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Saturday,
August 13, 2005
S. Korea ‘Opinionmeter’ taking your input
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Pacific edition, Friday, January 23, Area IV officials are busting
out high-tech toys to get feedback to improve the Army’s Morale,
Welfare and Recreation services at South Korea bases.
Dozens of electronic keypads are being installed for an “Opinionmeter”
survey of MWR programs and facilities. The digital devices are to
gather patrons’ on-thespot reaction to help shape future programming,
officials said.
MWR needs to hear from customers first-hand, said J.J. Stewart,
Area IV’s acting community activities director, “so
we employ a variety of methods to ensure the lines of communication
are kept open.”
Such re-programmable machines also have been used to gather information
on projects by the Department of Public Works, housing office, American
Forces Network radio and television broadcasts and civilian personnel
center.
This time, the focus is on improving recreational options for
soldiers and civilians.
Officials said the survey information will be gathered bi-monthly
through April. The electronic questionnaires have about 10 multiple-choice
options and take about two minutes to complete, they said.
The last round of MWR surveys led to changes in how club entertainment
was arranged, said Laurel Baek, Area IV’s marketing director.
Area IV officials say the Opinionmeters likely will be used twice
more during 2004 by different organizations.
Page 1 of 1 European and Pacific Stars & Stripes
8/13/2005
Randolph
AFB January 15, 2004
Randolph AFB -82nd Medical Group
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Another way the 82nd MDG is looking to improve customer satisfaction
is by actively seeking their feedback.
The group has started using “Opinionmeters,” or computerized
survey stands, to gather feedback from patients rather than using
mailed surveys, Mr. Russell said.
“The DoD contracts the patient questionnaire mail out process,”
he said. “It is ineffective; the data is too old for us to
be responsive, and the number of responses is too low. Using the
Opinionmeter, we get more respondents, quicker results and an easier
method of compiling data. All this enables us to better serve our
patient population.”
Contra
Costa County Health Services:12/1/2003
Patient Satisfaction (now being measured by an electronic
point-of-service device called the “Opinionmeter”).
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Patient satisfaction is measured to continually monitor our patients’
perception about the care they receive at our health centers. In
past years, patients from each site were asked to complete a survey
of 37 questions rating their satisfaction with access to provider,
nurse & appointments, telephone and registration hold times,
cleanliness of sites, courtesy of staff, etc.
This year, a new survey system called the “Opinionmeter”
acts as an electronic point-of-service device, which simplifies
data collection, streamlines the reporting process and responds
to patient complaints that our manual questionnaires were too long
and tedious to fill out. This new system (presented in English and
Spanish) is very easy to use and received very positive feedback.
Stars
and Stripes - Saturday, February 9, 2002
Opinionmeters weigh reaction to AFN Radio programming in S.
Korea |
By Franklin Fisher, Taegu bureau chief
Pacific edition, Friday, December 14, 2001
TAEGU, South Korea - The U.S. Army in South Korea wanted to know
what soldiers thought of the American Forces Network's morning radio
program.
But the usual survey methods were slow, cumbersome and likely
to draw few responses.
"In a typical survey, they would have probably sent out 500,
and if they got 50 back, they would have been doing well,"
said Evan Krauss, who leads a team that runs opinion surveys for
the Army's 20th Support Group at Camp Henry in Taegu.
So they tried something new. Opinionmeters - machines that allow
survey questions to be answered with the push of a button - were
placed at high-traffic spots like post exchanges. The results are
downloaded to a computer, which tabulates them.
The radio survey ran for two weeks and received more than 600
responses, "which pretty much blew them away," Krauss
said. "Getting 600 surveys from the the Area IV population
was a fairly dramatic number.
"The meter surveys can draw so many responses, and give the
results so fast, that Krauss' team is analyzing results from four
other surveys and has several others lined up.
"The bottom line from our standpoint was we needed a quick
way to gauge customer satisfaction," Krauss said. "With
most traditional forms or survey types, you normally wind up with
very low response rates that you really can't do any analysis on.
"The 20th Support Group bought 20 opinionmeters, said Kevin
Jackson, a unit spokesman. Seventeen are floor-models that can be
placed inside the entrances to post exchanges and other high-traffic
areas. Three are hand-held models.
Jackson has used the hand-held meters to survey about 100 people.
"I just introduce myself, tell the people what the survey
is for, all they have to do is read the questions, choose an answer
and … it will advance to another question.
"The beauty of this is that all the information is tabulated,
and you don't have to go back and do it manually.
"The AFN Radio survey asked nine multiple-choice questions
.For example:
1. What type of music would you prefer to hear during the AFN Taegu
Morning Show?
a. Adult Contemporary
b. Rock/Alternative
c. Oldies
d. Pop/Top 40
e. R & B
"It gave us an idea of what people like and what they listen
to, and it gave us an idea of the demographics," said Sgt.
1st Class John B. Bradley, AFN Taegu detachment commander.
"In terms of the short-term," said Krauss, "it
will give us a much better handle on what the community thinks about
the specific services being offered, which allows you to make the
longer-term corrective actions. You have to know what the customer
population is thinking about what you're providing in order to provide
the longer-term services.
"Survey responses are still being evaluated, and no final
programming decisions have been made, Bradley said.
But, said Bradley, early indications were that some respondents
in the 35 to 50 age bracket want to hear more "classic rock,"
and that the station will look at the possibility of working it
into its programming.
Advocate
HealthCare - Trinity Hospital - September 2001
What's your Opinion
September, 2001 |
Trinity Hospital has taken a good idea—the suggestion box—and
made it even better. The new electronic “opinionmeters”
that have recently popped up around the hospital allow patients,
their families and even staff to provide fast feedback to administrative
personnel on the hospital’s day-to-day operations.
Now with just the touch of a button, you can answer a few questions
and register your opinion—whether it’s to compliment
a helpful nurse or voice a concern.
Managers retrieve the opinionmeter information and pass along
positive feedback or take appropriate action to resolve complaints.
“Trinity Hospital hopes this fast feedback tool will heighten
staff accountability, reinforce positive behavior, motivate change
when needed and result in improved service to each and every patient,”
says Donna King, vice president of operations and chief nurse executive.
MWR
Today - January 2001
Camp Lejeune Tests the Waters |
By Regina A.B. Delgado
The Camp Lejeune, N.C. Marine Corps Community Services conducts
extensive market research using Opinionmeters, interactive polling
machines designed to quickly and efficiently gather customer satisfaction
feedback at point of service. Driven by a strategic plan, this effort
focuses on an annual survey distributed to a representative sample
of eligible MCCS patrons, and is supplemented by exit poll surveys.
The primary objective is to obtain current information regarding
customer opinions, patterns, and levels of satisfaction with all
MCCS facilities, programs, and services at Camp Lejeune.
The stand-supported, battery powered Opinionmeters are programmed
with standardized questions and rotated through MCCS facilities.
The Opinionmeter can record up to 2,000 surveys and process the
data internally, producing a summary report with percentage results
at the touch of a button. Or, for additional data manipulation,
results can be downloaded into a personal computer and analyzed
using statistical software. The Opinionmeter offers an optional
"winning number" feature that we activate and associate
with an incentive to encourage participation and increase response
rates.
We began using the machines at Camp Lejeune in 1997 and, in some
facilities, have collected as many as seven independent sets of
data. In several cases we've been able to recognize a weakness,
make necessary improvements, and monitor a direct increase in satisfaction
at a particular facility. For example, results from a study of the
Harriotte B. Smith Library at Camp Lejeune determined facility hours
of operation were inconvenient for many customers. Mangers identified
specific days and times by interacting with customers, and extended
operating hours on Friday evenings to accommodate the requests.
A follow up exit poll at that facility conducted three months later
showed increased satisfaction levels with hours of operation, presumably
related to the changes instituted by management.
The
Forum - April, 28 2000
Lauderhill meters public opinion with machine |
By Corey Siggins
Lauderhill officials, working in conjunction with Florida Atlantic
University, are currently utilizing a special machine in order to
determine how residents feel about certain departments and the way
they are run within the city.
The machine, called an "Opinionmeter", has been in use
by Lauderhill for the past month. Its purpose is to poll local residents
about a particular department or special event that it may be located
in at that moment; the responses are evaluated and then factored
into any improvements or modifications done afterwards.
"This is something that is very positive to have in the community.
The machine will help our city preserve the commitment to providing
quality service to the people who live here.", Special Events
Coordinator, Leslie Tropepe, said.
The Opinionmeter works by asking a series of questions to an individual
about the department or special even that the freestanding machine
has been customized to be in. The machine can be programmed to ask
any multiple-choice questions you desire. Since the machine is a
mobile piece of equipment, many departments or programs can be scrutinized
over a certain period of time. Through an infrared device, the information
obtained from the polling can be downloaded and brought back to
be analyzed. The data can eventually be transformed into a set of
graphs and percentages showing how many people were satisfied or
dissatisfied with a department or event.
Judging on how the machine has been used so far, it seems as if
residents have been giving straightforward answers. "People
tend to be more honest and upfront if they respond anonymously",
Tropepe said. Lauderhill can examine the results of the questioning
and, if they wish, modify any area in accordance to how the public
feels.
The Florida Institute supplied the Opinionmeter to Lauderhill
for Career and Employment Training, a speical division of FAU that
specializes in evaluating companies on how they perform. The group
had acquired the machine about a year ago from a California-based
company called Opinionmeter, Inc. The machine was normally used
by the division to query employees on the efficiency of the various
businesses and companies for which they worked. Lauderhill is the
first city in which the Opinionmeter has been placed.
According to Tropepe, response to the Opinionmeter has been positive.
For instance, the machine was recently seen at the city's annual
"Spring Fling" celebration last weekend, which polled
residents on how they felt about Lauderhill's special events. "Because
of the response conveyed towards the use of the Opinionmeter in
Lauderhill, we are now in talks to use the machines in other cities
in the future," George Gadson said. "In fact, five more
Opinionmeters are in the process of being purchased right now."
To Tropepe, the Opinionmeter represents an invaluable tool that
helps in insuring that Lauderhill's departments and events are simply
the best that they can be. "This is such an incredible device
at our disposal. I believe it's something that improves the quality
of life immensely here in Lauderhill and helps us in communicating
on a better basis with residents," she said.
Military
Market Magazine, April 1999
Opinionmeter lets your customers tell you what they think |
By Roger Hyneman
Everyone has an opinion. And whether they be incendiary or insightful,
annoying or cloying, they can also be valuable and helpful. For
businesses, it's customer opinions that matter most. But getting
those opinions isn't easy.
Enter the amazing Opinionmeter. Looking something like a parking
meter, it can be set up almost anywhere and programmed to ask specific
questions. Unobtrusive in appearance, it attracts attention but
is fast enough that users will use it, and not just walk away.
Already, Opinionmeter are being used by morale, welfare and recreation
facilities on more than 75 bases worldwide.
What a tool! Every commissary and exchange should have one. According
to Paul Biesemeier, an MWR marketing specialist at Fort Hood, Opinionmeter
"draws the attention of all ages and gives patrons a fun way
to let our marketing team know just how they feel about the facility
without completing a long questionnaire or being inconvenienced
in some other way."
Exchanges could place Opinionmeters near store entrances or exits.
Commissaries could set them up adjacent to the queuing lines, giving
customers something to do while awaiting checkout.
MWR
Feedback - Feb/March 1999 Opinionmeter Eliminates hassle of
data gathering, and customers like to use it. |
By Paul Biesemeier
What's the customer reaction to our new theme restaurant (fitness
center, recreation center, etc.)?
Are customers satisfied with service at our facilities?
How many times has your garrison commander or director of community
activities asked you those questions? Do you have the answers? Maybe
you have current information or maybe you do a "tap dance."
Here's how we came up with answers. It's a machine called the Opinionmeter.
In this age of interactivity, patrons readily step up to the Opinionmeter
in Fort Hood facilities to provide input - a record of their satisfaction.
The unobtrusive device that looks almost like a parking meter (and
isn't much bigger than one) draws the attention of all ages and
gives patrons a fun away to let our marketing team know just how
they feel about the facility without completing a long questionnaire
or being inconvenienced in some other way.
The number of question on the single page prompt sheet is the
only real limitation to the amount of information you can get. The
prompt sheet is easily changed and tailored to the facility. We've
used it as Assistance Office, Primo's Restaurant, Sports Pub, and
the Outdoor Recreation equipment checkout center.
Army marketing managers who attended the November 1998 Marketing
Manager's Course at Texas A&M University saw an Opinionmeter
demonstration. The flexibility and low profile of the machine make
it very effective and provide a low cost alternative to time and
labor-intensive data gathering.
"The need to benchmark our efforts drove the staff to seek
additional and nontraditional ways to get customer feedback",
said Michael B. Dutcher, Fort Hood's assistant director of community
and family activities. "The Opinionmeter helps because we can
easily go back to the facility at least once a year with the same
questions."
By Joseph Rydholm
The ongoing patient satisfaction survey has become a staple of
the health care industry's efforts to gather data on provider performance
and identify service areas needing improvement. While these surveys
provide a valuable historical measure, they often lack immediacy.
Patients are asked to rate and remember events that may have occurred
weeks or months ago. In addition, unless a more timely method of
gauging patient satisfaction is in place, the lag time between survey
administration and analysis may cost the organization valuable time
that could be used to correct small service problems before they
become major issues.
For one health care provider, a way to get immediate feedback
from patients is by using an Opinionmeter, a stand-alone polling
machine made by Opinionmeter, Inc., Berkeley, Calif. John Maio,
manager of diagnostic imaging, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Oakland,
Calif., has used Opinionmeters to gather patient satisfaction of
information also for employee surveys. Placing the survey machines
in the waiting areas of various departments, Maio has collected
patient responses to brief questionnaires about their just-completed
visit. "When I saw the Opinionmeter demonstrated, it occurred
to me that I could get rich data at the point of service, as opposed
to data from a questionnaire that is mailed out to people a long
time after their interaction with hospital staff," Maio says.
"We get six-month-old data from member patient satisfaction
surveys that are used across the region, which includes 2.5 million
members, spread across 23 different facilities. Well, that's pretty
tough to work on because I don't know what has happened since the
time the survey was taken. With the Opinionmeter, I can get information
and try to act on it immediately."
For example, as part of the center's New Practice Models customer
service effort, Maio met with members of the pediatrics department
at the Oakland facility to identify things the staff could do to
improve patient satisfaction. "We devised a survey to be administered
on the Opinionmeter that had four basic questions: Were the receptionists
helpful and courteous? Did the nurses introduce themselves to you?
If your appointment ran late, were you kept informed? And, what
did you think about your overall visit, using A-needs improvement;
B-met my expectations; C-exceeded my expectations," Maio says.
The short questionnaire was displayed on a panel attached to the
Opinionmeter. Respondents used the keypad below it to enter their
responses. In two weeks, Maio received 300 responses on one Opinionmeter,
184 on another and 225 on a machine in his own department, which
he used as a control to show staffers that the high response numbers
weren't just from kids pressing the machines' buttons.
(If a patient enters responses outside the range of possible answers,
their survey won't be recorded. In addition, if a respondent doesn't
complete the survey, the responses won't be saved. "You can
also require people to enter their ZIP code or medical record number,
for example, so if kids are pressing the buttons, it's not going
to correlate to an active patient and you can just throw that response
out," Maio says.
Introductions Are Important
The survey showed that even something as simple as a doctor or
nurse introducing themselves seems to have a strong effect on satisfaction.
"Of all the patients who were introduced, I looked at their
answers to the other questions and their satisfaction levels in
those areas were about 40 percent higher than those who said nobody
introduced themselves," Maio says.
"It was interesting to crosstab the responses of those who
were happy with the service and those who weren't because you could
see the answers to the questions that made them formulate their
opinion. Of those who liked the service, 90 percent were introduced
to the nurse, 90 percent had someone follow up with them if their
appointment was running late, 90 percent said receptionists were
helpful and courteous. So it's pretty easy to deduce that if you
want to have high patient satisfaction these are the areas that
can contribute to that."
He was also able to refute employee claims that only disgruntled
patients take the time to do the survey, seeing it as a way to vent
their displeasure. "The remarkable thing was, 67 percent said
their visit was satisfactory or exceptional, and only 33 percent
said it wasn't."
When he's preparing to place an Opinionmeter in a department waiting
room, Maio says he tells the staff what the survey focuses on, rewarding
them if they can raise satisfaction to certain levels.
"It's like a test where the professor gives you the answers
beforehand. I don't want people to have to guess how to change their
behavior, I'd rather tell them, 'Here's the answer and let's see
how good you can do at it.'"
Employee Surveys
The Opinionmeters have been valuable for employee surveys as well,
Maio says. He places the survey machine in his office, facing it
away from him so employees know he can't see what their responses
are. "The meter is pointed away from me. It doesn't emit any
sounds that let me know which buttons they're pressing. They complete
the survey and they check their name off the list and go. I tell
them I'm not interested in an individual's answers, I'm interested
in overall numbers."
He's tried other methods, such as having employees #-mail comments
to him, but employees are understandably nervous about anything
with their name attached to it. "In the past, people didn't
want to say anything about co-workers or managers for fear of retribution.
But now I can get good data on what the whole department is saying
and the areas that these people need to work on. It's a good way
to get people to give me information on an anonymous basis that
I can use to make their work environment better and to make patients'
lives better."
Maio knows there is the chance that some employees might stack
the deck against fellow employees whom they dislike. He also knows
that employees could secretly complete surveys to make their own
performance look good. So he tries to ensure a large sample.
"By and large, people have been surprised. They were afraid
fellow employees would rip them to shreds but people actually have
good things to say. If you use it as much for a reward as you do
for trying to improve things, it's a great tool. Plus I think it
makes a statement to patients that we want to hear what they have
to say."
Positive Comments
One outgrowth of the initial experience with the Opinionmeter
was devising a vehicle for employees and patients to make positive
comments about staffers. Now, specially labeled phones near some
reception areas go to a voice mailbox, where callers are instructed
to leave their comments. The messages are later printed and displayed
and also placed in the employee's file.
"The comment system has been well received, because there was
no mechanism like it before. In many cases when you do employee
evaluations, only the ad things are documented. This is a way to
note when someone does something good and keep a record of it in
their file."
Rather than seeing the Opinionmeter as a watchdog or a test of
employee performance, Maio views it as a part of his effort to serve
both the medical center's customers and its employees. "I have
116 employees in my department, and we do about 170,00 imaging cases
per year, so it helps me show the staff how focused I am on finding
out what patients want, and to have them understand that I'm focused
on what they as employees want from me.
"In my position, I'm supposed to have vision and leadership
capabilities. I think the important thing is letting the staff know
that basically I'm their secretary. They need to tell me what's
going to make their job easier. I'll filter that with my own vision
and we'll move ahead together. Unless I do that and show them that
I'm interested in their work environment, there's no way I'm going
to get them to change their behavior."
Cal
Poly Pamona - News Brief
Students Give Foundation a Piece of Their Minds
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Students are giving the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation a piece of
their minds. And the Foundation couldn't be happier. That's because
it has recently purchased two free-standing survey machines called
the Opinionmeter, computerized, interactive interviewers which ask
students, faculty and staff a series of questions about their purchasing
patterns and needs. The machines are currently located inside the
Campus Center Marketplace and Los Olivos Dining Commons.
"Our customers are diverse and more demanding in terms of
products and services they expect, and the price they are willing
to pay" says Paul Storey, executive director of the Foundation.
"It is imperative that we use technology to run our operations
more effectively."
In a recent poll, Los Olivos diners were asked about their interest
in a cook-your-own-steak night and entree preferences. And in April,
University Village residents will be asked to input their views
in the Opinionmeter.
The Foundation has received positive responses about the Opinionmeter
from the campus community. "They're pretty popular", says
Sherry Egler, foundation marketing manager. "Procurement recently
called me for information on the Opinionmeter for other departments
interested in purchasing their own."
Kaiser
Permanente - Newsletter
Oakland Medical Center
How can we be certain service changes are making a difference?
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One way to measure our progress is to ask our staff and members
how we're doing.The Radiology Department is the first department
at the Oakland Medical Center to use the Opinionmeter. Radiology
uses the Opinionmeter to survey staff and members about satisfaction
and customer service. "I'm wild about it" says John Maio,
Manager of Diagnostic Imaging. "The Opinionmeter is a positive
tool to help reinforce positive behavior and motivate change".
"The Opinionmeter, helps us set and achieve our customer
service goals," says Maio. Instead of using the Opinionmeter
as a tool to identify shortfalls, Maio uses the Opinionmeter as
an accountability tool supporting the goals of the ASE training.
He tells his staff the questions in advance, giving them time to
prepare and the opportunity to succeed.
How does the Opinionmeter work?
Managers insert a list of customized questions into a frame on
the Opinionmeter. Respondents enter answers anonymously onto a computer
screen. Managers can tally results at any time. The typical questionnaire
asks six to ten questions and takes between 30 and 45 seconds to
complete.
Maio finds that staff members answer questions differently when
their answers are anonymous. They can express their opinions honestly
without confronting a manager or co-worker on an uncomfortable issue.
Several department managers including: Head and Neck, OB/GYN,
Lab and Medicine participated in an Opinionmeter training held earlier
this month. Several Opinionmeter will begin circulating throughout
the Medical Center.
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