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Audit Report - A-02-96-02203


Office of Audit

The Social Security Administration`s Use of Customer Comment Cards - A-02-96-02203 - 4/29/97

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

FINDINGS

Most Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use the Customer Comment Card, But a Significant Number Do Not

Comment Card Distribution Is Not Scientific in a Majority of Offices

Field Office and Teleservice Center Managers Report Multiple Uses of Customer Comment Card Data

One-Third of Offices Who Use the Comment Card Do Not Find It Useful

Offices That Find the Comment Card Useful Receive More Responses

Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use Other Methods to Monitor Customer Service

RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDICES

C: Managers` Suggested Changes to the Comment Card

D: List of Contributors

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

PURPOSE

To assess the effectiveness of the Social Security Administration`s (SSA) current use of the customer comment card used to assess the quality of service its customers receive from field offices and teleservice centers.

BACKGROUND

SSA uses postcard-size questionnaires, known as comment cards, to provide immediate feedback on the quality of service its customers receive from field offices and teleservice centers. The cards, along with an 11-page customer feedback questionnaire, were developed by the Office of Operations in 1994 in response to field office managers` requests for a vehicle to assess customer satisfaction with their services. Office managers were encouraged to use these instruments to assess their customers` needs, to enhance the service that they deliver, and to provide appropriate feedback and training for their staff. Managers were directed to use the cards "in a manner that is best for each office and service area." The customer comment card is one of many methods customers can currently use to voice complaints.

FINDINGS

  • Most Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use the Customer Comment Card, But a Significant Number Do Not
  • Comment Card Distribution is Not Scientific in a Majority of Offices
  • Field Office and Teleservice Center Managers Report Multiple Uses of Customer Comment Card Data
  • One-Third of Offices Who Use the Comment Card Do Not Find It Useful
  • Offices That Find the Comment Card Useful Receive More Responses
  • Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use Other Methods to Monitor Customer Service

RECOMMENDATIONS

We recommend that the following steps be taken to improve the effectiveness of the customer comment card: 1) the Office of Operations should provide guidance on the methodologies needed for obtaining a customer satisfaction rating; 2) efforts should be made to increase response rates; 3) the comment card should be revised to collect more useful information; and, 4) SSA should use the comment card for agencywide performance monitoring.

AGENCY COMMENTS

SSA states that it has established the Customer Service Executive Team to review and update SSA`s performance measures and customer service standards. The Team has hired a consultant to assess how SSA collects data on its performance measures and customer service standards, and to offer recommendations for improvements. SSA reports that the consultant`s final report, due in mid-April 1997, will include recommendations on the comment card. The Customer Service Executive Team will use both the consultant`s report and this report in preparing recommendations to the Commissioner on improvements of SSA`s data collection system. The Office of the Inspector General`s response to SSA`s comments is on page 9.

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INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE

To assess the effectiveness of SSA`s current use of the customer comment card used to assess the quality of service its customers receive from field offices and teleservice centers.

BACKGROUND

SSA serves the public through 1,300 field offices and 33 teleservice centers. Each year, field offices serve over 24 million visitors and answer an unknown number of telephone calls. Further, SSA`s teleservice centers receive about 70 million calls a year through the 800 number.

One method SSA uses to measure the quality of the service it provides is the customer comment card. These postcard-size questionnaires provide immediate feedback on the quality of service its customers receive from field offices and teleservice centers. The cards, along with an 11-page customer feedback questionnaire, were developed by the Office of Operations in 1994 in response to field office managers` requests for a vehicle to assess customer satisfaction with their services. Office managers were encouraged to use these instruments to assess their customers` needs, to enhance the service that they deliver, and to provide appropriate feedback and training for their staff. Managers were directed to use the cards in a manner that is best for each office and service area. The customer comment card is one of many methods customers can currently use to voice complaints.

There are two customer comment cards. One is for use in field offices (form SSA-117-PC) and the other is for use in teleservice centers (form SSA-116-PC). Both forms are in Appendix B.

Performance Monitoring Mandates: There are administrative and legislative directives that directly affect how SSA monitors its performance in serving the public--the National Performance Review (NPR) and the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, Public Law 103-62. In 1993, as a result of NPR, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12862--"Setting Customer Service Standards." Among its requirements, the Executive Order calls for each Federal agency to identify its customers, survey those customers, post service standards and measure results against them, and benchmark customer service performance against the best in the business.

In response to the Executive Order, SSA conducted a nationwide series of customer focus groups. These groups provide baseline information on customers` service expectations and satisfaction with current services. Findings from the focus groups, along with other customer surveys, led to the development of SSA`s Customer Service Pledge. Published in 1994, the pledge states that SSA will:

  • have knowledgeable employees who will treat customers with courtesy, dignity, and respect;
  • provide an estimate of the time needed to complete service requests and fully explain any delays;
  • clearly explain decisions so customers understand why and how they were made;
  • have safe and pleasant offices, and accessible services;
  • serve customers within 10 minutes of a scheduled appointment time; and
  • provide a new or replacement Social Security card from one of our offices within 5 working days.

At the same time, SSA made two additional pledges that are important to customers but that could not yet be met. They are: getting through to the 800 number within 5 minutes of the customer`s first try, and getting a disability decision within 60 days after applying.

GPRA seeks to systematically hold Federal agencies accountable for achieving program results. This means setting performance goals, measuring performance against those goals, and reporting publicly on performance. It calls for agencies to have strategic plans by September 30, 1997. In part, GPRA requires these plans to contain a discussion of outcome-related goals and objectives, of how the goals and objectives are to be achieved, and of program evaluations used to establish and revise the goals and objectives.

GPRA also requires each agency to prepare an annual performance plan, submitted to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and to submit an annual report on program performance to the President and Congress by Fiscal Year 1999. Among the requirements of the annual performance plan are: objective, quantifiable, and measurable performance goals; performance indicators using relevant outputs, service levels, and outcomes; and a means for comparing, verifying, and validating data.

Current Performance Monitoring Activities: SSA has a variety of ways to collect customer feedback on its overall performance. Some of the performance data can be obtained from management information systems. Customer-based data on Agency performance comes from surveys conducted by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the Office of Program and Integrity Reviews, and the Office of Workforce Analysis. Unfortunately, these surveys address some but not all of the standards, and some but not all of SSA`s customer groups. Therefore, SSA is not monitoring its performance on all of its published customer service standards for each of its customer groups. Since SSA is in the process of updating its strategic plan and reassessing the service delivery pledge, this is an appropriate time to reevaluate SSA`s processes for monitoring its performance.

Current Agency Initiatives: SSA has two ongoing initiatives that will directly affect future use of the customer comment card. The Customer Service Executive Team is responsible for proposing a system that will review and update SSA`s performance measures and customer service standards. This group is currently hiring a consultant to provide an independent assessment of how SSA collects data on its performance measures and service standards and to offer recommendations for improvements. Another intercomponent group is working on developing the Uniform Customer Complaint Management System. This will be SSA`s first formal agencywide complaint system.

Benchmarking Performance Monitoring Activities: In the course of OIG`s efforts to monitor SSA`s service to the public, we have evaluated the use of comment cards in the private sector. In previous Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG) inspections, "How The Private Sector Monitors Customer Satisfaction: A Benchmarking Report" (OEI-02-94-00060) and "Monitoring Social Security`s Customer Services: A Consultative Report" (OEI-02-95-00780), we conducted literature reviews and interviews with many of this Country`s top businesses. Our findings show that comment cards are effectively and efficiently used by top organizations to obtain customer feedback at the organizational level. The key features are that they provide: 1) direct input from the customer, 2) an inexpensive data collection method, and 3) timely information in that the card is completed immediately after the service encounter.

METHODOLOGY

Formal questionnaires with both open- and closed-ended questions were developed on field office and teleservice center use of customer comment cards. They were designed to document the practice with, and the manager`s opinion of, the comment cards. The questionnaires were sent to managers of a sample of 66 field offices and 2 teleservice centers. The 5 percent cluster sample was provided by SSA`s Office of Research and Statistics and is representative of SSA`s field offices and teleservice centers.

The questionnaires were sent to the sample of offices on September 4, 1996 via CC:Mail, SSA`s electronic mail system. Managers were requested to return the questionnaires within 2 weeks. All of the offices in the sample returned a completed questionnaire. The questionnaires were reviewed upon return and all open-ended responses were coded. The information provided by the questionnaire was entered into a dBASE III data base. The statistical computer program SAS was used in analysis.

Our review was conducted from August to December 1996. This inspection was conducted in accordance with the Quality Standards for Inspections issued by the President`s Council on Integrity and Efficiency.

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FINDINGS

Most Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use the Customer Comment Card, But a Significant Number Do Not

Over 70 percent of field offices and teleservice centers use the customer comment card to help assess the level of service they are providing. The remaining offices (29 percent) do not use it for three main reasons. First, some managers do not feel a need to use the comment card since they use other methods to collect data on their service. They meet with customers, talk to customers over the phone, observe their office work flow, and use their own form of a customer survey card. Second, managers report that they stopped using the card due to a low response rate. Lastly, managers are either waiting for employee feedback on the use of the comment card, believe that they do not have enough staff to implement its use, or did not know there was a comment card.

Urban, suburban, and rural offices were examined to see if there are any differences in the extent of use of the comment cards among these offices. While card use varies slightly among these groups, similar proportions use customer comment cards. Eighty percent of suburban offices, 71 percent of rural offices, and 67 percent of urban offices use the customer comment card.

Comment Card Distribution is Not Scientific in a Majority of Offices

Field offices and teleservice centers that use the comment card use various methods to distribute them to their customers and some offices use multiple methods. About two-thirds of the offices that use the comment card only employ nonscientific distribution methods. Therefore, the data resulting from these responses is not necessarily representative of the customer population. For example, most offices have the customer comment card displayed in the waiting room. They either have comment cards in a display with other pamphlets or in its own display. With this passive methodology, it is up to the customer to notice the comment card and decide if they want to take one.

There are other more active methods used to distribute the comment card, but they are still nonscientific. Some offices rely on the claims representatives (CR) and service representatives (SR) to hand out customer comment cards. The CRs and SRs have a supply of cards at their desks and distribute them to customers of their choosing. In other offices, managers will occasionally hand out comment cards to customers while informally talking to them while they wait for service.

Offices that distribute the comment card in a scientific manner either hand out the card to every customer or to a sample of customers on a given day. About one-third of the offices (31 percent) that use the comment card distribute it to all of their customers on a given day. Managers report periodically, monitoring every customer to spot check customer satisfaction or to assess a certain service, particularly if it is new. Another 6 percent of the offices that use the card report distributing it to a scientific random sample of their customers instead of every customer. They report mailing cards to customers randomly selected from interview logs. Although their random selection process is scientific, some customers are excluded from participation due to the nature of their business. For example, a customer who visited an office just to pick up a form or ask for information would not be listed on an interview log. Their absence from a log would eliminate any chance of receiving a comment card.

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Field Office and Teleservice Center Managers Report Multiple Uses of Customer Comment Card Data

Most offices report multiple uses of the comment card data (see Table 1). Managers share the results with the entire staff. The information is generally shared at staff meetings, but a few offices used bulletin boards or written messages to disseminate it. Managers report discussing information from an individual card with a specific staff member if the customer reported a problem with that specific employee. They also report using the comment cards for improving service or contacting customers who were displeased with the service they received.

Table 1

Uses of Information Provided By Cards

(Categories are not mutually exclusive)

 Comment Card Uses

%

Share information with entire staff

65

To improve service

31

Discuss with specific employee individually

21

Contact customer to resolve problem

19

Put card in employee`s file (if employee is named)

10

Not enough responses to use information

10

Other

8

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One-Third of Offices Who Use the Comment Card Do Not Find It Useful

Low response rates are a problem. Among the offices that do not find the customer comment card useful, over half (59 percent) cite a low response rate as the reason. They believe that the few cards that trickle into their offices are not a true indication of the service they provide. One office manager said, "We see around 200-250 visitors to our office most weeks. We are lucky if we get one or two comment cards in a month." Another office manager stated that, "there were not enough cards returned to be useful" and a third manager explains that, "people don`t take the time to complete it and mail it back to our office."

Offices that do not find the card useful do not distribute many comment cards. The highest number of cards distributed by an office that does not find them useful was 20. The highest number of cards returned was eight.

Almost half (47 percent) of the offices that do not find comment cards useful report that the information provided by the cards is not helpful. Some feel that the cards just provide complimentary comments. Such comments do not provide guidance on how to improve service. One manager explains this point of view: "Although the nice comments are good to know about, we did not learn anything that would help us improve our service." Others report the opposite effect. They feel that the card is used just by those that have "axes to grind."

Other offices do not find the cards useful since they do not provide information they would like to know. One office mentioned that the card does not address access to their telephone service, which comprises 75 percent of their total workload. Still another office reports that there is not a specific place on the card for a customer to name the staff member who helped them the day of their visit or call. This information is necessary to address any problems that the customers may raise.

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Offices That Find the Comment Card Useful Receive More Responses

Two-thirds of the offices that use the comment card feel it is useful. These offices distribute and receive more comment cards than offices who do not find the cards useful. Over half of the offices finding the cards useful distribute, on average, 60 or more cards per month. Over half of these offices report having 18 or more cards returned to their office in an average month. One office reports receiving 200 cards monthly out of 300 cards distributed. This office is a high traffic urban office which hands a card to every customer they have contact with on a given day. In comparison, the highest number of cards returned to an office which did not find the comment cards useful was eight.

Offices that use scientific distribution methods are more likely to have a higher response rate. Two-thirds of the offices that had 18 or more cards returned in a month periodically give all customers a comment card. Another 8 percent of them distribute comment cards to a scientific random sample of their customers. Almost all of the offices (87 percent) with low response rates relied on customers to voluntarily take cards from a pamphlet rack or display in the waiting room.

Offices find the card useful for feedback and employee morale. Many (65 percent) of the offices that find the comment card useful believe it is a good source of feedback from their customers. A quarter of these offices believe the card is a good tool in boosting office morale. For these offices, the comments from the cards are generally positive and allow managers to compliment their staff.

Almost half (43 percent) of the offices find the cards to be useful because they help to improve service. First, the cards remind staff that they are there to serve the customers and provide the best service they possibly can. Second, the cards identify specific service methods that need improvement. One office, for example, reports that the customer comment card helped to point out traffic flow problems that delayed services.

Some offices use the customer comment card as a complaint system. One in five offices that find the comment card useful see it as a complaint system. These offices report calling customers who provide their names on the card and report dissatisfaction with the service they received. The offices are then able to address the problems that caused the customers` dissatisfaction.

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Field Offices and Teleservice Centers Use Other Methods to Monitor Customer Service

All offices, whether they use the customer comment card or not, use other methods to assess customer service. Many offices (62 percent) report that they receive telephone calls and letters from customers reporting their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Half of the managers report that they meet with customers after they received service to determine if it was satisfactory. Managers also receive feedback from other agencies or congressional offices (24 percent), rely on other studies (19 percent), or personally observe their staffs` performance (12 percent).

The use of multiple methods to monitor customer satisfaction is consistent with the findings of the previous HHS/OIG study, "Monitoring Social Security`s Customer Services: A Consultative Report" (OEI-02-94-00060). Businesses and organizations recognized as the best in business at providing or monitoring customer service recommend the use of multiple methods to assess customer service. According to the report, these organizations use telephone surveys, mail surveys, comment cards, focus groups, undercover shoppers, management observation, and automated devices to get a "true picture of customer satisfaction." They also stress the vital need to identify and respond to dissatisfied customers.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Field office and teleservice center managers were directed by the Office of Operations to use the customer comment card "in a manner that is best for each office and service center." We believe that this guideline is too general and has led to problems with the current use of the customer comment card. First, the comment card is rarely distributed in a scientific manner. This limits its reliability as an accurate measure of customer service. Second, current methods of distribution are related to low response rates. Low response rates limit the comment card`s usefulness as an effective customer complaint system or as a tool to improve service. Finally, the current format of the customer comment card does not always provide managers with helpful information.

We believe that there are a number of actions SSA can take to improve the effectiveness of the customer comment card. Within the context of the Agency`s current initiatives undertaken by the Customer Service Executive Team and the Customer Complaint Management System Team, we recommend that:

1. SSA field offices and teleservice centers should use more scientific methods to distribute the customer comment card--The Office of Operations should provide guidance to field offices and teleservice centers on appropriate methodologies for obtaining customer feedback. Unscientific distribution will not provide an accurate rating on customer service. For example, very satisfied or very dissatisfied customers may be more likely to use the customer comment card if it is solely up to the customer to take one. This would lead to an inaccurate service rating. The Office of Research and Statistics has experience in this area and can provide the Office of Operations with instructions on methodologies.

2. Efforts should be made to increase response rates--Low response rate is the primary reason why field offices and teleservice centers do not find the comment card useful. Also, the offices that find the card useful have more cards returned than offices that do not find it useful. A higher response rate can only help to provide comments that can lead to improved service. Offices should be encouraged to use active distribution and not rely on passive customer participation.

3. The comment card should be revised to collect more useful information--The best in business believe that identifying and addressing areas of dissatisfaction are vital to improving service. The comment card should be changed to specifically elicit improvements customers feel are necessary. While offices appreciate receiving positive feedback, identifying potential improvements and monitoring dissatisfaction can lead to better service for all customers. Appendix C contains comments provided by field office and teleservice center managers on potential improvements for the customer comment card.

4. SSA should use the comment card for Agency-level performance monitoring -- Comment cards are an inexpensive and effective method of receiving customer input. They reach many customers that other studies do not. This is particularly true for customers who only walk in for information or a minor transaction. SSA currently has no way to monitor service to this population. Comment cards can be used to "spot check" overall client satisfaction or to monitor a specific process or customer group.

Seventy-eight percent of the managers believe that the customer comment card should not become a centralized function, but should remain in their control. Centralized use would create information that is too broad and not appropriate for their specific environments. They believe that the card collects data that is only useful for local offices which are responsible for delivering customer service.

The customer comment card can be used for Agency-level performance monitoring while also serving as a tool for local managers. The Agency can use the card on specific days and allow local offices to use it at all other times. The Office of Research and Statistics and the Office of Workforce Analysis have experience in agencywide, time sampling studies.

We spoke with staff in the Office of the Chief Policy Officer and the Office of Strategic Management. They believe that the customer comment card should continue to be used at the local level. They believe it could also be used occasionally to collect agencywide data, but not at the expense of local use. They confirm that agencywide use of the customer comment card will probably be reviewed by a consultant that is currently being hired to work with the Customer Service Executive Team. We believe that such a review of the agencywide use of the customer comment card would be appropriate.

AGENCY COMMENTS

SSA states that it has established the Customer Service Executive Team to review and update SSA`s performance measures and customer service standards. The Team has hired a consultant to assess how SSA collects data on its performance measures and customer service standards, and to offer recommendations for improvements. SSA reports that the consultant`s final report, due in mid-April 1997, will include recommendations on the comment card. The Customer Service Executive Team will use both the consultant`s report and this report in preparing recommendations to the Commissioner on improvements of SSA`s data collection system.

SSA further states that OIG makes inaccurate references to using customer comment card data to measure customer satisfaction and performance in relationship to SSA`s Customer Service Pledge. SSA explains that the card is intended for local office use, and other surveys are designed to monitor the pledge. Also, SSA points out that the report inaccurately states that the comment card is being used to meet the Agency`s need to have a complaint system under Executive Order 12862.

OIG RESPONSE

We understand, and clearly state in the report, that the customer comment card was created for local offices to assess levels of customer service in a manner that best fits the needs of each office and service area. Our recommendations are geared toward getting the most accurate and efficient information for local managers and staffs to use in improving service. We believe that the current methodologies used by some offices limit the usefulness of the comment card. Scientific methodologies, increased response rates, and a revised comment card would provide managers information that better reflects the service needs and desires of their customers.

We believe that the comment card can be an inexpensive and effective tool at both the local and national levels. We appreciate that our recommendations will be used in conjunction with the consultant`s recommendations in preparing recommendations on improvements to SSA`s data collection system. We note that the previous HHS/OIG report, "Monitoring Social Security`s Customer Services: A Consultative Report" (OEI-02-94-00060), would also be helpful to the executive team in preparing recommendations for the Commissioner. Finally, we realize that the customer comment card is one of many methods customers can currently use to voice complaints and that it is not the official customer complaint system for SSA.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX C

Managers` Suggested Changes to the Comment Card

All of the managers in our sample were asked what would make the customer comment card more useful to them. Over one-fifth of the managers believe that a modification to the comment card would make it more effective. The managers` suggested changes are listed below in their own words. Their comments have been grouped into four general categories:

More Detailed Information Is Desired

The comment card should be less structured and more personalized. Canned answers such as excellent, poor, etc. do not give a true response for the feelings of the customer. Comparatively, a narrative response is more meaningful.

Add the following questions on the card: 1. What did you like best about the service we provided you today? 2. What did you like the least about the service we provided you today?

More space for customers to elaborate, if they chose. Also a place for the name of the employees customers talked with.

Ask the claimant to explain any ratings of fair or poor.

Eliminate the ratings and ask questions such as, "Did you feel that our service was courteous? If so, what did we do that you liked? If you felt that we were not courteous to you, what did we do to give you that feeling and what can we do to improve in this area."

If the card would solicit information about attempts to telephone our office. When these attempts were made and how successful or unsuccessful they were. The Office of the Inspector General must help us in this area, because to date the Social Security Administration (SSA) has done nothing with assessing the quality of local telephone service.

If it asks for the name of the employee; contact if individual knows who helped him/her.

Add a block for the name of the claim representative/service representative, or other district office employee, if known. This can be useful for both good and critical feedback.

Under "File a claim" indicate what type of claim was requested. Similarly, ask for more details about the type of information requested and/or furnished.

Indicate if visit was for regular Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income.

Ask if the person was asked by SSA to visit/decided to visit on their own. This would give information on the necessity of visit.

Have specific teleservice center and field office versions.

We should have more room and the flexibility to better tailor the cards to the particular needs of a given monthly study.

The form needs to be tailored to solicit information so that a determination can be made (by us, not the caller) as to whether the final product was done accurately (information provided or systems input).

I would like to see something asking for the claimants` views on how confidential their interview or how private they felt their interview was conducted. A question on privacy may be appropriate.

The Waiting Time Questions Are Troublesome

It seems that our waiting time studies should be sufficient to determine if our clients wait too long. I would eliminate the question about the length of time waiting for service.

Improve the format of the waiting time question. Give boxes for choices (0-5 minutes, 5-10 minutes, etc). Hopefully, this would eliminate invalid responses.

The questions that involve time are very confusing to the people completing the form. I am sure that the form was designed to address how long a person had to wait in the office before he was served. Those who had to wait 2 years while a disability decision, recon, and hearing were decided think a 2-year wait is too long. We need to change this question also so that these useless answers don`t confuse the statistics.

The question about specific time that a person waited is good. We have found, however, that a person`s perception of a long wait is dramatically affected by whether or not they felt they were treated courteously! We are aware of a study involving a doctor`s office where patients waited exactly 20 minutes to see the doctor. When asked how long they had to wait those that felt that the doctor had been short with them and unfriendly reported that they must have waited at least 45 minutes. In situations where the doctor spent a little more time in small talk with them and treated them in a friendly and caring manner the patients perceived the wait to be no more than about 10 minutes!

We have noticed that statistics often depend on the office. In our office for example, nearly everyone gets waited on within 15 minutes. However, only 84 percent of the people thought this was good enough. In other offices, the statistics show that a significant percentage of the people who wait longer than 30 minutes is still 95 percent. It just depends upon the expectations of the claimants in the service area.

Some Questions Need to Be Rephrased

Eliminate fair rating and give them just three choices for rating service and courtesy.

I think the questions should be rephrased. They are too open and often illicit an incorrect response. Example: We had a card where the person rated the service as "fair." When we contacted the customer to see what the problem was and how we could improve the service, they said there was no problem, that we had treated them in a "fair" manner. Actually, they thought the service was excellent, but we received a low grade based on the way the card is worded.

We might need to do what we did with the Disability Insurance Benefits forms, and expand the card to more check choices to more clearly define our service.

One problem involves the question which says, "Did you get what you wanted?" If the claimant filed for disability benefits, for example, and was denied, he definitely did not get what he wanted. If we are looking at employee courtesy to customers, it looks really negative when these people say, "Hell no I didn`t get what I wanted." We should change the question to something that more accurately evaluates whether we are courteous to the customer.

The Comment Cards Need to Be More Visible to the Customers

On outside of card, "Social Security Puts Customers First"--indicate in large letters, "Please Take and Return or Leave Here--Free Postage." Otherwise, we have to come up with other signs to point out cards.

Provide dispensers and displays for cards that all offices can use; something professional looking.

A P P E N D I X D

List of Contributors

MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT

Office of the Inspector General

Scott Patterson, Director, Evaluations and Technical Services
Jack Molnar, Team Leader
Tim Nee, Senior Evaluator-in-Charge
Art Treglia, Senior Auditor
Evan Buckingham, Senior Evaluator

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