RPA sets new standard in customer satisfaction
Annual survey shows record-breaking performance
漏 Natural England / Peter Wakely
The Rural Payments Agency has recorded its highest ever customer satisfaction scores. The Agency鈥檚 customer satisfaction survey for 2013-14 registered an overall customer satisfaction figure of 8.6 out of 10, breaking the previous year鈥檚 record of 8.5 and exceeding the Agency鈥檚 performance target of 8.0.
RPA鈥檚 Customer Director, Justin Chamberlain, described the score as 鈥渇antastic news鈥� and said it 鈥渃onfirms that we鈥檙e taking the right approach in the way we deliver our services.鈥�
RPA also achieved its highest ever farmer customer satisfaction scores for people and communications (8.7 out of 10), the Customer Service Centre (8.8 out of 10), case workers (8.7 out of 10) and the British Cattle Movement Service (9.1 out of 10).
Trader scheme customers gave RPA 8.6 out of 10 for overall satisfaction. Behind this headline figure, trader customers gave the Agency very high scores for services such as payments and processing (8.7 out of 10), written communications (8.7 out of 10), people and communications (9 out of 10), and inspections (an incredible 9.4 out of 10).
鈥淲e are about to enter the most challenging year in our history as we prepare for the reform of CAP, and that鈥檚 bound to have an impact on our customers in the coming year,鈥� Justin Chamberlain added. 鈥淏ut we will be building on the lessons we鈥檝e learned about delivering high quality customer service to help us make the transition as smooth as possible.鈥�
The results come from RPA鈥檚 annual customer satisfaction survey, which is conducted by independent market research company ORC, and is based on a sample of 475 randomly selected farmers, 240 trader scheme customers and up to 200 agents each quarter..