Business Satisfaction Survey Results 2006/2007

Overall Results

• Sent Out - 411
• Received - 71
• % Received - 17%

1. How satisfied were you with our overall level of service?

The following chart shows how satisfied respondees were with our over all level of service as follows:

• Very Satisfied:
  2005-2006 - 52%
  2006-2007 - 48%
• Fairly Satisfied:
  2005-2006 - 38%
  2006-2007 - 42%
• Fairly Dissatisfied:
  2005-2006 - 7%
  2006-2007 - 4%
• Very Dissatisfied:
  2005-2006 - 4%
  2006-2007 - 0%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 4%
  2006-2007 - 1%

2. Did we give you information/advice that was easy to understand?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who thought the information/advice given was easy to understand as follows:

• Very Easy:
  2005-2006 - 42%
  2006-2007 - 48%
• Fairly Easy:
  2005-2006 - 47%
  2006-2007 - 49%
• Fairly Difficult:
  2005-2006 - 0%
  2006-2007 - 4%
• Very Difficult:
  2005-2006 - 4%
  2006-2007 - 0%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 4%
  2006-2007 - 3%

3. How informative di you find our staff?

The following chart shows how informative respondees found our staff to be, as follows:

• Very Informative:
  2005-2006 - 56%
  2006-2007 - 61%
• Fairly Informative:
  2005-2006 - 40%
  2006-2007 - 34%
• Fairly Uninformative:
  2005-2006 - 2%
  2006-2007 - 1%
• Very Uninformative:
  2005-2006 - 0%
  2006-2007 - 0%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 2%
  2006-2007 - 3%

4. Did we treat you fairly at all times?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who feel they were treated fairly at all times as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 86%
  2006-2007 - 93%

• No:
  2005-2006 - 9%
  2006-2007 - 4%

• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 5%
  2006-2007 - 3%

5. Were our officers polite and courteous at all times?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who feel our officers were polite and courteous at all times as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 89%
  2006-2007 - 97%

• No:
  2005-2006 - 7%
  2006-2007 - 0%

• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 4%
  2006-2007 - 3%

6. How easy was it to make initial contact with us?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who thought it was easy to make inital contact with us, as follows:

• Very Easy:
  2005-2006 - 46%
  2006-2007 - 42%
• Fairly Easy:
  2005-2006 - 33%
  2006-2007 - 42%
• Fairly Difficult:
  2005-2006 - 6%
  2006-2007 - 0%
• Very Difficult:
  2005-2006 - 0%
  2006-2007 - 0%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 15%
  2006-2007 - 16%

7. Did you know it is possible to complain about Council services, including Trading Standards, through out service complaints procedure?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who knew it was possible o complain via our service complaints procedure, as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 47%
  2006-2007 - 56%
• No:
  2005-2006 - 43%
  2006-2007 - 40%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 10%
  2006-2007 - 4%

8a. If we said that your business was not meeting its legal requirements: Did we make it clear to you what you needed to do to meet the legal requirements?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees to whom we made it clear what they needed to do to meet legal requirements, as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 85%
  2006-2007 - 78%
• No:
  2005-2006 - 0%
  2006-2007 - 2%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 20%
  2006-2007 - 15%

8b. If we said that your business was not meeting its legal requirements: Was our response to this problem fair/reasonable?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who felt our response to their business not meeting legal requirements was fair/reasonable, as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 74%
  2006-2007 - 82%
• No:
  2005-2006 - 2%
  2006-2007 - 3%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 23%
  2006-2007 - 16%

9. If we have been in touch with your business on more than one occassion, have you been treated consistently on different occassions?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who felt have been treated consistently on different occassions, as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 80%
  2006-2007 - 83%
• No:
  2005-2006 - 6%
  2006-2007 - 2%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 14%
  2006-2007 - 15%

10. Where you aware of the Trading Standards service before you had contact with us?

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who where aware of the Trading Standards service before you having contact with us, as follows:

• Yes:
  2005-2006 - 88%
  2006-2007 - 87%
• No:
  2005-2006 - 12%
  2006-2007 - 10%
• Don't Know:
  2005-2006 - 0%
  2006-2007 - 3%

Comments

• 3 - I will be very glad to be contacted by your office if you think there are ways to improve my business.
• 11 - Make it easy to find tel number and address of local trading standards.
• 13 - Some of the letters you send out are threatening even when no offence has been committed. I think that more attention should be paid to car boot sales and markets. In my opinion most shopkeepers try to conform to the law.
• 17 - I have no problems with the service and always try to adhere to all regulations from Durham. I would like to know how other shops flout the regulations on health and hygiene licensing laws and selling booze and cigs to underage and I am not talking about borderline cases.
• 18 - I am setting up a new business and TS have been outstanding in the support provided as has Planning at Derwentside unlike some departments and government offices. i.e. DEFRA and I am very grateful for the help received.
• 21 - Found your staff to be very polite.
• 31 - We are a 'community reuse and training enterprise' where we refurbished a lot of furniture and household items which are distributed to people in need and disadvantaged. As we are still new running the project, the help we received from trading standards was instrumental and Karen Warrior has been very helpful providing guidance and information which we appreciate a lot. Thank you.
• 47 - Your service is excellent and staff could not be more helpful or accommodating.
• 55 - We are closing due to oppresive bureaucracy and legislation E.U. instigate but in Europe never implemented. Supermarkets now dictate everything. The High Street is in terminal decline.
• 56 - The main purpose of the visit by trading standards was to find fault and take us to court.
• 57 - We find Durham Trading Standards very proactive and informative.
• 61 - Only comments I could make are with regard to school transport insurance provision forms sent out every year to check insurance provision. Surely direct contact with insurers are quicker, easier, and more informative. The forms are sent to us who in turn have to send to insurers to be completed and returned to us, then we return to County Hall. Problems can be:- insurers don't return in time for back by date. The forms can easily be completed by anyone and returned without even sending to insurers. Not enough time is given to return the forms due to may have separate insurance for cars, buses and liabilities. Surely it would be more fool proof and secure for County council to check insurance provision direct with insurers rather than with the firm. Even police can do their own checks to see if insurance is in force and what cover. I have always said 'it's too easy to complete and stamp these forms and return ones self'. Direct contact should be made to check cover.

Email Newsgroup

The following chart shows the percentage of respondees who would like to join an email newsgroup as follows:

• Yes - 30%
• No - 70%

Supplementary Question

Do you think the supply of fireworks to the public should be banned?

The following chart shows what percentage of respondees think the supply of fireworks to the public should be banned as follows:

• Yes - 57%
• No - 43%

Performance Measure

The performance measures for business satisfaction are shown below:

Q1. How satisfied were you with our overall level of service?
Very Satisfied - 35 responding
Fairly Satisfied - 28 responding
Fairly Unsatisfied - 3 responding
Very Unsatisfied - 0 responding
Don't Know - 1 responding

Q2. Did we give you information that was easy to understand?
Very Easy - 32 responding
Fairly Easy - 33 responding
Faril Difficult - 0 responding
Very Difficult - 0 responding
Don't Know - 2 responding

Q3. How informative did you find our staff?
Very Informative - 41 responding
Fairly Informative - 23 responding
Fairly Uninformative - 1 responding
Very Un informative - 0 responding
Don't Know - 2 responding

Q4. Did we treat you fairly at all times?
Yes - 62 responding
No - 3 responding
Don't Know - 2 responding
The above compares with a business satisfaction for 2005/6 of 81.3% and exceeds the target of 85% set last year.