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pdfFY 2010 PROSPECTIVE CLIENT SURVEY
PRENOTICE POSTCARD
Dear Future Social Security Customer:
Social Security expects a growing retirement population in the coming years, one that
may want to do business with us differently from the people we now serve. That’s why
we are asking you to participate in a survey to tell us about your preferences and
expectations for good service.
In a few days, you will receive a questionnaire in the mail from [Contractor], who is
conducting the survey for Social Security. As you will see, the questionnaire covers a
wide variety of topics, such as how you want to be able to contact us, how you plan on
filing for retirement benefits, and what kinds of services you think should be available.
Please watch your mail for the envelope from [Contractor]. We hope that you will take
the time to answer our survey and look forward to receiving your reply.
Ronald T. Raborg
Deputy Commissioner for Quality Performance
Social Security Administration
FY 2010 PROSPECTIVE CLIENT SURVEY
INITIAL COVER LETTER
Dear Future Social Security Customer:
As I noted in my recent postcard, Social Security is conducting a survey to help prepare
for the expected increase in the retirement population in the coming years. You are one
of only a small number of people across the country age 50 to 64 who were chosen to
receive the enclosed questionnaire. While you are not required to respond, your opinions
are very valuable. Your answers will help us make important decisions about how
Social Security can best serve you.
Please be assured that [Contractor], who is conducting this survey for us, will only give
your responses to my staff here at Social Security and will not use them for any other
purpose. Social Security will report the survey results by summarizing the answers of
everyone who takes the survey; we will not report any individual responses. The barcode
on this survey is only used to let us know whether you have returned your survey, so we
don’t send you reminder letters.
Please return your completed survey as soon as possible in the postage-paid envelope
provided.
If you have a question about Social Security benefits, please visit our web site at
www.socialsecurity.gov or call our toll-free information line at 1-800-772-1213.
We appreciate your taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our survey.
Sincerely,
Ronald T. Raborg
Deputy Commissioner for Quality Performance
Social Security Administration
FY 2010 PROSPECTIVE CLIENT SURVEY
FOLLOW-UP POST CARD
SURVEY REMINDER
About two weeks ago [Contractor] sent you a questionnaire to find out how you would
like to do business with Social Security in the future.
•
•
•
If you have already mailed back your completed questionnaire, we thank you
for your quick response.
However, if you have not yet returned the questionnaire, we would appreciate
it if you could take some time to complete it and send it back as soon as possible.
If you no longer have the questionnaire, you don’t need to do anything.
[Contractor] will be mailing another one to you shortly.
Thank you for sharing your opinions with us.
Ronald T. Raborg
Deputy Commissioner for Quality Performance
Social Security Administration
FY 2010 PROSPECTIVE CLIENT SURVEY
FOLLOW-UP COVER LETTER
Dear Future Social Security Customer:
Several weeks ago [Contractor] sent you a survey questionnaire designed to help
Social Security prepare to serve the country’s growing retirement population. We
haven’t yet heard from you and it’s very important that we gather opinions from as many
people as possible. If you recently mailed in your completed questionnaire, please
discard this letter. We sincerely appreciate your help and look forward to receiving your
response.
However, if you have not yet returned your questionnaire, we ask that you take some
time now to complete it and send it back. For your convenience, we have enclosed
another questionnaire along with a postage-paid return envelope.
Please be assured that [Contractor], who is conducting this survey for us, will only give
your responses to my staff here at Social Security and will not use them for any other
purpose. Social Security will report the survey results by summarizing the answers of
everyone who takes the survey; we will not report any individual responses.
If you have a question about Social Security benefits, please visit our web site at
www.socialsecurity.gov or call our toll-free information line at 1-800-772-1213.
We would appreciate receiving your completed survey as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Ronald T. Raborg
Deputy Commissioner for Quality Performance
Social Security Administration
FY 2010 PROSPECTIVE CLIENT SURVEY
CLOSEOUT LETTER
Dear Future Social Security Customer:
Recently we mailed you a survey questionnaire to find out how you would like to do business
with Social Security in the future. If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire,
please accept our sincere thanks.
If you have not yet had time, we hope you will turn to it right away. We are wrapping up the
survey and would like to include your opinions, but we need your quick response. We think it’s
extremely important to hear from everyone who was selected to participate in this survey.
Please be assured that [Contractor], who is conducting this survey for us, will only give your
responses to my staff here at Social Security and will not use them for any other purpose.
Social Security will report the survey results by summarizing the answers of everyone who takes
the survey; we will not report any individual responses.
If you have a question about Social Security benefits, please visit our web site at
www.socialsecurity.gov or call our toll-free information line at 1-800-772-1213.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Ronald T. Raborg
Deputy Commissioner for Quality Performance
Social Security Administration
Looking Ahead: How Should Social Security Serve You?
BEFORE YOU START:
Do you currently receive, or have you applied for Social Security benefits of any kind in the last 5 years?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
STOP!
No
CONTINUE READING.
You do not need to complete this survey. Please leave the rest of the survey blank and
return it in the enclosed envelope with only this box marked. Thank you for your time.
ABOUT OUR SURVEY
Social Security expects more people to retire in the coming years. Many of these people may want to do
business with us differently from the people we now serve. To prepare for the future, Social Security
needs your help! This survey asks about your expectations for good service – how you want to be able to
contact Social Security, how you plan to file for retirement benefits, and what kinds of services you think
we should have available.
•
If you have trouble filling out this questionnaire, you may have someone help you. The answers you give,
however, should be based only on your own feelings and opinions about your future interactions with Social
Security and about good customer service. The survey should take about 20 minutes to finish.
•
Answer all questions as directed. You may be told to skip over some questions. When that happens, you will
see an arrow with a note telling you what question to answer next:
Example:
Yes
No SKIP to Question 1.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MARKING YOUR ANSWERS
• Use a pen with blue or black ink or a number 2 pencil.
• Make no stray marks.
• Do not use a pen with ink that soaks through the paper.
• Keep all entries within the appropriate boxes.
YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY
1.
Do you remember receiving a statement from Social Security in the last 12 months about your Social Security
earnings and your estimated benefit amount? (People usually receive this statement, known as the Social Security
Statement, in the mail about 3 months before their birthday.)
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 4.
2.
Social Security is considering other ways to provide you with your Social Security Statement. How would you prefer
to receive it?
Mark (X) one answer.
3.
By regular mail
Through secure e-mail
View it online through a secure website
How easy or hard was it to understand the information on the Social Security Statement?
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very easy” and 5 means
“very hard.”
I found understanding the Social Security Statement …
4.
Very
Easy
1
2
3
4
Very
Hard
5
Have you contacted Social Security in the past 12 months for any reason?
Mark (X) one answer.
5.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 7
How did you contact Social Security?
Mark (X) all answers that apply.
6.
Visited a local office
Called a local office
Called the national 800 number
Used e-mail or the Internet
Used regular mail
Overall, how satisfied were you with the way your business was handled by Social Security?
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very satisfied” and
5 means “very dissatisfied.”
Thinking about the way Social Security handled my business, I was …
2
Very
Satisfied
1
2
3
Very
Dissatisfied
4
5
YOUR PREFERENCES FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE FUTURE
For questions 7-10, please enter your first (1) and second (2) choice to indicate how you would like to contact
Social Security in the future for the type of business described.
Select one method of contact as your first choice and one as your second choice for each type of business.
7.
For the following business you might have right now, how would you prefer to contact Social Security?
An Automated
Phone Service
An Agent on a
National
800 Number
An Agent on a
Local Phone
Number
A Visit to a
Local Office
Regular Mail
Internet or
E- mail
To replace a lost Social Security card, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
To correct mistakes in earnings shown on my Social Security statement, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
8.
Now imagine that you are getting ready to retire in a year or two. How would you prefer to contact Social Security to
get information about retiring?
An Automated
Phone Service
An Agent on a
National
800 Number
An Agent on a
Local Phone
Number
A Visit to a
Local Office
Regular Mail
Internet or
E-mail
To get information from Social Security, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
9.
After you get all the information you need and you are ready to apply for retirement benefits, how would you prefer
to contact Social Security in connection with your application?
An Automated
Phone Service
An Agent on a
National
800 Number
An Agent on a
Local Phone
Number
A Visit to a
Local Office
Regular Mail
Internet or
E-mail
To actually complete the application for retirement benefits, I would prefer…
First choice
Second choice
3
An Automated
Phone Service
An Agent on a
National
800 Number
An Agent on a
Local Phone
Number
A Visit to a
Local Office
Regular Mail
Internet or
E-mail
To schedule an appointment to speak with someone about my application, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
To check on my application while it’s being processed, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
10. Now imagine that you are receiving retirement benefits from Social Security. For business related to the Social
Security benefit you are receiving, such as changing your address or getting a statement of the total benefits you
received in the last year, how would you prefer to contact Social Security?
An Automated
Phone Service
An Agent on a
National
800 Number
An Agent on a
Local Phone
Number
A Visit to a
Local Office
Regular Mail
Internet or
E-mail
To change information on my Social Security records, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
To get information from my Social Security records, I would prefer …
First choice
Second choice
YOUR PREFERENCES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY’S PHONE SERVICE
11. A common method of conducting business with Social Security is by phone, both through automated systems and
talking with an agent. Although it may not have been your first or second choice in questions 7-10, do you think you
would ever call Social Security to conduct your business in the future?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 14.
4
12. Social Security uses an automated phone system to direct callers to agents and to provide some services. Listed
below are some features that people may associate with good automated phone service. We are interested in
which ones are most important to you.
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very important” and
5 means “not as important.”
Very
Important
Not As
Important
1
2
3
4
5
A system where I describe the service I need in my own words
A system that prompts me with what to say to get the service I need
A touchtone system where I press phone buttons to get the service I need
Ability to use more than one service without having to call back
Ability to speak to an agent or have an agent call me back
Ability to get general information about Social Security through an automated
service
Ability to get personal information about my Social Security record through an
automated service
Ability to use an automated phone service to schedule an appointment
Ability to take care of my business completely through an automated phone
service
A receipt or confirmation that my action or change has been successfully
received
Automated services available on nights and weekends as well as normal
business hours
13. Social Security strives to have helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable agents on its phone lines, and to serve you
quickly. Listed below are some other features that people may associate with good phone service when talking to
an agent. We are interested in which ones are most important to you.
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very important” and
5 means “not as important.”
Very
Important
Not As
Important
1
2
3
4
5
An estimate of how long my wait on hold will be
Music or informational messages to listen to while I’m on hold
Ability to transfer to the right agent to handle my business without having to
call back
Ability to complete my business with only one call
Ability to speak to the same agent if I have to call more than once to complete
my business
5
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very important” and
5 means “not as important.”
Very
Important
Not As
Important
1
2
3
4
5
Ability to ask an agent to call me back
Ability to have the agent schedule an appointment for me
Agent at a local office to handle my call
Agents available on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours
YOUR PREFERENCES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY’S IN-OFFICE SERVICE
14. People can also choose to visit their local Social Security office. Although it may not have been your first or second
choice in questions 7-10, do you think you would ever visit an office to conduct your business with Social Security in
the future? .
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 16.
15. Social Security knows that it is important to have convenient, comfortable offices with helpful, courteous, and
knowledgeable agents who serve you quickly. Listed below are some other features that people may associate with
good in-office service. We are interested in knowing which are most important to you.
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5,
where 1 means “very important” and 5 means “not as important.”
Very
Important
Not As
Important
1
2
3
4
5
Office I can easily reach by public transportation
Office I can easily reach by car
An estimate of how long I’ll have to wait to be seen
A separate line in the office for simple business, like dropping off documents or
other information
Ability to complete my business with only one visit
Ability to see the same agent if I have to visit more than once to complete my
business
Offices open on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours
6
YOUR PREFERENCES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY’S INTERNET AND E-MAIL SERVICE
16. Internet and e-mail are increasingly popular ways to do business. Although they may not have been your first or
second choices in questions 7-10, do you think you would ever use the Internet or e-mail to contact or do business
with Social Security in the future?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 22.
17. Listed below are some features that people may associate with good Internet and e-mail service. We are
interested in which ones are most important to you when doing business with Social Security.
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very important” and 5 means
“not as important.”
Very
Important
Not As
Important
1
2
3
4
5
Ability to send personal information via secure e-mail
Ability to view personal information on a secure website
Ability to use the Internet or e-mail to schedule an appointment
Downloadable forms that I can print and mail to Social Security
Online forms that I can fill out and send electronically to Social Security
Website services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Ability to “chat” with an agent to get immediate help with Social Security’s
Internet services
Ability to call an agent to get immediate help with Social Security’s
Internet services
An e-mail or other electronic confirmation that my action or change has been
successfully received
7
18. Social Security currently offers people two ways to ensure their electronic business is secure by verifying their
identify. Depending on the particular type of service they need, they can either use a PIN/password or provide
personal information that is matched against Social Security’s records. This second method is known as
“knowledge-based authentication.” We’d like to know how convenient you find each of these methods.
Very
Convenient
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very convenient” and
5 means “not at all convenient.”
Not At All
Convenient
1
2
3
4
5
Using a PIN/password to do business online is …
Answering questions about my personal information to do business online
(knowledge-based authentication) is…
19. Social Security is currently refining its authentication process. In addition to providing your name and Social
Security number, how comfortable would you be providing each item below in order to do business electronically
with Social Security?
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very comfortable”
and 5 means “not at all comfortable.”
Very
Comfortable
Not At All
Comfortable
1
2
3
4
5
Your address
Your date of birth
Your place of birth
Your mother’s maiden name
Your driver’s license number
Your bank account number
Your credit card number
Other information only you know the answer to,
such as the name of your first pet
8
20. To verify your identity, Social Security would need to match the personal information you give against other records.
Listed below are different kinds of records that Social Security could match with. How comfortable would you be
with each?
Very
Comfortable
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very comfortable” and
5 means “not at all comfortable.”
Not At All
Comfortable
1
2
3
4
5
Checking against Social Security’s own records
Checking against records from other Federal agencies, like the
Internal Revenue Service
Checking against records from other State and local government
agencies, like Motor Vehicle departments
Checking against records from private companies, like banks or
credit bureaus
21. Sometimes, Social Security’s efforts to keep your information private and secure may make it less convenient for
you to do business electronically with us. How do you think Social Security should balance security and
convenience for its electronic services?
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “more security” and
5 means “more convenience.”
Balancing security and convenience, I prefer…
More
Security
1
More
Convenience
4
5
2
3
YOUR DEFINITION OF TIMELY SERVICE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BUSINESS
22. Now we’d like to know your definition of timely service. For the following types of services and actions, please
mark (X) the box that best describes the amount of time you think is reasonable to wait.
Same day
Next day
About
2-3 days
About
1 week
About
2 weeks
More than
2 weeks
Less than
5 minutes
5 to 10
minutes
11 to 20
minutes
21 to 30
minutes
31 to 45
minutes
More than
45 minutes
To be seen in an office without an
appointment is …
To be seen in an office
with an appointment is …
A reasonable time for me to wait:
To get an appointment in a local
office is …
A reasonable time for me to wait:
9
Less than
1 minute
1 to 3
minutes
4 to 5
minutes
5 to 10
minutes
11 to 20
minutes
More than
20 minutes
A reasonable time for me to wait:
Same day
Next day
About
2-3 days
About
1 week
About
2 weeks
More than
2 weeks
For an agent to call me back
when I leave a phone message
is …
To get a response when I ask a
question via e-mail or the Internet
is …
A reasonable time for me to wait:
To speak to an agent on the
phone is …
GETTING READY FOR RETIREMENT
23. Currently, are you employed full-time, part-time, or are you not employed for pay?
Mark (X) one answer.
Full time
Part time
Not currently employed for pay
24. How soon do you plan to retire?
Mark (X) one answer.
I plan to retire in…
I’m already
retired
Within the
next
12 months
1 to 5
years
6 to 10
years
11 to 15
years
More than
15 years
No plans
to retire
25. Other than your annual Social Security Statement which shows your earnings and estimated benefits, have you
gotten any information from Social Security about retirement benefits?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 29.
10
26. How did you get that information from Social Security?
Mark (X) all answers that apply.
Visited Social Security’s website
Called Social Security’s national 800 number
Called a local Social Security office
Visited a local Social Security office
Sent an e-mail to Social Security
Some other way Please explain:_______________________________________
27. Did you get any information about Social Security retirement benefits from anywhere other than Social Security?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 29.
28. Where did you get that information?
Mark (X) all answers that apply.
Senior citizens organization, such as AARP
Accountant or financial advisor
Employer or union
Media (newspaper, magazine, TV, or radio)
Friends or relatives
Government agency other than Social Security
Attorney
Someplace else Please explain: ___________________________________________
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOU
29. To better understand your answers, Social Security would like to know a little more about you. Do you currently use
the Internet?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
SKIP to Question 36.
11
30. How would you rate your level of experience using the Internet?
Very
Experienced
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very experienced” and
5 means “not at all experienced.”
I would rate my level of experience using the Internet as …
Not At All
Experienced
1
2
3
4
5
31. The list below describes different activities people can do on the Internet using a personal/laptop computer or a
wireless handheld device. Please tell us whether you do each of the online activities listed below often, sometimes,
or never using the type of device shown.
Mark (X) one answer for each item.
Often
Sometimes
Never
Using a personal or laptop computer, I…
Send e-mail
Instant Message or chat
Look for information online
Make purchases online
Bank or pay bills online
Mark (X) one answer for each item.
Often
Sometimes
Never
Using a “wireless” handheld device (cell
phone, Blackberry, iPhone, etc.), I…
Send e-mail
Text or chat
Look for information online
Make purchases online
Bank or pay bills online
32. Have you ever filed an application online, for example, a loan or insurance application?
Mark (X) one answer.
Yes
No
12
33. Social Security currently offers an online application on its website that people can use to file for retirement benefits.
When you’re ready to file, how likely would you be to use Social Security’s Internet application?
Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very likely” and
5 means “not at all likely.”
Very
Likely
For me, filing for Social Security’s retirement benefits over the
Internet is…
Not At
All Likely
1
2
3
4
5
34. What is the main reason why you might be likely to use the online retirement application?
Mark (X) ONLY one answer.
Can do it any time of day
Can take as much time as I need
Don’t have to wait to speak to someone, either on the phone or in person
Don’t have to travel to the office
Can have all my records at hand or can look something up if I need to
Some other reason you might use it Please explain:___________________________________
Can’t think of any reason why I would use it
35. What is the main reason why you might not be likely to use the online retirement application?
Mark (X) ONLY one answer.
Easier to understand things explained by a person
Can get questions answered right away by a person
Concerned about security and/or privacy of my information
Computer is too old/Internet service is too slow
Don’t have the necessary computer skills or experience
Concerned online application might be too hard, complicated
Some other reason you might not use it Please explain: _______________________________
Can’t think of any reason why I wouldn’t use it
36. And for the final question, what is the highest level of education you have completed?
Mark (X) one answer.
Not a high school graduate
High school graduate or GED
Trade/technical/vocational school graduate
Some college
College graduate
Graduate degree or postgraduate training
13
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thank you for your time and attention with this survey. Social Security will use your answers to plan
for the future! Please return the completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope as soon as possible to:
Social Security Survey
Contractor Name
Contractor Address
PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
The Social Security Administration is authorized to
collect the information for this survey under Executive
Order 12862, “Setting Customer Service Standards.”
Your response to these questions is strictly voluntary.
The information you provide will be used to help us
improve the service that we give you. Your response
will not be disclosed to any other government or private
agency.
OMB Control No: 0950-0526
Expiration Date: August 2012
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT
This information collection meets the requirements of
44 U.S.C. § 3507, as amended by Section 2 of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. You do not need to
answer these questions unless we display a valid Office
of Management and Budget control number. We
estimate that it will take about 20 minutes to read the
instructions, gather the facts and answer the questions.
You may send comments on our time estimate above to:
Social Security Administration, 1338 Annex Building,
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
Send only comments relating to our time estimate to this
address, not the completed form.
14
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | 253865 |
| File Modified | 2010-06-01 |
| File Created | 2010-06-01 |