Providing benefits of flood reduction, conservation and recreation since 1933
Customer Service Survey
In 2009, the Board of Directors of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) adopted a list of goals. One of the goals approved by the Board was the following: “To address our recreation operations in light of current economic conditions and customer demands.” This goal included market analysis and customer feedback to begin to determine what the MWCD’s customers want, how is the MWCD doing in meeting these customer needs and related issues.
To help meet this goal, the MWCD recreation group and administration sought to measure satisfaction and feedback from the 2009 recreation season (primarily April through October) at its parks and other facilities. In November 2009, the MWCD developed and sent via the U.S. Postal Service a total of nearly 7,700 surveys to customers in its five (5) primary customer groups:
1. Family Vacation Cabin Guests
2. Overnight (Transient) Campers
More than 2,100 surveys were returned.
The primary research objectives in the non-scientific survey included the following:
A. Provide guests with a method to evaluate the facilities and services offered by the MWCD during 2009
B. Collect feedback to assist the MWCD in short-term and long-term planning and the budget process to enhance guest experiences at the MWCD facilities
C. Evaluate data to assist in development of a comprehensive guest survey and feedback program for the MWCD recreation program
Sample Selection and Instruments
Data were collected through five individual survey forms created and mailed to registered guests, lessees and boat owners (dockers) from the MWCD’s master mailing list, along with comparative lists compiled through the assistance and cooperation of the MWCD lake parks and leased marina operations. The survey forms were structured so that they could be completed by respondents without direct assistance from MWCD staff, and included some basic “yes and no” questions, basic facilities ratings responses, as well as dedicated space for more direct feedback. The survey forms offered anonymity and permitted respondents to elect to provide contact information if they desired to have an MWCD staff member talk with them individually in follow-up to data collection.
Summary and Conclusions
The 2009 Customer Satisfaction Surveys have provided the MWCD recreation group and administration with an excellent “starting point” for evaluation of customer satisfaction and needs. Staff plans to implement any suggestions and/or updates where possible as identified by guests in the surveys, and to report to all guests where possible about any changes.
In the future, staff intends to utilize the information and experience obtained through the 2009 Customer Satisfaction Surveys to implement a more comprehensive customer feedback and survey program.
Survey results for each of the five customer groups are available for review by clicking on the name of the surveys listed above.
