City Seeks To Gauge ‘Customer Satisfaction'

With the Bloomberg administration searching for a firm to create "customer satisfaction" surveys to gauge how residents feel about their interactions with city agencies, New York City could soon feel more like New York City Inc. The city issued a request for proposals yesterday for a project that seems more like something a savvy business, rather than the government, would do. The questionnaires are bound to elicit colorful responses from New Yorkers wanting to sound off about everything from long waits for traffic ticket hearings to trash pickups. The results would give the already data-driven mayor even more statistics to pore over. The surveys fall in line with the approach he has taken when it comes to melding private-practice strategies into public sector life, much like the 311 help line he started.

The city aims to launch the surveys in five languages — English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Russian—in early 2008. While the exact methodology has not yet been determined, New Yorkers may want to prepare for getting phone calls, e-mails, or other communications asking them to rate the government in a slew of areas. The project would be divided into two areas — one more traditional citywide questionnaire and the other a comment card that New Yorkers would fill out at places such as health clinics or permit offices.

The sample survey cards provided in the request for proposals include headlines such as "NYC ? Feedback" and "Let Us Know!"

The director of the mayor's office of operations, Jeffrey Kay, said accountability such as this is a "hallmark of the Bloomberg administration."

"A comprehensive citywide customer satisfaction survey — the first of its kind by the mayor's office — will provide vital feed back and help improve service delivery for all New Yorkers," he said.

The surveys will focus on eight areas, including economic development, infrastructure, education, public safety, and social services. The idea was offered by the Citizens Budget Commission.

While the city measures performance in delivering services in the Mayor's Management Report, "the city lacks a comprehensive mechanism for measuring the public's attitudes toward agency services," the request for proposals states. In 2000 and 2001, the City Council funded citywide surveys that were conducted by Baruch College and the City University of New York. This project is expected to be more comprehensive.