Prepared by Public Affairs 312-751-4777
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board earned a score of 85 out of a
possible 100 in a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey, 14
points higher than the current overall Federal government score.
The ACSI survey focused on railroad workers who were recently awarded disability
benefits from the RRB. The survey found the RRB scoring highest (89) in the area
of customer service, with respondents particularly praising the courtesy and
professionalism of agency employees.
The disability benefit application process received a score of 76, with those
surveyed most content with the guidance they received from the agency, but
concerned with the amount of information required and the time involved in
completing their applications. Instructional material provided to customers for
assistance in filing their benefit applications was found to be helpful, with
the 59 percent of respondents who actually used agency publications reporting it
easier to complete the application process. However, respondents felt some of
the benefit information could be clearer.
The RRB earned a confidence index score of 90, indicating that its customers are
satisfied with the service provided by the agency and are confident they will
continue to be well served in the future.
Produced through a partnership of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of
Business, the American Society for Quality and the CFI Group, the ACSI regularly
measures national customer satisfaction with corporate and government goods and
services. Working with the Department of the Treasury’s Federal Consulting
Group, government agencies participating in the survey use the ACSI to gauge
their level of service and benchmark their performance for comparison with
similar
organizations in the private sector. The ACSI also helps agencies focus on those
processes, based on customer feedback, that will have the biggest impact on an
agency’s ability to deliver the highest quality products and services.
This marks the fourth time the RRB has participated in the survey. Last year the
agency earned a score of 90 in an ACSI survey that focused on its survivor
benefit process. The RRB also earned a score of 75 in a 2002 survey of railroad
unemployment and sickness benefit claimants, and a score of 82 in a 2001 survey
of recently retired railroad workers.
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