United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Statistical Division
Who are our customers?
Steps towards effective
customer management
CCSA Session on Making Statistics Meaningful
for Users – Luxembourg, 8 September 2011
Contents
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Starting from zero
User surveys
Other sources of user information
Improving our services
Conclusions
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 2
Starting from zero
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We started disseminating our database on the
Internet in 2005
The number of
downloads grew
rapidly
We knew nothing
about these users
How could we
improve our dissemination service?
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 3
User survey
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Launched autumn 2007
Now annual
Web-based
10 questions
E-mail to registered
users
Box on website inviting other users to
take part
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 4
Responses
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Target = 100
2008 – no
“incentive”
offered!
2010 – survey
open for shorter period due to website
upgrade
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 5
Value of “incentives”

We offer a free publication to all who
complete the survey
•
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... and give their name and address!
Clearly has an impact on response rates
But does it have an impact on the
results?
•
No clear evidence either way
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 6
Sample size
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Tens of thousands of database users
•
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< 200 responses is a tiny percentage
Issues of possible bias?
Do incentives reduce bias?
How reliable are the results?
Can we validate them?
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 7
Validating results (1)
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Compare user characteristics with other
data, e.g. from Google Analytics
Geographic spread similar
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 8
Validating results (2)

Compare with expectations
•
Growing proportion of academics / students /
researchers
• Public sector rate quality higher
• Private sector less happy with quality,
particularly timeliness
• Improvements to database interface increase
perception of user-friendliness
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These results agree with ad-hoc feedback
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 9
Validating results (3)

Low sample size:
•
Results need caveats
• Small changes can not be seen as significant
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But, this survey is the best source of
information we have
When combined with other data, the
results seem plausible
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 10
Using the results
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Results feed through to annual quality
improvement programmes
Plan
Improve
Run
Do
Evaluate
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 11
Improving our services
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Improved timeliness
Quick access to key indicators
New “Country Overview” data cube
• “Quick Statistics” charts and maps
•
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More content in Russian
More and better metadata
•
New glossary with links to / from data
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 12
Conclusions (1)
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We are just at the tip of the iceberg
−
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but at least we are starting to know how
little we know!
Use all available information sources to
get a fuller picture
Visibility and Relevance are essential:
•
More users = more visibility
• Happy users = more relevance
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 13
Conclusions (2)
Good customer knowledge
and relations are vital
for improving quality
23 July 2016
UNECE Statistical Division
Slide 14