Customer Survey Procedure

Institution:
/ Version: 1.0 / Date: / Number of pages: 5 / Name of procedure: Customer Survey Procedure / ID Code:Ap 17
QM chapter: 10
Customer Survey / ID Code:
Ap 17
Topic & Purpose:
Explains how to assess the satisfaction of the laboratory’s primary customers / Review Period:
1 year
Location: / Distribution:
Version number:
V 1.0 / Annex:
None
Written by:
Name(s), Date(s) and Signature(s) of the Author(s)
Reviewed by:
Name(s), Date(s) and Signature(s)
Authorized by:
Name, Date and Signature
Replaces the version:
Not applicable (1st version)
Changes to the last authorized version:
Not applicable (1st version)

Customer Survey Procedure

Application

Objective

Definitions

References

Responsibilities

Operating mode

Methodology

Initiation and completion of a customer survey

1. Questionnaire design and collection of data

2. Timeline for survey

3. Scoring

4. Data management

5. Results

Application

This procedure ensures the appropriate design, data collection and analysis of a customer satisfactionsurvey.

Objective

This procedure explains how to assess the satisfaction of the laboratory’s primaryexternal customers: patients, clinicians and public health authorities.

Definitions

Correction: Action to eliminate a detected nonconformity.

Customer: Organization or person that receives a product or service from a supplier organization.

Customer satisfaction: Customer's perception of the degree to which the customer's requirements have been fulfilled.

References

To be filled in if necessary

Responsibilities

The Laboratory Director:

initiates and oversees the customer survey.

The Quality Committee:

validates the questionnaires for the survey and reviews report;
coordinates with the Laboratory Director in overseeing the customer survey.

The Quality Manager:

is responsible for the design, implementation and analysis of customer surveys, noting that these tasks can be delegated but retained under his/her supervision;
designates a coordinator;
maintains the documentation.

Coordinator:

coordinates conduct of the survey.

Staff:

help conduct the customersurvey.

Operating mode

Methodology

1. In order to assess the satisfaction of the customers, three types of questionnaires can be developed for the three main types of customers of public health laboratories: patients, clinicians and public health authorities.

2. Questionnaires are submitted to the customers and the results are collected for analysis and generation of report. Analysis of the replies will give the laboratory indications for improvement.

Initiation and completion of a customer survey

1. Questionnaire design and collection of data

a) The Quality Manager will develop a questionnaire specific to the targeted customersand a cover letter introducing and explaining the survey.

b) Each questionnaire can be split into two parts:

general demographic data on the customer(e.g. age, living or practicing distance from the laboratory, first time to the laboratory or number of visits, medical specialty if practitioner);
satisfaction questions.

c) There should bean initial meeting withthe Quality Committeeto distribute the first version of the questionnaire for discussion and review.

d) Once the questionnaire is finalized and validated, sufficient questionnaires should be printed to accommodate the expected number of customers to be surveyed.

e) Distribute the questionnaires:

For patients, coordinators will be assigned to hand out the questionnaire and wait for the patient to complete.The coordinator should only explain the meaning of questions, if the customer asks, and not try to influence responses to the questionnaire.
For clinicians and public health authorities, provide questionnaires through the post.

f) Collect the completed questionnaires:

For patients, the questionnaire should be directly collected by the coordinator.
For clinicians and public health authorities, the questionnaires should be returned by mail.

2. Timeline for survey

a) For patients:

ALL patients who come to the laboratory during a specific time range selected by the Quality Manager will beasked by the coordinators to fill in the questionnaire. The patients should be given the questionnaire upon their initial arrival to the laboratory, i.e. prior to having a sample taken or test performed.

b) For clinicians and public health authorities:

During a specific time range selected by the Quality Manager, all the laboratory results that are provided to the requesting clinician or customer will be sent with the questionnaire and a cover letter introducing and explaining the survey. There should also be included a stamped, self-addressed envelope to send the completed questionnaire back.

3. Scoring

The satisfaction part of the survey will be assessed through closed questions, with four possible choices: Very unsatisfied, Unsatisfied, Satisfied and Very satisfied.Responding persons will therefore have to choose between a “good” group (Satisfied,Very satisfied), and a “bad” group (Unsatisfied, Very unsatisfied).

4. Data management

Data should be managed as appropriate, using a paper based system if necessary, but preferably using data management software.

Free survey software are available that can be used for developmentof the questionnaire, data analysis and reporting.

5. Results

General results will be available in a report.

Corrections will be taken out following SOP Corrective Actions to correct the weak points determined by the analysis of the results.