HKS Authors

See citation below for complete author information.

Albert J. Weatherhead III and Richard W. Weatherhead Professor of Public Management, Emeritus

Abstract

My older daughter, who is working in Australia, recently visited Shanghai for the first time. After her arrival, she e-mailed my wife and me about an experience she had going through Chinese passport control and customs. After completing entry checks and just before leaving the area, passengers can stop by a kiosk where they can report on their travel experience by pressing a smiley face or a frowning face. What a cool idea! That approach invites feedback from customers while the experience is still fresh in their minds, which increases response rates — a problem with most customer satisfaction surveys — and the quality of responses — i.e. no memory bias. The data can provide fresh feedback to an agency about trends or even differences among employees, which allows managers to more effectively use the performance information for learning purposes. And it makes the customer feel valued.

Citation

Kelman, Steven. "Customer Service Tips from Developing Countries." Federal Computer Week. November 16, 2009.