Measuring Online Performance and Satisfaction
Who We Are and What We Offer
The Federal Consulting Group, a franchise in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is the gateway to the American Customer Satisfaction Index in the federal government. The ACSI, developed at the University of Michigan in 1994, is the leading national indicator of customer satisfaction with U.S. products and services; and has been a standard metric in government since 1999. We work with our partner, ForeSee Results, to make the E-Gov ACSI available to federal agency websites.
E-Gov American Customer Satisfaction Index Methodology
Launched in 2001, ForeSee Results has developed an innovative technology that blends science, statistics, and economics to quickly and precisely measure the success of your website or E-Gov program. This technology relies upon the proprietary ACSI, which employs a patented, proven methodology to measure current customer satisfaction. The cause and effect nature of the methodology is a predictor of future customer behavior, such as a visitor returning to your website. It provides actionable data for you, as a manager or decision-maker, to make informed decisions, leverage scarce resources, and develop solid action plans based on statistically-valid metrics you can trust.
In addition, you will have the necessary data to satisfy the reporting requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act, the E-Government Act, and the President’s Management Agenda.
Products and Services
ForeSee Results assigns a Satisfaction Research Analyst to your project who provides a high-level of personalized service through consistent communications. This representative ensures your success with the survey design, technical implementation, and data collection and analysis. ForeSee Results’ web satisfaction measures are delivered through three primary online components:
- » Data collection through sophisticated pop-up survey technology with a targeted number of questions to minimize time and effort for website users.
- » Data analysis powered by the ACSI methodology determines which site features have the most impact on users’ future behaviors.
- » Data delivery includes an online collection of easy-to-interpret reports that provide accurate and actionable information, supported by personal client service analyses and recommendations.
Strategic Benchmarking Capabilities
ACSI scores are reported on a scale of 1 – 100, with a general average in both government and industry around 72. Benchmarking can be a powerful incentive to bring your website in line with or exceed agency or industry-wide averages in a similar field. Reports will provide your agency the capability to compare your ACSI scores against other agencies and businesses with regard to:
- » Customer expectations
- » Perceived quality
- » Customer satisfaction
- » Customer complaints
- » Customer loyalty
- » Customer retention
Reporting Capability
In addition to the continuous online reporting facility, ForeSee Results compiles numerous graphical reports that are delivered electronically using Microsoft Excel 2000. These reports include a summary of your site visitors’ satisfaction, a map that prioritizes elements that need improvements, average responses for survey questions, trend lines, and others.
Who Are Our Customers?
We currently have 163 E-Gov ACSI customers in more than 50 agencies. These include GSA’s FirstGov.gov, State Department, Office of Personnel Management, United States Mint, IRS, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Government Accountability Office, Library of Congress, and the National Science Foundation. The National Institutes of Health—whose MedLine Plus and other health sites are real customer pleasers—has contracted with FCG to provide ACSI assessment and improvement services to its websites—63 in all. We would like for you to be a customer, too.
Easy Implementation
We’re easy to work with. We offer a streamlined process that allows you to obtain our services quickly through an interagency agreement or similar arrangements that meet your agency’s requirements. Furthermore, you don’t have to spend months developing survey questions and getting the approval of the Office of Management and Budget. FCG has already obtained a generic clearance for using ACSI surveys to assess the services of federal agencies. As a result, each new ACSI project receives expedited review and clearance—all taken care of by FCG.
Communities of Practice
The Federal Consulting Group proudly sponsors two active communities of practice that meet quarterly and are free. Both have many members from agencies all over government: the ACSI Web Survey Users Group and the Interagency Customer Service Forum. Potential members are welcome at either group.
Contact Us about ACSI
For more information, contact Susan Grow at (202) 504-3646.
