A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE: December 22, 2000	Contact:         Jim Bradshaw (202) 401-2310

"ED PUBS" SURPASSES PRIVATE INDUSTRY IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

ED Pubs, the U.S. Education Department's distribution and referral center serving more than a half-million customers a year, surpasses comparable private industry in customer satisfaction, according to an internationally recognized customer service measure. The center distributes free products on everything from reading tips to paying for college.

Based on a University of Michigan survey of 260 ED Pubs customers, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) calculated that ED Pubs scored 79 on a scale of 100. That exceeds the current index of 71.2 for comparable private sector operations, according to ACSI.

"We listen to our customers," said Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, of the service launched in 1998 to centralize the referral, inventory and shipping functions of the principal offices within the Education Department. "We pride ourselves on responsiveness, quality of products, saving money and customer loyalty."

The study was initiated by the President's Management Council, which sponsored similar surveys throughout the government to gauge customer satisfaction and search for ways to improve government operations. Complete survey results for the Department of Education and the federal government may be viewed at http://www.customersurvey.gov/.

Here are this year's ED Pubs products most requested by parents through early December:

• Read*Write*Now poster featuring the cartoon character Arthur. Orders: 28,045; copies requested: 3.1 million.
• "Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention." Orders: 17,528; copies: 1.6 million.
• "Building Your Baby's Brain: A Parent's Guide to the First Five Years." Orders: 7,803; copies: 56,535.

• "Picture the Future Mars Millennium Project" (poster). Orders: 7,475; copies requested: 14,835.
• America Reads Challenge: Read*Write*Now: "Share the Fun" poster. Orders: 3,762; copies requested: 479,916.
• "Getting Ready for College Early? A Handbook for Parents of Students in Middle School and Junior High Years." Orders: 3,086; copies: 231,309.

Among teachers, the most-requested product has been the America Reads Challenge: Read*Write*Now "Tip Sheet: Dear Friend, Kids Who Read Succeed." For principals and administrators, the most popular item has been the "National Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and Technology."

All materials are free, and ED Pubs ships within 3-5 days. Since its inception in 1998, the service has received more than 400,000 phone calls and 350,000 e-mails with 225 million books, CD-ROMs, posters and other items distributed.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index is produced through a partnership among the University of Michigan Business School, the American Society for Quality, and the CFI Group. The University of Michigan Business School's National Quality Research Center, which developed the methodology used, compiles and analyzes the ACSI data.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Customers may order products through ED Pubs at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html, by telephone in English or Spanish at 877-4-ED-PUBS (TTY/TDD: 1-877-576-7734), by fax at 301-470-1244, or by mail at ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Md. 20794-1398.