Local authorities: +2.5 points in the 2019 customer relations barometer

The 7th edition of the AFNOR user relations barometer awards prizes to 14 public structures, including 9 cities, throughout France. The overall score is up 2.5 points on 2018, but two areas of tension are emerging: mail management quality and agent competence.

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Do you feel welcome in your town hall, at the head office of your department or your intercommunal authority? The AFNOR group has the answer, and it’s the barometer of user relations in local authorities that reveals it. Presented for this seventh edition on May 16, 2019 in Angers, this national observatory distinguishes 14 public structures, including 9 cities, among the 231 structures (31% more than in 2018) having submitted to the measurement system: a two-month mystery audit to measure the main determinants of their users’ satisfaction (accessibility, responsiveness, courtesy, personalization, waiting management, transfer efficiency, complaints management), on the contact channels of mail, email, website, telephone and the social networks Twitter and Facebook.

Participants posted an overall score of 68.5 out of 100, 2.5 points higher than in 2018. Certified structures (Qualivilles, Label Marianne, ISO 9001…) score 75 out of 100, which confirms that certification is a vector for progress, helping structures to improve over time. Of particular note is the increased participation of structures that are not local authorities, such as libraries, hospitals, chambers of commerce and industry, or EHPAD (nursing homes), which account for one in three participants. Their scores are lower than those of local authorities in the broad sense (65.2 out of 100 vs. 69.6 out of 100). With a score of 66 out of 100, inter-municipalities still lag behind cities (72 out of 100).

Good performance of the e-mail channel

Diagram of how to keep the e-mail channel running smoothlyThe score for email management jumps by 7 points (71 out of 100) compared to 2018, while those for social networks and website stabilize (73 out of 100 and 66 out of 100). The telephone channel continues to grow, reaching 80 out of 100 (+4 points). But the mail’s score falls, with 56 out of 100, 3 points down on 2018. For Halimah Pujol, Public Sector Manager at AFNOR, “. the mail score becomes a point of tension. It reflects a lesser investment by the structures to provide a response within ten days. Although this channel is used less and less by users, they still expect the same level of processing quality, whatever the means they use to request their public services.. ”

Another point of tension is the Compétence accueil score, which reflects agents’ interpersonal and professional skills. It falls by almost 5 points, from 83 out of 100 in 2018 to 78.3 out of 100 in 2019. ” This result reflects the need for a structured approach to quality, placing skills at the heart of the project. Users expect answers that match their needs, clarity, attentiveness and courtesy. “concludes Halimah Pujol.

The 2019 winners

  • Cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants
    • 1st: Brest City Hall (29, Brittany)
    • 2nd: Issy-les-Moulineaux Town Hall (92, Ile-de-France)
    • 3rd: Grenoble City Hall (38, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
  • Cities between 10,000 and 49,999 inhabitants
    • 1st: La Madeleine Town Hall (59, Hauts-de-France)
    • 2nd: Mairie du Bouscat (33, Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
    • 3rd: Bolbec town hall (76, Normandy)
  • Towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants
    • 1st: Belberaud Town Hall (31, Occitanie)
    • 2nd: Pagny-sur-Moselle town hall (54, Grand-Est)
    • 3rd: Evian Town Hall (74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
  • EPCI
    • 1st ex æquo: Communauté de communes Normandie-Cabourg-Pays d’Auge (14, Normandy)
    • 1st ex æquo: Communauté de Communes du Bassin de Pompey (54, Grand-Est)
  • Department :
    • Gironde (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
  • Economic development & attractiveness
    • Grand-Dax Tourist Office (40, Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
  • Education, teaching and cultural services, associations: Versailles university library (78, Ile-de-France)
  • Social, personal assistance, solidarity and health services
    • Home help (Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire)

Five special mentions

  • Digital: Hôtel du département d’Ille-et-Vilaine (35, Brittany)
  • Competence host: Mairie de Lauzerville (31, Occitanie)
  • User services: Bolbec town hall (76, Normandy)
  • Pays de la Loire special: Ville d’Orbault (44, Pays-de-la-Loire)
  • Collective quality: SICOVAL, Haute-Garonne (Occitanie)

> Download the 2019 barometer summary…

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