Maximizing the value of discussion groups in customer satisfaction surveys

In 1994, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducted the first in a series of customer satisfaction discussion groups to determine the kind and quality of services wanted and their level of satisfaction with existing services. This paper describes how 13 innovative customer satisfaction discussion groups were introduced at two Center-sponsored conferences, the 1994 Data Users Conference (DUG) and 1995 Public Health Conference on Records and Statistics (PHCRS), to get immediate feedback from policy and research-based customers in a variety of sectors. Results from the two conferences are presented and compared with an emphasis on how key quality factors were utilized to maximize data quality. Specific examples are provided to show how customer satisfaction research can be designed to achieve actionable results in support of a department or agency's mission.