The SIA’s licence application process works; but users feel that they have to contact the SIA multiple times to get a response, if they have a query, according to a survey for the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
The UK regulator commissioned the London-based agency IFF Research to measure customer satisfaction of the online licensing service, which began in July 2016. The survey, which ran from May to July 2018, covered employers and individual licence applicants. The aim; to evaluate what the research report described as the customer ‘journey’.
While a previous, 2017 survey found only a minority of satisfied employers, that’s changed so that satisfaction percentages for employers are nearly as high as for badged staff. That said, some gripes by guarding contractor users remain; technical glitches in the service the SIA provides; and slow service, employers feeling that while they have to provide for clients at once or lose work, the SIA can take time to respond to a query – a week or two rather than the day or two employers would like – even for what may seem to an employer a straightforward badging renewal. The slowness may be not strictly the SIA’s fault – because due to a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check; but the user grumble is that they don’t get an update on the waiting time.
Where individuals were not satisfied, number one reason was that the online process takes too long. A majority of those applying for a renewal of their badge found the process now (online or attending some Post Offices) easier than before. As for ways that the SIA’s service could or should develop, some of those giving feedback spoke of (live) webchat options to answer queries; and using an app. While most employers went into the SIA website from a laptop or computer, the number one piece of tech that an individual used to access the website was a phone. When their application is in the system, about one in three applicants contact the SIA for whatever reason, the 2018 and 2017 research found; and about half of employers do.
Dave Humphries, interim CEO of the SIA, pictured, said: “We are committed to listening to our customers and acting on their concerns. We are delighted that a majority of our customers view the SIA positively, and that they are happy with our online licensing process. However, we acknowledge that not all customers are satisfied, and are working hard to ensure that applicants who fit the criteria receive an SIA licence in a timely fashion.”
Jackie Munn, Head of Customer Support, said: “These improved levels of customer satisfaction from businesses are very welcome. They are the result of a lot of hard work within the SIA, not least from our Customer Support team. We have looked carefully at the way that we engage with all our customers, and have tailored our processes to serve them better. We would urge all our customers, whether employers or individuals, to register for an SIA online account. This is the quickest and easiest channel through which to obtain effective support from us. We know that those who are already registered are finding the service invaluable.”
About the survey
It began with a quantitative phase, during which IFF interviewed 1000 individuals and businesses who had applied for an SIA licence during the two months to April 2018. A qualitative phase then conducted follow-up interviews with a representative sample of the original cohort.
The regulator says that the findings correspond almost exactly with the SIA’s own quarterly customer satisfaction survey. This consists of feedback collected from licence applicants who have just used the SIA’s online application service. An average of 76.4 percent of applicants rated the service as “very good” or “good” in the three quarters from April 2018.
The SIA plans another survey, to start in early summer.
