Customer satisfaction level of online services provided by Bahrain’s Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) has reached 78 per cent, according to an annual study.

The customer satisfaction levels were measured through a comprehensive survey from the Bahraini BHCSI model that is established by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to measure customer satisfaction.

The study annual on customer satisfaction, awareness of government eServices and impact on customers as well as interaction with government entities comprised a sample of approximately 3,000 individuals representing the residents, government and business sectors across the Kingdom.

The study, fourth in-a-row, is part of the national eGovernment strategy requirements. BHCSI conducted by the University of Bahrain on customer satisfaction in online services and channels, combines the participation of experts and researchers who base the study on transparency and professional standards.

The approach was approved to measure the awareness, utilization and satisfaction level on the eGovernment program and channels of all targeted segments. Moreover, study data were collected throughout conducted face-to-face interviews with targeted samples.

The descriptive study presented awareness rates of online services and channels in all sectors reaching 89 per cent - verifying the successful government trend that aims at developing public services and raising their quality by simplifying procedures - based on directions of HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information & Communication Technology (SCICT). Additionally, increasing beneficiaries’ awareness and making information available through various means.

BHCSI also revealed 85 per cent of utilization rates on online channels – confirming the increasing demand in accomplishing the online government transactions and procedures within the eTransformation methodology in the Kingdom. The methodology is aligned with the re-engineering of service procedures.

In a new study of its kind this year, the University of Bahrain – based on iGA request– conducted a study on the eTransformation of key services to identify the causes behind customers’ heading to ministries’ front desks in order to complete transactions while the services are available online. The study comprised a sample of 2,000 individuals for targeted services such as the ID card, Traffic as well as electricity and water.

Results indicated that out of the 62 per cent of the targeted customers who visit entities - 65 per cent of them  are aware that these services are available online; making 53 per cent utilize the services electronically.

The new study revealed that reasons of heading to front desk offices are related to payments such as not possessing a credit card, facing an issue while paying, and difficulty dealing with modern technology or an issue with personal details. Subsequently, an iGA team are studying the causes and working on solving them in order to increase the number of citizens and residents to complete the transactions online rather than physically visit entities.  – TradeArabia News Service