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.

# # #