The EPO monitors customer satisfaction by running regular quantitative surveys with independant research institutes. Here below, the top results of these EPO surveys1.
Customer satisfaction with search and examination services1 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|
% satisfied or very satisfied | 79% | 79% |
80% |
% average |
17% |
17% |
16% |
% not satisfied |
4% |
4% |
4% |
Customer satisfaction with patent administration services 1 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|
% satisfied or very satisfied | 80% | 87% | 89% |
% average |
14% |
9% |
8% |
% not satisfied |
6% |
4% |
3% |
Timeliness | 2016 | 2017 |
|
---|---|---|---|
Search timeliness (Early Certainty from Search)2 | All searches (in months) |
5.1 | 4.8 |
Examination timeliness (Early Certainty from Examination)3 | European examination (in months) |
23.3 | 22.1 |
Duration of opposition procedure4 | All oppositions (in months) |
24.8 |
22.4 |
% of international searches on-time5 | 94.9% |
96.5% |
|
Time to accelerated examination action6 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
The EPO has set up Customer Services helpdesk and Customer Relationship Management System to handle users' queries.
2016 | 2017 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Timeliness of response to telephone enquiries | Calls to Customer services answered within 20 seconds |
98% |
97% |
Calls to EPO switchboards answered within 20 seconds |
99% |
99% |
|
Resolution of customer services enquiries (7) | 89% |
91% |
7. Within 2 working days calculated in elapsed working hours (2 days = 16hrs).
2016 | 2017 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Complaints registered | 449 |
334 |
|
% breakdown by issue | |||
Examiner products and services | 37% |
46% |
|
Patent administration products and services | 25% |
15% |
|
Other products and services | 38% |
39% |
|
% registered online | 56% |
56% |
|
% complaints replied to within 20 business days8 | 95% |
83% |
8. More information on the EPO's complaints procedure.