Individual Generic Clearance Surveys

FIELD OFFICE TELEPHONE SERVICE REPLACMENT PROJECT SURVEY
Intro 1
Hello, my name is [first and last name], and I'm calling from (insert contractor name) on behalf
of the Social Security Administration. We are calling a sample of people from all over the
country who recently called their local Social Security office. Our records show that the (insert
city from sample file) Social Security office received a call on (insert date from sample file) from
someone at this telephone number.
May I please speak with the person who made that call?
1. Yes, This is he/she (continue with Intro 3)
2. Yes, one moment please (continue with Intro 2)
3. No (Attempt Conversion. If unsuccessful, record reason for non-response and
TERMINATE)
Intro 2
(Begin reading when respondent is on the line)
Hello, my name is [first and last name], and I'm calling from (insert contractor name) on behalf
of the Social Security Administration. We are calling a sample of people from all over the
country who recently called Social Security's 800 number. Our records show that Social
Security received a call on (insert date from sample file) from someone at this telephone
number. I understand that you are the person who made that call?
1. Yes (continue with Intro 3)
2. No (Record reason for non-response and terminate)
Intro 3
Did you call the (insert city from sample file) office about Social Security business?
1. Yes, it was about Social Security Business (continue with Intro 4)
2. No (It was a personal call, wrong number, etc.) (Record reason for non-response and
terminate)
Intro 4
Could you please tell me if this number belongs to a business or is a personal phone?
1. Business (record as business number and terminate)
2. Personal phone (continue to Intro 4)

Intro 5
The reason I am calling is to find out how Social Security can improve its telephone service. I’d
like to assure you that the only information Social Security gives us is a telephone number and
we will not ask you for any identifying information during the survey. You are not required to
participate in this survey, but your opinions are very important to Social Security. All the
answers you give will be kept private and will not be used for any other purpose. The survey
should only take about 10 minutes.
Intro 6
INTERVIEWER: RECORD LANGUAGE OF INTERVIEW
1. English
2. Spanish
Intro 7
May I begin now?
1. Yes [Continue to Intro 8]
2. Cannot do interview now [Go to appointment screen and schedule callback.]
3. No—Refusal [Attempt conversion. If unsuccessful, record reason for non-response
and TERMINATE.]
Intro 8
Before my first question, I need to tell you that the Paperwork Reduction Act says that agencies
may not collect information from the public without approval from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB). The OMB approval number for this survey is 0960–0526.
[Continue to Q3]
Message for Answering Machines
Hello, my name is (first and last name), and I'm calling from (insert contractor name) on behalf
of the Social Security Administration. To help Social Security improve its telephone service, we
are calling a sample of people who recently called their local Social Security office. Social
Security’s records show that someone at this number called the (insert city from sample file)
Social Security office on (insert date from sample file). I would like to ask that person a few
questions about the service they received that day. Please ask that person to call me (first and
last name) between ___ and ___ at 1 – 800 _______. Thank you.

2

1.

First, I’d like you to think about how easy it was to reach the (insert city from sample file)
Social Security office when you called on (insert date from sample file). Would you rate
how quickly you got through as:
(Read rating scale. Enter one response.)
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

2.

(Do not read.)

Did you have to make more than one call that day before you were able to reach the office?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)

3.

a.

Yes

b.

No

c.

Don’t know/don’t remember

When you reached the office, you heard an automated message with information about their
telephone service. I’d like to know how easy or hard you thought it was to understand this
message. Would you say understanding the automated message was:
(Read rating scale. Enter one response.)
a.

Very easy

(Skip to question 5.)

b. Somewhat easy

(Skip to question 5.)

c.

Somewhat hard, or

d.

Very hard

e.

No opinion/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

3

(Skip to question 5.)

4.

Why did you feel it was hard to understand the automated message?
(Do not read responses. Enter all that apply.)

5.

a.

Too many options; menu was too long

b.

Explanations of options were confusing, unclear

c.

Options did not seem to fit the situation

d.

Recording quality poor (too fast, not loud enough, words garbled)

e.

Non-English speaking

f.

Other

g.

No opinion/don’t remember

(Record response __________.)

Did you listen to the specific automated message that gave office hours and directions?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)

6.

a.

Yes

b.

No

(Skip to question 7.)

c.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Skip to question 7.)

Was that the only reason you called that day?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)

7.

a.

Yes

b.

No

c.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Skip to question 25.)
(Skip to question 25.)

[If Q5 = “no” or “don’t know,” read version 1:

How was your call handled that day? Did
you:
[IF Q6 = “no,” read version 2: What else did you do that day during your call? Did you:
(Read responses. Stop as soon as responder makes a selection. Enter one response.)
a.

Use an automated service to request information or report a change

b. Leave a voicemail message

(Skip to question 9.)

b. Speak to an agent, or

(Skip to question 12.)

c.

(Skip to question 18.)

Were you not able to get served that day

g. Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

4

(Skip to question 25.)

Question 8 only applies to callers who used an automated service.
8.

Were you able to take care of all of your business that day using only the automated service?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Yes

(Skip to question 25.)

b. No

(Skip to question 24.)

c.

(Skip to question 25.)

Don’t know/don’t remember

Questions 9 - 11 only apply to callers who left a voice mail message.
9.

When you left your message on voice mail, did you:
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Ask someone to call you back, or did you

b. Leave information about your business
c.

(Skip to question 25.)

Do something else (Do not read.) (Record response _______.) (Skip to question 25.)

d. Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

(Skip to question 25.)

10. Did Social Security call you back?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Yes

b. No

(Skip to question 25.)

c. Don’t know/don’t remember

(Skip to question 25.)

11. Did they call you back:
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

The same day

b. The next work day
c.

Later, but still within about a week, or

d. Over a week later
e.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

(All responders to question 11 skip to question 19.)

5

Questions 12 – 17 only apply to callers who spoke to an agent.
12. Did you enter the name or extension of a particular person or did you just want to speak to
the next available agent?
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Entered name or extension of particular agent

b.

Went to next available agent

c.

Don’t know/don’t remember (Do not read.)

13. Were you connected immediately to the agent or did you have to wait on hold?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Connected immediately

(Skip to question 19.)

b.

Waited on hold

c.

Don’t know/don’t remember (Do not read.)

(Skip to question 19.)

14. How would you rate the amount of time you waited on hold until someone answered your
call? Would you rate the amount of time as:
(Read rating scale. Enter one response.)
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.)

15. Did you like the music you heard while you were on hold?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Yes

(Skip to question 19.)

b. No
c.

Didn’t hear music

c. Don’t remember/no opinion

(Skip to question 19.)
(Skip to question 19.)

6

16. Why didn’t you like it?
(Do not read responses. Enter all that apply.)
a.

Prefer different type of music

b.

Sound quality was poor

c.

Volume was too loud or too soft

d.

Some other reason (Record response _______.)

e.

Don’t know/no opinion
If response to question 16 = a (alone or in combination with other responses),
continue with question 17. Other wise, skip to question 19.

17. What is the main type of music you prefer to listen to while on hold?
(Do not read responses. Enter only one response.)
a.

Easy listening/pop

b.

Country/folk/bluegrass

c.

Rock/heavy metal

d.

Hip-hop/rap

e.

Jazz/blues

f.

Classical/opera

g.

Other

h.

Don’t know/no opinion
(All responders to question 17 skip to question 19.)

7

Question 18 only applies to callers who weren’t served the day of their call.
18. What happened?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Got a message that all agents were busy and to call back later

b.

Phone rang but no one answered

c.

Hung up; didn’t want to leave voice mail message

d.

Hung up; waited on hold too long

e.

Hung up for personal reasons that had nothing to do with Social Security’s service.

f.

Heard someone answer but the phone got disconnected

g.

Voice mailbox full; unable to leave message

h.

Something else

i.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Record response _______.)

(All responders to question 18 skip to question 24.)

Questions 19 - 23 only apply to callers who spoke to an agent.
Now I'd like to ask you several questions about your satisfaction with the service the agent from
the (insert city from sample file) office gave you during your call.
(Read rating scale as needed for each question. Enter one response.)
19. First, how would you rate the courtesy of the agent? Was it:
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.)

8

20. How well would you say the agent knew his/her job? Would you rate the agent’s job
knowledge as:
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.)

21. How would you rate the helpfulness of the agent during your call? Was it:
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.)

22. How clear were the explanations the agent gave you? Would you say the explanations were:
a.

Excellent

b. Very good
c.

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.)

9

23. Was the agent able to take care of your business completely during your call?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Yes

(Skip to question 25.)

b. No
c.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Skip to question 25.)

24. Then what did you do, or what do you plan to do, to complete your business with Social
Security? Did you or will you:
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Call Social Security's 800 number

b. Call the local Social Security office again
c.

Visit the local Social Security office

d

Use the Internet or email

e.

Send a letter or FAX

f.

Wait for Social Security to contact you or mail you something, or

g. Will you do something else

(Record response __________.)

h. Do nothing about it

(Do not read.)

i.

(Do not read.)

Don’t know/no opinion

25. Overall, how would you rate the service you received the day you called the (insert city
from sample file) Social Security office? Was it:
(Read rating scale. Enter one response.)
a.

Excellent

(Skip to question 27.)

b. Very good

(Skip to question 27.)

c.

(Skip to question 27.)

Good

d. Fair
e.

Poor, or

f.

Very poor

g. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.) (Skip to question 27.)

10

26. Why did you rate the telephone service in this office as (insert response from question 25)?
(Do not read responses. Enter all that apply.)
a.

Too hard to get through

b. Wait on hold to get to an agent was too long.
c.

Agent didn’t answer question/didn’t explain things well.

d. Agent was not courteous.
e.

Social Security failed to take the requested action/problem not resolved.

f.

Don’t like having to listen to automated messages or pressing numbers.

g. Don’t like leaving a message in voicemail.
h. Transferred too many times/got the runaround.
i.

Recording was hard to understand.

j.

Employee never called back/slow to respond.

k. Something else
l.

(Record response ___________.)

Don’t know/no opinion

27. If you contact Social Security again, what are you most likely to do? Will you:
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Call the 800 number

b. Call your local office
c.

Visit your local office

d. Use the Internet or email
e.

Write a letter

f.

Send a FAX, or

g. Will you do something else
h. Don’t know/no opinion

(Record response ___________.)

(Do not read.)

11

28. To help Social Security better understand how to improve its telephone service, they’d like
to know why you were calling the (insert city from sample file) office on (insert date from
sample file). Can you tell me the main type of business you called about that day?
[Do not read responses; select only one.]
[If responders do not describe the type of business they called about, for example, if
they say:
 They called for the local Social Security office address/phone number/hours;
 They called to make/change/check the status of an appointment;
 They called because they received a letter; or
 They were returning a call from Social Security;
probe to find out the underlying type of business involved. If responder is still unable
to identify the reason for the call, read responses.]
a.

Applying for benefits or checking on an application that was already filed

b.

A change or question about someone’s benefits, such as a change of address or direct
deposit, a return to work, or the death of someone receiving benefits

c.

A Social Security Statement, or information about earnings paid into Social Security
and an estimate of future benefits
(Skip to question 30.)

d.

A new or replacement Social Security card, or changing the name on a Social Security
card
(Skip to question 30.)

e.

Appealing a decision Social Security had made, for example on a disability claim that
was turned down
(Skip to question 30.)

f.

Medicare information or a replacement Medicare card or help with Medicare
prescription drug costs
(Skip to question 30.)

g.

A review of your case

h.

An overpayment of benefits

i.

A representative payee situation

j.

Proof of your current payments (benefit verification letter)

k.

Something else? (Record response __________.) (Skip to question 30.)

l.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.) (Skip to question 30.)

12

29. Social Security would also like to know what kind of benefits you were calling about.
Please answer “yes” or “no” as I read each type of benefit. Were you calling about:
(Read responses. Enter all that apply. If responder answers “no” to all response choices,
refer to the type of business identified in question 28 and probe further for the type of
benefit involved.)
a.

Social Security Retirement or Survivor benefits

b. Social Security Disability benefits
c.

SSI (i.e., Supplemental Security Income)

d. Medicare, or
e.

Medicaid

f.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

30. Now I want to ask you about the quality of the phone connection during your call.
Compared to all the other calls you make from the same phone you used to call the (insert
city from sample file) office, would you say the quality of the phone connection that day
was:
(Read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Better than on other calls

(Skip to question 32.)

b. About the same as on other calls, or
c.

(Skip to question 32.)

Worse than on other calls

d. Don’t know/no opinion

(Do not read.) (Skip to question 32.)

31. What problems did you have that made you say it was worse?
(Read responses. Select all that apply.)
a.

Did it seem like some of the words were being dropped?

b. Were there delays like you were talking to someone far away?
c.

Was there static or other noise?

d. Was there an echo?
e.

Something else? (Do not read.) (Record response __________.)

f.

Don’t know/don’t remember

(Do not read.)

13

32. Do you have any comments or suggestions to help improve telephone service in the (insert
city from sample file) Social Security office?
(Do not read responses. Enter one response.)
a.

Yes

b.

No

(Record response ___________.)

Closing: That’s all the questions I have for you today. I want to thank you taking the time to
participate in the survey.

14