Five Customer Satisfaction Survey - Mail Surveys - Statistical

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!	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.
	No 	CONTINUE READING.

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 planning to file for retirement benefits, your expectations for good service, how you want to be able to contact Social Security 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:	o Yes
		o 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.

GETTING READY FOR RETIREMENT

1. Have you ever gotten any information from Social Security about retirement benefits?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 5

2. How did you get that information from Social Security?

Mark (X) all answers that apply.
o	Visited Social Security’s website
o	Called Social Security’s national 800 number
o	Called a local Social Security office
o	Visited a local Social Security office
o	Sent an e-mail to Social Security
o	Received a Social Security Statement in the mail
o	Some other way Please explain:_______________________________________

3. Social Security has tools on its website that you can use to find out how much your monthly retirement benefit will be: the Retirement Benefit Estimator (http://www.ssa.gov/estimator/) and the personalized Social Security Statement Online (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement/). Have you ever used either of these tools to get an estimate of your retirement benefit?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 5

4. How would you rate the usefulness of these tools on Social Security’s website?

Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very useful” and 5 means “not at all useful.”	Very Useful			Not at all Useful
	1	2	3	4	5
I found Social Security’s online tools for estimating my retirement benefit to be…	o	o	o	o	o

5. Have you ever gotten any information about Social Security retirement benefits from anywhere other than Social Security?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 7

6. Where did you get that information?

Mark (X) all answers that apply.
o	Senior citizens organization, such as AARP
o	Accountant or financial advisor
o	Employer or union
o	Friends or relatives
o	Local seminars or meetings
o	Traditional media (newspaper, magazine, TV, or radio)
o	Website other than Social Security’s
o	Social networking site like Facebook or Twitter
o	Government agency other than Social Security
o	Someplace else Please explain: ___________________________________________

YOUR RETIREMENT PLANS

7. Currently, are you employed full-time, part-time, or are you not employed for pay?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Full time
o	Part time
o	Not currently employed for pay

8. At what age do you plan to stop (or did you stop) working?

Mark (X) one answer.	Under 62	62 – 65	66 - 67	68 or older	No plans to stop working
I plan to stop (or I stopped) working…	o	o	o	o	o

9. The various options for claiming Social Security retirement benefits are displayed in the table below. After reviewing these options, please mark (X) the box that best describes when you plan to claim benefits.*

At Age 62	Between 62 and your Full Retirement Age	At your Full Retirement Age 66 or 67	Between your Full Retirement Age and Age 70	At Age 70 or Older
				
Maximum reduction in monthly benefit	Some reduction in monthly benefit	Full unreduced monthly benefit	Some increase in monthly benefit	Maximum increase in monthly benefit
*For more information about these options go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/applying1.htm

YOUR PREFERENCES FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE FUTURE

For questions 10-13, please mark (X) 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 (X) one method of contact as your first choice and one as your second choice for each type of business.

10. 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 on my Social Security record, I would prefer …
First choice						
Second choice						

11. 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						

12. 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						
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						

13. 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

14. 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 10-13, do you think you would ever call Social Security to conduct your business in the future?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	è SKIP to Question 20.

15. 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
Ability to use more than one service without having to call back	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to speak to an agent or have an agent call me back	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to get general information about Social Security through an automated service	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to get personal information about my Social Security record through an automated service	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to use an automated phone service to schedule an appointment	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to take care of my business completely through an automated phone service	o	o	o	o	o
A receipt or confirmation that my action or change has been successfully received	o	o	o	o	o
Automated services available on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours	o	o	o	o	o

16. 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	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to transfer to the right agent to handle my business without having to call back	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to complete my business with only one call	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to speak to the same agent if I have to call more than once to complete my business	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to ask an agent to call me back	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to have the agent schedule an appointment for me	o	o	o	o	o
Agents available on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours	o	o	o	o	o

17. When you call Social Security, would you prefer to speak to an agent on the national 800 number or in a local office?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	National 800 number
o	Local office
o	No preference	è SKIP to Question 19.

18. Please briefly explain the reason for your preference:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Now we would like to know your definition of timely telephone service. For the following actions, please mark (X) the box that best describes the amount of time you think is reasonable to wait.

A reasonable time for me to wait:	Less than 1 minute	1 to 3 minutes	4 to 5 minutes	5 to 10 minutes	11 to 20 minutes	More than 20 minutes
To speak to an agent on the phone is …	o	o	o	o	o	o
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 …	o	o	o	o	o	o

YOUR PREFERENCES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY’S IN-OFFICE SERVICE

20. People can also choose to visit their local Social Security office. Although it may not have been your first or second choice in questions 10-13, do you think you would ever visit an office to conduct your business with Social Security in the future? .

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	è SKIP to Question 23.

21. 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	o	o	o	o	o
Office I can easily reach by car	o	o	o	o	o
Office with convenient parking	o	o	o	o	o
An estimate of how long I’ll have to wait to be seen	o	o	o	o	o
A separate line in the office for simple business, like dropping off documents or other information	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to complete my business with only one visit	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to see the same agent if I have to visit more than once to complete my business	o	o	o	o	o
Offices open on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours	o	o	o	o	o

22. Now we would like to know your definition of timely in-office service. For the following actions, please mark (X) the box that best describes the amount of time you think is reasonable to wait.

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
To get an appointment in a local office is …	o	o	o	o	o	o
A reasonable time for me to wait:	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 …	o	o	o	o	o	o
To be seen in an office with an appointment is …	o	o	o	o	o	o

YOUR PREFERENCES FOR DOING SOCIAL SECURITY BUSINESS VIA INTERNET AND E-MAIL

23. Internet and e-mail are increasingly popular ways to do business. Although they may not have been your first or second choices in questions 10-13, 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 28.

24. 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	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to view personal information on a secure website	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to use the Internet or e‑mail to schedule an appointment	o	o	o	o	o
Downloadable forms that I can print and mail to Social Security	o	o	o	o	o
Online forms that I can fill out and send electronically to Social Security	o	o	o	o	o
Website services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to “chat” with an agent to get immediate help with Social Security’s Internet services	o	o	o	o	o
Ability to call an agent to get immediate help with Social Security’s Internet services	o	o	o	o	o
An e-mail or other electronic confirmation that my action or change has been successfully received	o	o	o	o	o

25. Now we would like to know your definition of timely Internet/e-mail service. For the following action, please mark (X) the box that best describes the amount of time you think is reasonable to wait.

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
To get a response when I ask a question via e-mail or the Internet is …	o	o	o	o	o	o

26. For certain types of business on Social Security’s website, people must verify their identity through our online 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 current address	o	o		o	o		o
Your date of birth	o	o		o	o		o
Your place of birth	o	o		o	o		o
Your mother’s maiden name	o	o		o	o		o
Your driver’s license number	o	o		o	o		o
Part of your bank account number	o	o		o	o		o
Part of your credit card number	o	o		o	o		o
Other personal information from your records, such as, previous addresses or phone numbers	o	o		o	o		o

27. 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?

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
Checking against Social Security’s own records	o	o		o	o		o
Checking against records from other Federal agencies, like the Internal Revenue Service	o	o		o	o		o
Checking against records from other State and local government agencies, like Motor Vehicle departments	o	o		o	o		o
Checking against records from private companies, like banks or credit bureaus	o	o		o	o		o

PRIVACY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

28. No matter how you choose to do business with us, in person, by telephone, or online, Social Security takes great care to protect your personal information. How confident are you that the information in your Social Security records is secure?

Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very confident” and 5 means “not at all confident.”	Very Confident			Not at all confident
	1	2	3	4	5
I would rate my level of confidence in the security of my Social Security records as…	o	o	o	o	o

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.
o	Yes
o	No	è SKIP to Question 38.

30. How would you rate your level of experience using the Internet?

Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very experienced” and 5 means “not at all experienced.”	Very Experienced					Not At All Experienced
	1	2		3	4		5
I would rate my level of experience using the Internet as …	o	o		o	o		o

31. How do you access the Internet? Do you use:

Mark (X) all answers that apply.
o	Laptop or personal computer
o	Wireless handheld device (cell phone, Blackberry, iPhone, etc.)

32. 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	o			o			o
Look for information online	o			o			o
Make purchases online	o			o			o
Bank or pay bills online	o			o			o
Instant Message or chat	o			o			o
Use Facebook, Twitter, etc.	o			o			o
Mark (X) one answer for each item.			Often	Sometimes			Never
Using a “wireless” handheld device, I…
Send e-mail	o			o			o
Look for information online	o			o			o
Make purchases online	o			o			o
Bank or pay bills online	o			o			o
Instant Message or chat	o			o			o
Use Facebook, Twitter, etc.	o			o			o

33. Have you ever filed an application online, for example, a loan or insurance application?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No

34. Social Security offers a service where people can create a secure online account with a user name and password to conduct various types of business. For example, people can view a record of their earnings and get an estimate of their monthly benefit online or if they receive benefits, they can change their address or direct deposit information. How likely would you be to create an online account with Social Security?

Mark (X) an answer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “very likely” and 5 means “not at all likely.”	Very Likely					Not At All Likely
	1	2		3	4		5
For me, creating an online account with a user name and password for Social Security business is...	o	o		o	o		o

35. Social Security also offers an online application on its website that people can use to file for retirement benefits. When you are 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					Not At All Likely
	1	2		3	4		5
For me, filing for Social Security’s retirement benefits over the Internet is…	o	o		o	o		o

36. 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

37. What is the main reason why you might not be likely to use the online retirement application?

Mark (X) ONLY one answer.
o	Easier to understand things explained by a person
o	Can get questions answered right away by a person
o	Concerned about security and/or privacy of my information
o	Computer is too old/Internet service is too slow
o	Don’t have the necessary computer skills or experience
o	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

38. Because of a medical condition, people sometimes need special accommodations to handle their Social Security business. Whether you choose to do business with Social Security in person, on the telephone or online, would you need Social Security to provide special accommodations because of a medical condition?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	è SKIP to Question 40

39. Would you need special accommodations because of a:

Mark (X) all answers that apply.
o	Physical impairment/disability (for example, wheelchair access)
o	Visual impairment/disability (for example, large print or Braille documents)
o	Hearing impairment/disability (for example, sign language interpreter or video relay)
o	Other impairment/disability (for example, a learning disability)

40. And for the final question, what is the highest level of education you have completed?

Mark (X) one answer.
o	Not a high school graduate
o	High school graduate or GED
o	Trade/technical/vocational school graduate
o	Some college
o	College graduate
o	Graduate degree or postgraduate training

41. If you have any comments about how you prefer to do business with Social Security in the future, please provide them here:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

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, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. Send only comments relating to our time estimate to this address, not the completed form.

OMB Control No: 0960-0526 Expiration Date: Insert Date