- INTRODUCTION OF GATHERING CUSTOMER INFORMATION BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES PUBLIC SERVICE
The innovative system of communication and information is important for local government. This statement is supported by Hezri (2004) who claims that “good governance requires better communication within society”. Mohd-Ali et al. (2006) in the study on corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness among local government in Malaysia also reveal that the most popular means of communicating CSR information so that it is better communication within the society is via the local government webpage. Hence, this also paper observes local government webpage plays an integral role in gathering customer information towards achieving fulfilling society need, or in this paper, towards customer satisfaction in public services. The platform of delivering information that local authorities have in deal with quality management practices such as webpages, One Stop Centre (OSC) portal, social network and feedback forms is important to measure the satisfaction and identify needs and wants by services that has being delivered. Martin (1995) supports this view by describing it as a society in which the quality of life, as well as prospects for social change and economic development, depending increasingly upon information and its exploitation. In such a society, living standards, patterns of work and leisure, the education system, and marketplace are all influenced by advances in information and knowledge. This is evidenced by an increasing array of information-intensive products and services (Martin, 1988). Annan (2002) notes that the information society is a way for human capacity to develop, build up, nourish, and liberate by giving people access to tools and technologies, with the education and training to use them effectively.
As for Malaysia, after more than 20 years of the “Excellence Work Culture” program has been launched, the performance of local authorities in terms of technologies (specifically the website) still receives much criticism and complaints, suggesting the inability of these institutions in delivering high quality services to meet the expectation of public at large (Ibrahim and Abd Karim, 2004). In Malaysia public sector, several efforts have been made before that focused on evaluating performance of the agencies and individual through Annual Work Objective (SKT), competency evaluation under Malaysia Pension Scheme (SSM), as well as assessment on efficiency of Quality Management System through ISO 9000 and TQM. The effort has also been proved to increase the ability to resolve problem innovatively through Quality Circle Group (KMK) and benchmark best practices through Quality Awards in civil service. These efforts have been undertaken in line with the quality manifesto where as claimed by Deputy Minister of Human Resource, (Abd Majid and McCaffer, 1997) “the perception of superiority or sense of appreciation by customers to satisfy their needs” (Official Portal of Public Complaints Bureau, 2013). Public Complaint Bureau (Official Portal of Public Complaints Bureau, 2013) mentions that there is quite a high number of complains field by the public due to delays in taking actions and providing services to them by the Malaysian public services organization which is also affected by the failure in mutually defining quality in gathering customer information. Hence, this paper is carried out with the aim of identifying the way of gathering customer information in order to fulfil customer satisfaction, need and wants in local authority (LA) public service.
This paper focuses on the way of gathering customer information of public services by Selama District Council, Perak towards their customer satisfaction, needs and wants using SWOT analysis and identifying challenges that faced by the organization. The local government public services organization will benefit to undertake with understanding for better process that leads to continual improvement in terms of gathering customer information in the organization that in turn result in customer satisfaction. It is essential to assist Malaysian local authority to provide better information through the digital information transparency and all available platforms in order to enhance trust and confidence level of the residents in particular, and the public as a whole.
- BACKGROUND OF SELAMA DISTRICT COUNCIL
In 1948, the occurrence of an emergency, the areas around the village of Malay and Chinese area of Redang Panjang, Bagan Baru, Sungai Terap, Kubu Gajah and Rantau Panjang. New Village is named for the village of Malay and Chinese Local Council of the village. In 1952, the Selama District Council, better known as the Town Board Over (Town Board) under the Local Authorities Election Ordinance. In 1953, the Town Board Over (Town Board) known as the Local Council, which covers all areas (Kampung Baru and Local Council) under the Local Council Ordinance. Local Council is chaired by the District Officer and Member Committees are from among the local population that elected through local government elections. This time it's directly under the auspices of the State Government.