Developing a customer service
strategy to support the new regulatory
model
An introductory paper for the Providers Advisory Group
CQC is developing a customer service strategy
to drive significant improvement in the way our
customers experience their interaction with us
What will the customer service strategy do?
 CQC’s customer service strategy will define the way we engage with our
customers and describe the customer service standard that we want to achieve
across all customer touch-points
Why are we developing one?
 The customer service strategy will help CQC to realise the following benefits:
Benefit
How is the benefit realised
1
Supports our regulatory model
Engages customers in achieving our strategic priorities
2
Drives quality and efficiency
supporting the achievement of
the better regulation principles
Focuses our resources and efforts to deliver customer
service performance throughout the relationship
3
Releases cultural engagement
It establishes a common sense of purpose and a clear idea
of how success is achieved
4
Helps design an organisation that
is customer focussed
It identifies what standard of customer service CQC should
achieve across the customer touch-points
2
2
A successful customer service strategy must be
solidly grounded on deep understanding of who
it is that we are trying to serve
What definition of customer are we using for the purposes of developing the strategy?
 Our customers: the people we do things to and those people we do things for
 People we do things with are considered to be stakeholders rather than customers
Based upon this definition, who are our customers?
From the above definition, our customers are:
 the Care Commissioners,
 the Healthcare Providers,
 the Social Care Providers and
 the Users of Health and Social Care Services
Which customer groups have we prioritised?
 The development of the customer service strategy will focus on the healthcare and social
care providers
3
We have developed hypotheses about how our
customers will be judging the quality of customer
service they get from us - approach
Finding 2: From this, we have defined
hypotheses about how we have an
influence on what matters to them and the
performance drivers against which our
customers will be judging the quality of
customer service they get from us
Our
customers
CQC
Finding 3: From this, we have defined
hypotheses about how customer service
can reinforce the achievement of our
own strategic objectives
Their
strategic
objectives
Our
strategic
priorities
Finding 1: We have defined
hypotheses about the strategic
objectives for our prioritised
customer groups
4
We have developed hypotheses about how our
customers will be judging the quality of customer
service they get from us - example
ASC provider
Their
strategic
objectives
CQC
Our
strategic
priorities
Finding 2: By communicating clearly
what needs to be done to comply with
regulation, we facilitate the provider to
create the necessary internal
appreciation of why this is important,
and therefore to actively engage
managers and staff in ensuring that
good quality standards are met.
Clarity and understanding are
performance drivers against which our
customers will be judging the quality of
customer service they get from us.
Finding 3: This, in turn, supports three
of our strategic priorities:
- Making sure that care is centred on
people’s needs and protects their rights
- Promoting high-quality care,
- Regulating effectively, in partnership
Finding 1: To provide access to
good quality healthcare
5
Based upon these hypotheses, we have started to develop a view of the
customer service standard that we want to deliver
Registration
Top-level
customer journey
Level 1
Level 2
Service performance
theme
Clarity, certainty,
understanding
Assessment of quality
Understand
guidance on
essential
standards
Submit
registration
form
Provide
assessment of
compliance
Receive site
visits
Submit
notifications
Being subject to
enforcement
Participate in
special reviews
Receive site
visits
• CQC communicates
with me in a clear and
appropriate way,
designed for me to
easily understand
what I need to do and
when the various
stages of the process
are taking place
• The implications of
the judgment are
clear to me and I
understand how the
judgment was
derived
• Information is
readily available to
me, it’s written in
plain English and
my questions are
answered promptly
• I have confidence
that the whole
process is fair and
consistent because
I understand how a
judgement is made
• I understand the
circumstances in
which this is
expected of me
and the guidelines
are sufficiently
clear
• It is clear to me why
the enforcement process began and what
it is going to happen
• I understand the clear
rationale for the
assessment
• I have confidence
that the whole
process is fair
and consistent
because I
understand how a
judgement is
made
• The fee for new
and variation
registration is fair
and affordable
• The whole process is
been dealt with
quickly and
professionally
• I believe that this
process helps me
assess the quality
of the care provided
and manage risks
• I understand the rules
of compliance and I
know exactly what the
requirements for
registration are
Simplicity,
timeliness,
efficiency
Compliance
• The rules of
compliance are
proportionate and the
cost of implementation
is affordable
• I find the
registration form
easy to complete
and the whole
process is as I
expected it
• The process is easy
to follow and can be
easily applied to the
way we work here
• The timescales I
am required to
meet are
reasonable
Professionalism,
trust,
respectfulness,
fairness
• My queries are
answered promptly
Inclusion,
openness,
usefulness
• I appreciate why this is
important
• I believe that the
requirements are
consistently applied
to all providers
• Complying with
regulation gives me
reassurance that I
am doing the right
thing
• CQC staff is polite
and professional;
they constructively
engaged with me
and they made it
clear what the
purpose of their visit
is and what it
entails
• I know that CQC
will use this
information to
improve
standards and
prevent risks
• The steps CQC is
taking feel fair and
proportionate
• It helps me
structure the way I
run my business,
giving me a clear
sense of direction in
the way care is
delivered
• Site visits are an
integral part of the
way we operate as
they provide us with
the reassurance
that we are doing
the right thing
• I understand that
the notification
procedure ensure
consistency of
regulation and
provides valuable
intelligence on
issues that could
affect me
• I feel that CQC is
trying to address
these issues in
partnership with me
• It helps me address
issues as they arise
in an effective way
• It helps me set the
example and act on
unruly behaviours
• CQC staff is
polite and
professional; they
constructively
engaged with me
and they made it
clear what the
purpose of their
visit is and what it
entails
• The assessment
provides me with access
to best practices
• I finally have a clear idea
of what is good quality
and poor quality
• I feel I am given the
opportunity to contribute
to improving the quality
of care in England
• Site visits provide
us with the
opportunity to
look at the way
we operate in a
novel way
6
We are keen to test and validate the developing
thinking on the customer service strategy with
providers
Step 1
Define strategy and
service standards
Step 2
Gather requirements and
develop prioritisation for
interventions
Step 3
Develop and implement
realisation plan
Provide input into
requirements gathering and
priorities setting
Help assess customer
service is realising expected
outcomes
Your involvement
Provide customer insight
over strategice objectives,
needs and standards
7