Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition 
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Activities. This type of customer satisfaction relates to both specific programmed social activities (e.g. 
bridge tournaments, special theme dinners, cinema nights, Christian fellowship meetings, and the like, typically 
organized by a social director or manager), as well as activities that can be engaged in spontaneously (e.g. ping 
pong, billiards, use of the communal computer, etc.).
Management. Satisfaction with the management was another important aspect of consumer satisfaction. 
Aspects of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with management included communication, sales activities that were low-
pressure, ready access to management, the availability of a management board (in addition to the manager), and the 
skill of the managers. While most respondents were satisfied with the service from their manager (“The manager is 
terrific…she’s got such a great attitude…she’s on top of everything.”), like any category of satisfaction, there is 
equal opportunity for dissatisfaction. 
Staff. Similarly to management, satisfaction/dissatisfaction with line staff was an important component of 
customer satisfaction. 
Care. Medical care, in the form of on-site access to registered nurses and skilled care givers, as well as 
visiting medical services provided by doctors, podiatrists, or physiotherapists was also frequently mentioned as a 
factor in consumer satisfaction. 
Dependency/Independency. The issue of independence/dependence is a complex one in the context of 
retirement village living. While a number of respondents talked about “maintaining their independence” and not 
wishing to be “a burden to my family”, they also recognized their existing dependence on the service infrastructure 
to relieve themselves of a number of physical burdens typically associated with home ownership (e.g. external 
maintenance of the residence, gardening, maintenance of appliances, etc.) and the ever-increasing likelihood that 
they would become more dependent on care (e.g. skilled nursing care) as they became older and more frail. In light 
of this complex and dynamic inter-relationship, this aspect of customer satisfaction was labeled 
dependency/independency.
Residents’ Committee. The effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the Residents’ Committee was also a 
separate facet of consumer satisfaction. The Residents’ Committee is a volunteer group of residents that meet on a 
regular basis with the owner/developer (or his/her agent), as well as the village manager. The Residents’ Committee 
is elected by the residents to represent their interests and to provide two-way communication between the residents 
and management. A comment that neatly summed up the value of an effective residents’ committee was as follows: 
“I don’t want to manage this place. That’s why I live in a managed environment. But I do want my interests 
represented. I do want to know what is going on around here. And I do want to know how my money is being 
spent.” While one could argue that satisfaction category could have been placed in the Social Environment cluster, it 
seemed to fit The Service Environment cluster better because it is a service (albeit unpaid) provided by a sub-set of 
residents to all of the residents.