RE: REQUEST: Measuring service quality in social service

[Steven_S_Prevette@rl.gov]

Q:  I would like to know if there is any instrument for measuring service
quality
for social service. 

I believe there is.  One caution (gained from experience) is that you must
first answer the question of "how" you are going to use the measurement
information before you embark on choosing "what" to measure.  And the "how"
is contained in much of Dr. Deming's works, including Out of the Crisis and
The New Economics.

The issue is the "how" will either put barriers into place or remove
barriers from decisions on what to measure.  If people are fearful of "how"
the measure will be used, they will make all sorts of arguments about flawed
data, this really isn't "performance" and all sorts of other "reasons" why
any indicator you might choose "can't" be used.

If you remove the fear barrier by applying Dr. Deming's 14 points and his
other teachings, you will likely be able to get data and refine the measures
into something useful.

I can send you some current papers I am working on in this topic if you
like.

Steve Prevette
QA Engineer, ESH Radiological Compliance
Fluor Hanford, A Fluor Global Services Company
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
steven_s_prevette@rl.gov
509-373-9371