ADVISORY:Older Worker Bulletin No. 02-12

TO: All Senior Community Service Employment Program Grantees

FROM: _____________________  ___________________

John R. Beverly, III                  Ria Moore Benedict

Administrator                          Acting Chief

Office of National Programs      Division of Older Worker Programs

SUBJECT:"Voice of the Customer" Publication

1. PURPOSE: To announce the availability, and transmit a copy, of a new publication entitled "Voice of the Customer: Senior Community Service Employment Program."

2. BACKGROUND: In 2000, the Workforce Excellence Network, in conjunction with the Division of Older Worker Programs (DOWP), funded the National Council on the Aging to work with ARBOR, Inc., on a Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Voice of the Customer (VOC) Project. This project involved training staff from national and state SCSEP grantees and local SCSEP projects on designing and conducting VOC surveys, interpreting the survey findings, and using the results to improve their programs. The resulting publication, entitled "Voice of the Customer: Senior Community Service Employment Program," provides background information on the VOC process and describes the VOC surveys conducted by participating SCSEP staff. It also includes, as Appendix B, a "SCSEP Guide for Measuring and Improving Customer Satisfaction."

The "SCSEP Guide for Measuring and Improving Customer Satisfaction" is designed to be used as a stand alone guide by local SCSEP projects interested in conducting customer satisfaction surveys. It provides information on conducting VOC surveys, analyzing customer satisfaction and data findings, and using the findings to improve programs and processes. It includes sample surveys that may be used as they are or modified to meet individual program needs. Appendix B and the individual surveys it contains may be reproduced for use by local SCSEP project staff.

3. REPORT AVAILABILITY: Electronic copies of the "Voice of the Customer: Senior Community Service Employment Program" are available at the DOWP website http://wdsc.doleta.gov/seniors/whats_new.cfm under "WHAT'S NEW." Hard copies of the publication may be ordered from David Richardson at DOWP's fax number (202) 693-3817 or by e-mail to drichardson@doleta.gov.

4. INQUIRIES: Questions should be directed to your Grant Officer's Technical Representative at (202) 693-3842.

5. ATTACHMENTS

Voice of the Customer -Senior Community Service Employment Program:
This publication provides a road map to use in identifying your customers, measuring the satisfaction of your customers, interpreting your findings, and using these findings to improve your organization.

Appendix B to Voice of the Customer:
This is a "how-to" guide designed to provide SCSEP projects with the tools they need to undertake their own Voice of the Customer studies.

TDNO:DRichardson/MJ/10-22-02Rm/N5636/33757

Retyped: Mary Johnson 10-24-02

Retyped: Mina Johnson 02-05-03

Cc: Beverly/Benedict/Richardson/Files

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