Atlantic Pilotage Authority 2017 Customer Opinion Survey Report

Transcription

1 Atlantic Pilotage Authority 2017 Customer Opinion Survey Report January 15, 2018

2 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Survey Design... 4 Scope and Timeline... 5 Respondent Data... 5 Survey Results... 6 Conclusion Appendix A APA Customer Opinion Survey Campaign Appendix B APA Customer Opinion Survey (EN)... 14

3 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 3 Introduction The Customer Opinion Survey (the Survey) was established in 2016 to support our strategic goal of monitoring and improving our service performance and customer satisfaction levels. The Survey is a formal mechanism to collect feedback from stakeholders, customers, service providers and ship masters regarding their level of satisfaction with our pilotage service. This feedback is one of the most important ways in which we learn how to continuously improve as an organization that strives for excellence in our operations. Therefore, our main objectives for the collected survey data are to understand how we are doing in our current operational year, benchmark for future comparison and collaboratively create an action plan to improve service performance and maintain a positive level of customer satisfaction. These metrics will become a part of our annual review and analysis measuring our success in meeting our annual strategic goals. The survey questions were purposefully written to allow us to assess the results of the customer responses against our APA Core Values which were established as a cascading response to our refreshed Mission, Vision, and Corporate Objectives. Core Values: Safety - The Authority will emphasize safety over any competing goals or pressures to ensure the protection of people. Environment - The Authority s primary purpose will be to protect the natural environment and local communities. Service - The Authority is dedicated to being a trusted partner in providing effective and efficient marine pilotage services and expertise in marine navigation. Mandate Mission Vision Corporate Objectives Core Values Relationships - The Authority will build and maintain long-term respectful relationships with employees, customers, contractors, and suppliers. Accountability - The Authority will be accountable to the Government, the public, and to its customers for actions taken and the results of its operations.

4 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 4 The following report will summarize the Customer Opinion Survey including survey design, survey scope and timeline, respondent data and survey results. The survey results section will state each survey question, the corresponding Core Value, the overall agreement score based on customer responses, and a brief analysis statement. Survey Design Survey questions were created, reviewed and approved amongst the management group. Questions were purposefully written to allow us to assess the results of the customer responses against our corporate core values. Question design types include: Stakeholder type identification Rating Satisfaction Scale (Likert Scale) Rating Agreement Scale Freeform text comment boxes The survey was created in an electronic online forum via Survey Monkey and was available to participants in both official languages. (see Appendix B APA Customer Opinion Survey) The number of questions was limited to ten (10), as our intention was to have brief survey to encourage participation, while still ensuring we could get a true picture of how our customers understand and assign value to our service. The survey was estimated to take a respondent 3-5 minutes to complete. Agreement Score Results of the Survey are categorized by agreement score (level of agreement or level of satisfaction) to identify areas of strength, opportunities for improvement and priority areas for improvement. When analyzing each survey question, it is common place to couple positive satisfaction or agreement categories (e.g. strongly agree and agree or very satisfied and satisfied) and conversely couple improvement satisfaction or agreement categories (e.g. disagree and strongly disagree or somewhat dissatisfied and dissatisfied). The not applicable category is treated as a neutral response and not counted in the response analysis for that question.

5 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 5 It is important to note that percentages are relative to the number of overall respondents to the survey and not reflective of the entire customer population. Scope and Timeline The Customer Opinion Survey was distributed to all appropriate stakeholders and customers including ship owners, agent or ship owner representative, applicable members of the marine community, and APA approved product and service vendors (including consultants). Ship owners and agents were encouraged to forward the survey on to their ships masters as well. The list of stakeholders was derived from district pilotage committee distribution lists and current contractor service and vendors lists. This means that multiple operational contacts within an organization would receive the . Additionally, the management team, all operational staff and dispatch modified their signature to advertise the link to the Customer Opinion Survey. The survey was intentionally distributed during the Fall season as it 1) provides a significant period of our 2017 operational year for the stakeholder to reflect upon and 2) it is on the heels of a traditionally busy operational time-period across many major districts when providing an efficient service is particularly critical. An marketing campaign (see Appendix A APA Customer Opinion Survey Campaign) was sent out on November 14 th, 2017 to all qualifying customers and stakeholders (n=151). Contact information was provided within the with opt out information if the stakeholder wished to not receive participate in the campaign in the future. A reminder campaign was additionally sent on November 30 th, 2017 to inform all relevant individuals that they would have until Monday December 11th, 2017 to participate in the survey if they wished to. All responses are held in the strictest of confidence and open and honest feedback was both welcomed and encouraged. Respondent Data Of the 151 addresses associated to our stakeholders and customers, a total of 43 surveys were completed, yielding a response rate of 28.5%. Forty-two (42) surveys were completed in English and one (1) was completed in French. As a generally accepted principle, an expected response rate is around 30%, so we are close to this standard. We anticipate that this participation may be impacted by the distribution list including more than one member from the same stakeholder or customer organization. Like 2016, we received an one individual participant that s/he was responding on behalf of all recipients within that organization. We anticipate that this may have been a common place reaction and thus would impact the overall response rate.

6 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 6 Question 1: From the below list of stakholders, please select the one that applies most to you A recommendation from 2016 survey was to further employ our relationship with ship agents to encourage a greater percentage of participation from ship masters. Five (5) respondents participated in this year s survey, whereas in 2016 only one (1) Master did. This is a positive change but should be a focus for further improvement in Survey Results Each survey question is linked to the appropriate APA Core Value and the respondents measurable level of agreement (or satisfaction) to the question statement. Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: As a stakeholder, please rate how satisfied you are with the APA s commitment to safe Pilotage Operations. Safety - The Authority will emphasize safety over any competing goals or pressures to ensure the protection of people. 92.8% Area of Great Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 1 selected not applicable and therefore 39 of 42 (92.8%) respondents are satisfied with our commitment to safe pilotage operations. This a strong reflection of our continued commitment to safety and the protection of people.

7 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 7 Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: As a stakeholder, please rate how satisfied you are with the efficiency of marine pilotage services provided by the APA. Service - The Authority is dedicated to being a trusted partner in providing effective and efficient marine pilotage services and expertise in marine navigation % Area of Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 2 selected not applicable and therefore 36 of 41 (87.8%) respondents are satisfied with our level of service efficiency. This level of satisfaction has increased from 86.1% in This is a positive reflection of our consultation with stakeholders and established metrics for traffic forecasting, as well as our resource and asset planning throughout the districts. Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: APA pilotage service is essential to protecting the local community, environment and other marine assets in Atlantic Canada. Environment - The Authority s primary purpose will be to protect the natural environment and local communities. 97.7% Area of Great Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 42 (97.7%) agree with our statement. This percentage exactly matches that of the response of 2016, where 40 out of 41 respondents agreed with this statement. This positive response is reflective of our stakeholder understanding and appreciation for the critical role we play in safeguarding the local community, environment and other marine assets in Atlantic Canada.

8 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 8 Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: APA is a leading source for professional expertise in navigational safety and marine operations. Service - The Authority is dedicated to being a trusted partner in providing effective and efficient marine pilotage services and expertise in marine navigation. 97.6% Area of Great Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 1 selected not applicable and therefore 41 of 42 (97.6%) respondents agree with our statement. This has increased from the 92.7% agreement response in In 2017, we participated more than ever before in projects impacting our industry colleagues and our surrounding marine communities. Our willingness to act as expert consultants in navigational safety for industry initiatives and future projects, not only contributes to this positive customer opinion, but also strengthens our relationships with the marine community. Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: As a stakeholder, I am consulted on matters of the APA strategic direction that will directly impact my business or operation. Relationships - The Authority will build and maintain long-term respectful relationships with employees, customers, contractors, and suppliers. 77.8% Area of Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 6 selected not applicable, therefore 28 of 36 (77.8%) respondents agree with our statement that they are consulted on matters of the APA strategic direction which directly impacts their business. This has decreased from the 82.8% agreement in Of those the 8 (19%) respondents that disagree with this statement, 7 individuals disagree, and 1 individual strongly disagree with our statement.

9 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 9 Of those stakeholders that disagree with this statement, it would be a valued exercise to understand if they attend public or stakeholder consultations and if so, perhaps the offer of further individualized education on the impacts to their business could be offered during these meetings. It is a safe assumption that the six that selected not applicable would be categorized service vendors. Question: Core Value: APA administration provides timely, accurate, and clear responses to enquiries I have regarding pilotage services. Relationships - The Authority will build and maintain long-term respectful relationships with employees, customers, contractors, and suppliers. Agreement Score: 95% Area of Strength Analysis: Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 2 selected not applicable, therefore 39 of 41 (95%). agree with the statement that the APA responds to customer enquiries with an effective and efficient manner. This, in conjunction with our continuous collaborative approach to customer service is assisting in strongly fulfilling our core value of maintaining long-term respectful relationships with employees, customers, contractors, and suppliers. This has increased from the 87.8% of respondents that agreed to this statement in Question: Core Value: Agreement Score: Analysis: APA effectively manages and communicates critical factors that may impact pilotage services. Accountability - The Authority will be accountable to the Government, the public, and to its customers for actions taken and the results of its operations. 86.8% Area of Strength Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 5 selected not applicable, therefore 33 of 38 (86.8%) agree that we manage and communicate with our stakeholders on critical factors that may impact

10 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 10 our ability to provide pilotage service to the standard they are accustom to. This has increased from the 85.7% agreement score in It is a safe assumption that the five that selected not applicable would be categorized service vendors. Industry Consultation and Support For each annual survey, Management will pose one or two specific questions to our customers and stakeholders which we would like to receive feedback on. For the 2017 survey, we one question regarding our consultation and support for marine industry projects. Question: Analysis: In your opinion, could the APA do more to support marine industry projects from a consultative position? Of the 43 respondents completing this question, 36 (83.7%) do not think we need to do more to support marine industry projects. For those that answered yes to this question, they were asked to provide input as to what could be done to increase our consultation and support on marine industry projects. Eight (8) respondents chose to comment in this section and each had a unique response however, a majority pointed to continuing to provide cost based flexible solutions where possible. Note: On reflection this statement may not had been as clear in its intent. We will rephrase this question and ask again in the next annual survey.

11 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 11 Conclusion Based on the customer feedback from the second annual Customer Opinion Survey, we believe that the results reflect an overall positive opinion of the APA. Considering the outcome of all ten (10) questions that were evaluated, the data lends to the observation that most stakeholder and customer respondents are satisfied with our current pilotage service. Notably, this exercise is also a critical step towards measuring and trending these metrics at a minimum over a three (3) year period. This year over year data will ultimately aid us in our continuous improvement process and verify if in fact we are fulfilling our stated commitment to our values of safety, environment, service, relationships and accountability. We firmly believe that the Annual Customer Opinion Survey is an important mechanism for consulting our stakeholder and customers; allowing us to work collaboratively on a cross-section of our operation which directly impacts their business. We are committed to seeking out areas for operational efficiency and to continue to be engaged as navigational experts in marine community initiatives and future industry projects. The next annual Customer Opinion Survey will be distributed in November 2018.

12 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 12 Appendix A APA Customer Opinion Survey Campaign Campaign Dear Colleague/ Cher collègue, Your opinion is important to us! Please take our brief 2017 Customer Opinion Survey by visiting or by clicking on the image below. We encourage you to pass this survey link along to appropriate colleagues and/or your Ship Masters. The survey results will be provided to our Board of Directors and Management team. Votre opinion est importante pour nous! Veuillez répondre à notre bref sondage d opinion en visitant ou en cliquant sur l image ci-dessous. Nous vous invitons à transmettre le lien du sondage à des collègues que cela pourrait concerner ainsi qu à votre capitaine. Les résultats du sondage seront communiqués au conseil d administration et à la direction de l APA.

13 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 13

14 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 14 Appendix B APA Customer Opinion Survey (EN) A copy of the French version of the survey is available and can be viewed by contacting Jennifer.

15 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 15

16 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 16

17 C u s t o m e r O p i n i o n S u r v e y P a g e 17