have fire department emergency phone number stickers
on your telephone?
Y N
3. The Ithaca Fire Department is: 3.
(a) an all-volunteer fire department
(b) an all-career fire department
(c) a combination volunteer and career fire department
4. Do you believe fire and life safety protection in Ithaca is adequate? 4.
Y N
5. How is fire protection paid for? 5.
f �
(a) City or Town Tax (b) County Tax
(c) Special District Tax (d)Not Certain
6. How much of each City tax dollar pays for fire protection in the ' 6.
City of Ithaca?
s j
7. How much of each Town tax dollar pays for fire protection in the 7.
Town of Ithaca?
8. Should fire protection be paid for on the basis of assessed value? 8.
Y N
32
•
9. Should the Ithaca Fire Department provide the following services:
(a) Emergency Fire Response ' (a) Y N
(b)Basic Emergency Medical Service (b) Y N
(c) Advanced Emergency Medical Service (c) Y N
(d) Paramedic Emergency Medical Service
(e) Emergency Ambulance Service ; (e) Y N
(f) Emergency Rescue Service ' (0 Y N
(g) Public Fire Safety Education (g)
(h) Fire &Building Code Inspection Service (h)
10. Would you pay for in increase in Fire Department service if you 10.
knew what the service increase was and what the cost increase Y N
would be?
11. Have you ever used any service of the Ithaca Fire Department? 11.
Y N
12. If YES, please list service(s) provided and grade the quality of ; 12•
each service with a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F) as follows:
A: Excellent,B: Very Good,C: Average D: Below Average, F: Poor
13. Please list any comments or suggestions you may have for service 13•
improvements.
14. What do you believe are the three most important fire /life safety 14.
problems facing the Ithaca community?
1.
2
3.
15. Does the Ithaca Fire Department have the strong support of the 15.
community?
Y N �
16. When a fire engine or ladder truck arrives at a fire, how many 16.
trained personnel should there be on the engine or truck?
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c)3 (d)4 (e)5 (f) 6 (g) more than 6
� - t
17. Is a member of your household an active member of the Ithaca 17.
Fire Department?
Y N
18. Do you own or rent your home? + 18.
(a) Own (b) Rent
33
Appendix O.
Graphic Portrayal of Survey Results
•
34