Performance Pledges

The Land Registry met or exceeded all the performance pledges in 2007/08 and enhanced the target and standard for 2008/09. Performance pledges were first launched in the Land Registry in 1993. They are reviewed annually. For 2008/09, as part of our continuing commitment to improve the quality and efficiency of services that we provide, we have reviewed our performance pledges and improved some of our service standards. The chart at Annex I (a) sets out the pledges and the actual performance of the year. Performance monitoring is conducted by Customer Liaison Groups comprising members from both the public and private sectors as well as internal committees.


Customer Services

Service is at the core of the Land Registry’s mission. Our aim is to create partnerships of trust that help to give better service to all. We have a number of communication channels, both formal and informal, helping us to maintain an open dialogue with our customers. We also have a dedicated Management and Customer Services Division that is responsible for planning and coordinating customer services.

Our established aims are:

• to ensure delivery of value-for-money quality services to customers;
  
  
• to reach out to customers and make the Land Registry readily accessible;
  
  
• to keep existing and prospective customers well informed of the Land Registry’s services, activities and/or changes affecting them;
  
  
• to anticipate and understand customer needs and expectations;
  
  
• to ensure prompt and positive action to satisfy customers; and
  
  
• to promote a business-friendly Land Registry.

(i) Customer Feedback

We depend on customers for feedback on the quality of our services and ideas for improvement. In 2008/09, the Customer Service Manager received over 400 commendations, suggestions and complaints from our customers through the customer service hotline, Land Registry website, comment cards, letters, emails, meetings and sharing sessions.


Number of Commendations, Suggestions and Complaints Received in 2008/09

Customer comment cards and suggestion boxes are provided in all offices to collect customers’ feedback and suggestions about the services provided.


(ii) Customer Management Assessment Framework (CMA 101)

In search of service excellence, we benchmark our services with best management practices. With support from the Efficiency Unit, we have conducted the CMA 101 exercise. This is a structured self-assessment programme to identify potential improvement areas and support continuous enhancement in customer management. The exercise was completed in July 2008. We are at the leading level or the optimising level for ten out of 16 assessment areas. Our strengths are in promoting a customer centric culture, listening to customers, and effective handling of complaints and suggestions. The assessment results are summarised in the chart below. Measures are being taken for areas which required improvement.


(iii) Customer Service Survey

A comprehensive customer service survey was conducted in September and October 2008 by an independent consultant, in which about 1,800 customers’ opinions were collected.

The survey results revealed that the overall satisfaction on the services provided by the Land Registry is 90.6%. Comparing with the results of the comprehensive survey conducted in 2006, satisfaction on services provided increased in the following areas:

	Satisfaction Rate (%)
	2006 Survey	2008 Survey
IRIS Online Services	65.9	86.7
Customer Service Hotline	75.2	83.9
Performance of Hotline Staff	84.6	91.6
Overall satisfaction level of the Customer Centre / Search Offices	97.6	98.0
Environment of the Customer Centre / Search Offices	96.1	96.9

(iv) Liaison with Customers

Customer Liaison Groups

Two Customer Liaison Groups, one for private sector customers and one for Government departments and public bodies, have been set up for liaison and communication with our stakeholders.

The objectives of the Customer Liaison Groups are to:

• improve the Land Registry’s understanding of customers’ needs and expectations;
  
  
• improve customers’ understanding of the Land Registry’s policies, services and procedures; and
  
  
• exchange views on operational and service delivery issues.

The private sector group comprises representatives from the Law Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Association of Banks, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, Hong Kong Real Estate Agencies General Association and Society of Hong Kong Real Estate Agents Limited. The public sector group is comprised of representatives from Government departments and public bodies which are frequent users of the Land Registry’s services. In 2008/09, four Customer Liaison Group meetings were held. Members from the private sector and representatives from the public sector are listed in Annex II.


Land Registry Joint Standing Committee

The Land Registry Joint Standing Committee, comprising the Land Registrar, his senior staff and representatives of the Law Society of Hong Kong, meets regularly to discuss and exchange views on land registration matters, the Land Registry’s services provided to the legal practitioners and implementation of title registration system. Members of the Committee are at Annex II.


Visitors

We welcome external visitors and maintain close ties with our overseas counterparts. Through visits, we introduce the services and promote the value of the Land Registry. In 2008/09, we received seven delegations comprising over 50 visitors from the Mainland, Australia, the Companies Registry and Housing Department who wanted to know more about our work or to discuss specific subjects.


Meet the Clients on IRIS Online Services (Private / Public Sectors)

A total of nine “Meet the Clients” sessions with 317 participants were held in February and March 2009 to exchange views on IRIS Online Services. The sessions are effective platforms for sharing experience with our customers, collecting their views and serving as a refresher briefing on our IRIS Online Services.


(v) Communication Channels

The Land Registry provides a variety of communication channels to receive feedbacks from our customers on the quality of customer services, to identify improvement areas and to promote its services.


Land Registry Circular Memoranda

In 2008/09, four circulars were issued:

• Revised Schedule and Associated Service Arrangements for Maintenance and Upgrade of Integrated Registration Information System in Second Half of 2008
  
  
• Schedule and Special Service Arrangements for Maintenance and Upgrade of Integrated Registration Information System in 2009
  
  
• The Street Index (40th Edition) and the New Territories Lot / Address Cross Reference Table (9th Edition)
  
  
• Closure of Tuen Mun District Search Office and Relocation of Owners’ Corporation Services to Tsuen Wan District Search Office

Land Registry News

The Land Registry News has been a very effective communication tool to keep our customers abreast of the most up-to-date events, new service initiatives and service enhancements of the Land Registry. To celebrate the Land Registry 15th Anniversary, we issued a special edition, the 28th Land Registry News, in October 2008 to mark this special event and to share with customers the progress of the Land Registry developments over the years.


Information Pamphlets – New Design

The design and content of the information pamphlets had been reviewed. The pamphlets are now replaced by single information sheets which are more user-friendly.


New Corporate Video

A new corporate video was released in October 2008 to promote the Land Registry’s image on its customer centric service culture. The video gives an account on our role in the real estate market, the existing services and future development.


Customer Service Hotline

Our Customer Service Hotline equipped with an interactive voice response system offers a wide range of information through the recorded messages and manned operator service. Through our collaboration with the Efficiency Unit’s 1823 Call Centre, the operator service is extended to 00:30 hour next day.

During the year, 131,309 calls were received (including calls received by 1823 Call Centre), averaging 10,942 calls per month.


Homepage

The Land Registry’s homepage is a comprehensive source of news and information on our core business and progress of development projects conveniently accessible to people worldwide round-the-clock. Our homepage (www.landreg.gov.hk) provides user-friendly navigation features. It provides users with access to all main Land Registry publications, new services launched and a quick-link directly to the IRIS Online Services (www.iris.gov.hk). We update and enhance the content of our website regularly.

In 2008/09, there were 3,342,137 visits to the homepage, an increase of 26% compared to 2007/08.


(vi) 15th Anniversary Reception cum Exhibition

To commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Land Registry Trading Fund, we organised a series of celebration activities including a poster/slogan/logo design competition, production of a corporate video and publishing of a special edition of Land Registry News. An Anniversary Reception, officiated by Mrs Carrie LAM, Secretary for Development, was held on 27 October 2008 to thank our customers and business partners for their support over the past years.

As the highlight of the celebration activities, the Land Registry staged an exhibition at the Queensway Government Offices from 28 October to 4 November 2008 to showcase its service achievements and future development plans. Apart from the rich exhibition content, visitors were also deeply attracted by the demonstration of IRIS online searches and the display of old land records with heritage value.