2023 Resident Satisfaction Survey

Our 2023 Survey is currently in progress! The random survey invitation was distributed by both email and text invitation in early January of this year. This year's survey serves as a pilot for a short three-page survey designed to focus specifically on areas where residents identify the highest needs for service improvement and overall investment. Survey responses provide the City with data regarding constituent perceptions of City programs and services. This data assists the City in investments and planning for Future city services. Previous surveys and their results can be found in the “Past Survey Results”.

If you have questions or comments regarding the Survey or would like a copy of the 2023 non-random survey, please, e-mail the Resident Survey Team or call CityLink at 311 or 336-727-8000.

About the Survey

The 2023 Resident Satisfaction Survey is conducted in the second year of a three-year contract with ETC, Inc. to administer a statistically significant satisfaction and opinion survey to a randomly selected segment of Winston-Salem households, as well as an identical non-random survey open to any person interested. The non-random survey can be found and completed online. The survey is also listed below as a .pdf and can be printed, filled out, and returned to the address on the last page of the survey. Results for the random and non-random versions are reported separately to ensure the statistical validity of the randomized sample. A statistically valid sample allows the City to make generalizations about the overall population.

Question & Answer

Why is the City surveying City residents?

The City wants to know how City residents feel about the quality of services they receive from City government and what areas need improvement.

What is in the survey?

The survey includes general questions about perceptions of Winston-Salem as a place to live and work, and in-depth questions about satisfaction with various City services, ranging from how well the City communicates with the public to opinions about:

Fire
Police
Public transportation
Recreation
Sanitation
Streets
Other City functions

What is the last time the City conducted a survey?

The city surveyed its residents in 2018 and 2019. Collecting repeated surveys provides timely feedback to management and elected officials and helps then detect trends.

What will the City do with the results?

The results will be presented to the City Council, so that council members can take this information into account as they set City priorities. Council members and City staff also will use the results to identify areas for improvement and direct City resources, as needed, to assist in making improvements. Because this year’s survey is very similar to the 2018 and 2019 surveys, the City will be able to compare results year-over-year. Additionally, the information will allow the City Council and City staff to compare our performance with other cities in North Carolina and throughout the southeast region.

How many surveys were distributed?

Approximately 10,000 surveys were mailed to randomly selected City residents.

How did the City determine who received a survey in the mail?

The City retained an outside firm, ETC Institute, to put together the sample size and come up with a random mailing list that would be representative of the City population by geographic area and other demographic factors.

How will the City ensure that the results reflect the views of all City residents?

The survey firm will track the responses and then weigh the results to ensure that the survey is representative of the overall City population. If necessary, the firm will conduct follow-up surveys in the event that some demographic groups are too underrepresented to provide a valid sample.

If the City wants the survey results to reflect the City population, why is it allowing voluntary participation?

The City wants to be as inclusive as possible in soliciting input from City residents, which is why is it allowing voluntary participation through the https://20winstonsalem.etcmain2.com/index.php/845412/newtest/Y/lang/en/845412X4285X44561/welcome/845412X4285X44573/CU/.

Is the survey for voluntary participants the same as the surveys that were mailed?

Yes, the survey for voluntary participants is the same as the mailed surveys.

Why do I have to provide such information as gender, race, income bracket, age, etc. on the survey?

For the surveys that are mailed, this information will enable the survey firm to make sure the results are representative of the City as a whole. For online surveys completed by voluntary participants, it will help the City better understand the results and identify trends. In either case, information on specific individuals is not made available to the City. The vendor uses it to identify trends but does not provide the City the information about individual respondents.

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