A long-running local government survey has found that consumer satisfaction with services in the city rose to a record high last year, the Shanghai Civilization Office announced Monday.
Although the survey showed residents are more satisfied than ever with service in the city, there is still room for improvement in some industries and public services.
The Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau surveyed more than 33,700 residents and company representatives from May to November 2012 about the quality of service in 41 local industries and public services. Its questions dealt with staff attitude, professional capability, transparency and efficiency.
Twenty-seven industries and public services earned a higher score than in 2011, according to the survey, which the government has been conducting annually since 2002. Travel agencies and public transportation were among the industries that gained the most in the public satisfaction rankings.
On the other hand, 17 industries and public services lost ground in 2012. Street sanitation and supermarkets were among those that slid in service quality, the survey said.
The study found that the major problem with the street sweeping and garbage removal services was that sanitation workers and trucks made too much noise in the early morning, which disturbed residents. Complaints about supermarkets mostly dealt with food safety and dishonest sales promotion issues.
"We entrusted a third party, the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau, to conduct the study, and I believe the results are objective," said Li Qingchuan, a press officer from the Shanghai Civilization Office. "I hope the results are considered a way to hear residents' voices and improve the quality of service in the city."
The survey added an evaluation of the city's parking industry in 2012, as more and more residents have been buying their own vehicles. The industry ended up ranking third from the bottom.
Residents complained the most about the difficulty of finding a parking lot, according to a report in the Laodong Daily.