An independent survey company provides your department with customer satisfaction data each week. The goal set by your leadership is to have 80 percent highly satisfied, and when the weekly score is below 80 percent you must present a corrective action plan. Your department has struggled to consistently meet this goal.

The weekly scores have been as high as 98 percent but as low as 63 percent. After looking closely at the processes and work environment, and after many ineffective corrective action plans, you have not been able to determine why the scores vary so much. Based on statistical process control concepts, what might be happening with the data and variation relative to the goal? What recommendations would you make to address this situation?