A continuum of customer feedback methods

There is a range of ways for gathering customer feedback, from one-off and minimalist feedback to ongoing, comprehensive feedback on all aspects of the service.

Types of feedback methods, from the minimalist to the most comprehensive, include:

Indirect feedback

• Customers are not directly involved in giving feedback to the service. Indirect customer feedback includes measures of changes in service patronage, service revenue and lengths of waiting lists.

Consultation

• Advice is sought from customers on a one-off or more frequent basis, and is used by the service providers to redesign elements of the service. 

Types of consultation methods include measures of customer surveys, customer complaints, or having ongoing advice being provided by a service Advisory Committee.

Customer participation

• Feedback based on customer participation is often ongoing, and includes service “users” being involved in the governance of the service (for example, through service Boards or Councils), participation in evaluations and making decisions about the design and delivery of the service.

Customer co-production

• Services that rely on the contributions of both the public sector professionals and the service “users” “co-produce” desired outcomes such as good health, a better environment or safe communities.

Use continuous feedback to identify and implement service redesign initiatives at the same time as they are co-producing the service.

Feedback with user-directed services

• Where customers direct and control the services (as occurs with many business and industry services, indigenous services, and services provided over the web).

Feedback includes measures of service quality, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability; measures of whether the service is delivering on program objectives; financial and performance audits; and levels of satisfaction with the way service providers assisted with advice, guidance and facilitation.