Overview:
    "Financial Connection"

Current Issue

Back Issues

Subscribe Free

By David Burgess, Agency Relationship Management Division

Federal Finance (FF), an Assistant Commissioner (AC) area within the Financial Management Service (FMS), evaluates, develops and manages collection and cash management programs and systems that minimize cost and maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal government.

In order to accomplish this mission, it is essential that FMS employees work closely with Federal Program Agency (FPA) representatives. Recently, the Agency Relationship Management (ARM) Division of FF distributed its annual Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire to a diverse group of FPAs representing senior executive, accounting and cash management representatives. This is how FMS hopes to gauge the FPAs' level of customer satisfaction received from FMS's programs and services. These programs and systems include, but are not limited to: the General Lockbox Network, Pay.gov, Paper Check Conversion Over The Counter, Credit Card, Automated Clearing House (ACH) collections, Treasury General Account (TGA) deposits, and CA$HLINK II.

The online questionnaire asked respondents to detail their level of customer satisfaction regarding the following aspects of FMS's collection programs: People, Service, Products, Features, Problem Resolution, Policies, and Overall Satisfaction. An additional question asked respondents if they were experiencing any unresolved issues within FMS as a whole and in which AC areas those issues had occurred. Space for comments was provided under each of the questions so that respondents could provide clarification.

FMS appreciates receiving responses from 100% of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act agencies and 58% of the non-CFO Act agencies (this % is lower because a number of agencies are cross-serviced by other agencies). FMS strives to improve customer satisfaction to all agencies. The results of the 2008 questionnaire show that FMS has maintained a high level of combined satisfaction (satisfied or very satisfied responses) across all categories with only minor fluctuations. The overall combined satisfaction rate for 2008 was an impressive 88.4% .

The majority of respondents took the time to provide feedback in the comment sections within the questionnaire. The criticism and praise received via these comments is very valuable, as FMS strives to improve customer satisfaction each year. The ARM Division has forwarded these comments to the appropriate FMS program and AC areas for review. Additionally, Carolyn Dunston, the Director of the ARM Division, personally followed up with the respondents or the Cash Management Liaisons (CML) to address the negative feedback. FPA representatives are encouraged to contact their assigned Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) with any concerns they might have throughout the year, so that FMS might continue to provide a high level of customer service to all agencies.

A list of CRM contacts available to assist FPAs is listed at: http://www.fms.treas.gov/crm/contacts.html .

Viewing PDF files requires the free Acrobat Reader.

You can sign up for your free subscription to The Financial Connection [here].