The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) earned a score of 90 in a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey of individuals receiving survivor benefits from the agency. This is 23 points higher than the latest overall Federal government customer satisfaction score.

The ACSI survey focused on the RRB's survivor benefit process. The survey included initial widow(er)s and spouse-to-widow(er) conversions. Initial widow(er) cases are those where a widow(er) was not receiving a spouse benefit at the time he or she became eligible for a widow(er)'s benefit. Spouse-to-widow(er) conversion cases are those where a retired employee and his or her spouse were both receiving retirement benefits prior to the employee's death.

The survey found the RRB scoring highest (93) in the area of customer service, with respondents reserving their best marks for the courtesy, professionalism, and responsiveness of agency employees, along with the accuracy and clarity of information provided. The survivor benefit application process received a score of 87, with most respondents pleased with the ease of the process and with the amount of supporting documentation required.

Results changed little since the same beneficiary segment was last surveyed in 2005. Respondents did give higher marks for the quality of the survivor benefit award letter they received from the agency, with a score of 90 compared to 87 in 2005. Beneficiaries were particularly satisfied with the ease in understanding the information provided in the letter.

Customers also had a high level of confidence in the RRB doing a good job, with a score of 94, an increase from 92 in 2005. This score indicates that those surveyed 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 Business School, the CFI Group, and the American Society for Quality, the ACSI regularly measures national customer satisfaction with corporate and government goods and services. Working with the Department of the Interior's National Business Center 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, which will have the biggest impact on an agency's ability to deliver the highest quality products and services.

This marks the seventh time the RRB has participated in the survey. In March 2012, the RRB earned a score of 81 in a survey of individuals who applied for and received unemployment or sickness benefits from the agency. Other recent surveys included a score of 88 in a 2009 ACSI survey of recently retired railroad workers who were receiving a monthly annuity, and a score of 85 in a 2006 survey of individuals who were recently awarded disability benefits. The RRB has consistently received higher scores than the composite Federal number. 

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