Local enterprises are satisfied with the services provided by Malta Enterprise and Malta Industrial Parks, deeming the services as generally good and satisfactory, a customer satisfaction survey carried out by MISCO on behalf of the corporation has shown.
The research, which was conducted in the last quarter of 2011 among a sample of around 300 companies, was aimed at gauging not only the satisfaction with the services provided by both Malta Enterprise and Malta Industrial Parks but also the level of awareness about such services as well as the gathering of suggestions for improvements.
According to the survey, clients who used the services provided by Malta Enterprise or MIP in the preceding 12 months were satisfied with the assistance they were given, with micro and small businesses highlighting their overall satisfaction with the service, with the large businesses giving a particular mention of the helpful staff they encountered at ME.
Malta Enterprise received higher mean scores on a number of presented attributes when compared to MIP. In particular, Malta Enterprise scored highly in matters such as the security and confidentiality in handling information, the professionalism, competence, trustworthiness and courteousness of their staff, as well as the up-to-date information and communication provided.
While MIP likewise received a positive response on such attributes, it garnered lower scores on its responsiveness, with the prevailing reason given being that of delays experienced, though clients nonetheless expressed an overall satisfaction with the services provided.
The Malta Enterprise services which enjoyed greater awareness among the survey’s respondents were schemes and incentives such as the MicroInvest and Investment Aid tax credits, the ERDF-funded schemes for the industry and the Business Advisory Services.
With regard to MIP, respondents were mostly familiar with its responsibilities for the allocation of industrial space and the upkeep of the industrial estates.
When asked to point out the means of communication they used in order to get in touch with ME and MIP, telephone and email were the most common preferences closely followed by personal visits, though this distinction was more evident for MIP.
In the latter stages of the survey, all respondents were asked to provide any comments or suggestions on how Malta Enterprise and MIP could improve the services offered, with the main suggestion being the provision of more information on services, meetings and opportunities available, followed by the creation of more personal relationships and follow-ups on meetings.
The respondents, who were interviewed via telephone, operate in a wide range of sectors – including among others manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, ICT, tourism, business and financial services.
Furthermore, the companies varied in size to have a better reflection of the composition of the local economy, with only around 3% of respondents being large companies the rest being micro, small and medium enterprises.