1.2 Making sure that users receive a high quality service
All public service organisations provide
a service to other people and/or
organisations, although not all provide
services directly to members of the
public. The quality of service is an
important measure of how effective an
organisation is, and so it is particularly
important in governance.
Users of public services, unlike
consumers in the private sector, usually
have little or no option to go elsewhere
for services or to withdraw payment9.
Providers of public services have fewer
direct fi nancial incentives than private
companies to improve consumer
satisfaction. Organisations that provide
public services therefore need to take
additional steps to ensure that services
are of a high quality.