Customer Service Plan Essay

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), founded in 1887, is one of the worlds foremost medical examination research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. 26 Institutes and Centers radiation pattern the NIH, which has the immemorial research goal of acquiring new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and impediment from the r arst genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to pa practise health for everyone. In 1993, President William J. Clinton issued executive director Order 12862 ch anyenging Federal agencies to improve client receipts. Further, Executive Order 12862 tasked agencies to survey their nodes to identify what kinds of services they re eithery want and to gather ideas from front-line employees on how to pause mouth those services.The goal of this node Service plan is to convey to you, the client, a realistic, achievable approach for improv ing customer service at the National Institutes of Health. NIH is committed to improving the way it offers high timber services that argon easily accessible to every American citizen. With this in mind, this Customer Service Plan is organized for your convenience. Customers whitethorn look at Attachment 1 to find some examples of activities going on at NIH that ar organized by customer groups, consumers, health professionals, other governmental agencies, and grantee organizations. We want the plan to be as user-friendly as possible, and we welcome your comments and suggestions.Read more Essay onPresent Proposals for Improvements to Customer Service________________________________________EXECUTIVE ORDERExecutive Order 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards requires Federal agencies to separate customers who are, or should be, availd by the assurance Survey customers to take care the kind and type of services they want and their direct of satisfaction with existing services Post service standards and measure results against them Benchmark customer service proceeding against the best in business Survey front-line employees on barriers to, and ideas for, matching the best in business give customers with choices in both the sources of service and the convey of delivery Make information, services, and feedback systemseasily accessible Provide means to call off customer feedback and,Provide feedback to our customers on what improvements we have made. Return to Menu ________________________________________PRINCIPLESThis Customer Service Plan is based on ideas, suggestions, and feedback received from our customers as well as an extensive best practices search. It defines our customer service standards and processes for building and maintaining high quality services to meet those standards throughout the country. The following principles drove the process for growth the plan Customers Know What They Want Rather than sitting back and assuming that we know what customers wanted and needed, our action is going out and asking. Through formal surveys, focus groups, and conversations, we are listening to what our customers think about the types and quality of services and products we offer.What we learn is helping to shape the ways in which we get through to redirect our services to mark that we continuously improve our ability to meet your inescapably. Customers Needs Are Paramount found on feedback from our customers, NIH must respond to comments and suggestions about improving the way we deliver products and services. Communication Is Key to Our achievement Developing effective tools to maintain lines of intercourse with our customers will help us do our jobs remedy. By ontogeny more effective ways to direct information to our customers and by providing clearer paths to receive feedback, our agency will better address customer needs and concerns. Return to Menu ________________________________________APPROACH/SCOPENIH is di ligently working to address the spirit of Executive Order 12862. A dedicated group of representatives from across the agency is convening to form an on-going Customer Service Management group to implement the customer service program and to look that the agency enhances its customer focus as it improves electric current services and develops new initiatives. The agency has gathered information from customer service surveys, focus groups withfront-line staff, and conversations with key external partners, to ensure that initiatives address issues important to our customers. This plan presents an opportunity to persona with our customers our commitment to providing quality service. NIH is committed to protecting, promoting, and enhancing the health of the American people and to improving its processes to offer high quality services that are easily accessible to the public.The Customer Service Plan establishes a broad simulation to address customer issues. The customer service stand ards address issues our customers have told us are important to them. The primary focus of this document is to ensure that we are continuously listening to our customers and making certain that their needs are being met or exceeded. While the focus is on our outside customers, it does not diminish the need to ensure that our internal NIH customer needs are also being met. It is imperative that an integrated view of all our customers needs be pursued in order to ensure that the needs of our entire customer world are met. If we do not provide outstanding service to our internal customers, we will be futile to provide outstanding support to our external customers. Return to Menu ________________________________________OUR CUSTOMERSThe NIH serves four primary external customer groupsthe general public, health professionals, other governmental agencies, and grantee/contractor organizations. These four broad categories encompass the populations that we serve and work with most often. Wh en the agency embarked on this process, we felt it was necessary to define and limit our primary groups. As we continue with our customer service initiatives, we may include additional customer groups. Return to Menu ________________________________________STANDARDSThe standards describe in this report represent the NIH effort to identify the needs and concerns of our customers and to establish measurable processes to address these needs and concerns. The standards have beendeveloped from information gathered from surveys/focus groups, and benchmarking with other outstanding organizations and are based on measured performance attributes a set of criteria that expresses customer requirements and expectations. Performance attributes are organized into two categories. 1.Process attributes transaction-related characteristics equal by internal operations, such as procedures, policies, and functions the primary focus is continuously improving our internal operations so we can deliver our products and services quicker, better and cheaper and2.Quality attributes image-related characteristics that describe the contact between the customer and the organization. The overall standard of quality we seek is customer service for the American people that is equal to or better than the best in business. The following attributes were used to develop the standards Process AttributesConsistency in policies and procedures holding to the alike principles across the organization Convenient feedback mechanisms feedback that are easy to use and access Frequent communication including followup any form of communication on a regular basis, where taking action following that communication enhances the effectiveness of that communication Managing resources well narrow control and use of resources, human as well as fiscal, to maximize their impact and effectivenessProblem solving and attempts to remove barriers proposed solutions or considerations to resolve something that i s an obstruction or prevents progress Prompt handling of customer feedback immediate or quick management of customer dissatisfaction by empowering employees to fix problems Flexible options sending and receiving information using a variety of methods, including greater use of e-commerce solutions invariable Improvement striving to do everything quicker, better and cheaper Quality AttributesAccessible ability or freedom to approach, advertise with, or make use of Courteous respect or considerationFlexible capability to reconcile to or change requirements Knowledgeable familiarity with or understanding of facts and/or conditions Listens well gives attention and/or careful consideration to what is said Reliable and Trustworthy dependable, confidence in character, abilities, and truth Timely information and/or responses are provided early or on time Return to Menu ________________________________________AGENCY-WIDE STANDARDSThe following standards apply to all customer group s.All NIH Customers are entitle tofair, courteous and professional treatmentinformation that is accurate and current seasonably responses to requestsreasonable access to portion stafftwo-way communicationopportunities for collaboration and partnerships, as appropriate andconsideration of their opinions and concerns by the agency in the decision making process use of plain lyric for all communication with the public (Attachment 2) In additionThe General Public is entitled to accurate and timely health information about research being conducted. Health Professionals are entitled to timely information that will assist them in advancing and protecting the public health. Other Government Agencies are entitled toocooperation from the NIH in maximizing efficient use of resources, eliminating duplication of efforts and carrying out collaborative efforts otechnical assistance, training and guidance grantee/Contractor Organizations are entitled tootimely review of coatings and awardsoprofe ssional treatment in resolving disputesofair application of laws, regulations and policiesofair and consistent application reviewsorespect in the performance of duties and responsibilities and otimely payment. Return to Menu ________________________________________FUTURE EFFORTSNIH will continue to embark on a variety of initiatives to ensure that it continues to address customer needs. The on-going Customer Service Management group will orchestrate these activities. Ensuring that quality service is provided is an on-going process that requires changes in the way we do business by increasing accent on listening to our customers and by learning from the best in private industry. The agency will strive to reinvent itself to become more efficient and effectiveand to provide the types of services the public expects. Over the coming months, the agency willdevelop programs and initiatives that address customer needs. The agency, as a whole, and the individual centers and institutes wi ll use the information gathered from the survey and focus groups to develop and enhance services. benchmark against the best-in-the-business. The agency will determine what internal processes need to be improved, benchmark with leading industries, and establish performance standards. establish processes to improve customer feedback. Systems will be established to receive and address customer suggestions and feedback.