Movement of Household Goods: Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 2126-0049)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Movement of Household Goods: Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire

PURPOSE:

The purposes of the questionnaire are to test the level of customer knowledge, gain insights into customer research habits, and ultimately determine the level of customer satisfaction with, and knowledge gained from, information made available by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

The respondent universe for the Movement of Household Goods: Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire is the non-institutionalized population of households in the United States. To adequately account for the total universe of potential, current, and recent FMCSA customers, the respondents will be stratified into the following groups: a) Non-Experienced Movers: Respondents will be identified as those who have never been the primary decision maker for selecting a professional mover to conduct an interstate move. (400 Respondents), b) Interstate Pre-Movers: Respondents will be identified as those who are currently the primary decision maker for planning an up-coming interstate move with a professional mover. (400 Respondents), and c) Interstate Recent Movers: Respondents will be identified as those who were the primary decision maker for hiring a professional mover, to conduct an interstate move, completed within 90 days of participating in the questionnaire. (1,500 Respondents).

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [X] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[ ] Focus Group [ ] Other: ______________________

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Brian Ronk, Marketing Specialist, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

The confidentiality of the information collected from respondents will be protected to the extent allowed by a) the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552 as amended, and b) the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended. Data will be treated in a secure manner and will not be disclosed, unless the FMCSA is otherwise compelled by law. Respondents’ personal identifying information will not be included on any materials or reports associated with this study.  A unique study ID will be assigned to each participant to link with their responses to the survey.  After an individual is finished with the survey, his or her personal information will be deleted from the tracking file.

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Table 1: Burden Hours
Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden Hours
Households: FMCSA Customer Universe	2,300	15 minutes	575
	No. of Respondents	Burden Hours	Cost
TOTAL ANNUALIZED Cost to Respondents	2,300	575	$13,725.251

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $129,500.00. This amount is based on a firm-fixed price contract proposal reviewed and accepted by FMCSA.

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

Summary of Sampling Approach

The overall sampling plan is summarized in this table, with additional information in the Detailed Sampling Plan below (including citations and formulas as needed).

Table 2: Sampling Approach
	Population 1	Population 2	Population 3
Descriptor	Non-Experienced Movers	Pre-Movers	Recent Movers
Estimated households in US meeting criteria	43,920,000	2,040,000	2,040,000
Database sampling (# records selected at random)	8,000	8,000	30,000
Anticipated response rate	5%	5%	5%
Completed surveys (target #)	400	400	1500
Sampling error	+/- 4.90%	+/- 4.90%	+/- 2.53%
Sampling approach	Stratified; hard quotas by gender and income, ethnicity also monitored	Stratified; hard quotas by gender and income, ethnicity also monitored	Stratified; hard quotas by gender and income, ethnicity also monitored

Detailed Sampling Plan

This research will utilize a stratified sampling plan.

The sample will be obtained from the following:

• ConsumerVision² for Non-Experienced Movers (n=400). Utilizing 8,000 randomly selected records from a total database of 110,000,000 records. The final base count will be determined by the interview date and a final do-not-call scrub count.

• Compass Pre-Movers³ for Pre-Movers (n=400). Utilizing 8,000 randomly selected records from a total possible database of 2,005,636 records. The final count will be determined by the interview date and a final do-not-call scrub count.

• Homebased Hotline Mortgages⁴ for Recent Movers (n=1,500). Utilizing 30,000 randomly selected records from the Homebased Hotline Mortgages’ database of 1,765,460 records. The records obtained from this list will be households that have completed a move within the last 90 days. The final base count will be determined by the interview date and a final do-not-call scrub count.

All records used will include name, contact information and other pertinent data related specifically to the respondent classification. All lists will be scrubbed by phone number to consolidate records by household.

Below, we provide a summary of published secondary research data that was utilized to develop a profile of the "mover" population in the United States and determine project quotas for our stratified sampling approach. After researching potential studies and/or accurate proxies for the overall mover universe (as it pertains to this study), we will utilize U.S. Census data related to mobility and mover and cell phone usage studies conducted by the Pew Research Institute to ensure representative samples.

The Mover Universe

Approximately 14,049,000 households completed a move between 2011 and 2012 according to U.S. Census data. Of those households that moved during the above noted period, an estimated 2,040,000 completed interstate moves.

Recent Movers and Pre-Movers

Our sample of Recent Movers and Pre-Movers will focus on individuals who have recently made, or are in the process of planning an interstate move. Utilizing U.S. Census data, our Recent Mover and Pre-Mover universe shall be defined as 2,040,000⁵ households. Census data shows this is the number of households that completed an interstate move between 2011 and 2012.

Based on other data from this mover universe, we can further examine specific categories to ensure our total sample is representative of the overall population. The chart below provides the total population and percentage data that is representative of the total Recent and Pre-Movers universe. The totals and percentages shown reflect the raw data compiled by the U.S. Census.

Table 3: RECENT and PRE-MOVERS Universe
Gender	Total Universe	% of Movers (by Household)
Male	1,074,000	52.7%
Female	964,000	47.3%
Race	Total Universe	% of Movers (by Household)
White	1,318,000	62.7%
Hispanic or Latino	268,000	12.7%
Black or African American	257,000	12.2%
Asian	166,000	7.9%
All remaining single races and race combinations6	94,000	4.5%
Income	Total Universe	% of Movers (by Household)
Less $20,000	463,000	22.7%
$20,000-$39,999	512,000	25.1%
$40,000-$59,999	330,000	16.2%
$60,000-$99,999	358,000	17.6%
$100,000 or more7	376,000	18.4%

Non-Experienced Movers

According to the U.S. Census, Non-Experienced Movers between 2011 and 2012 totaled 107,059,000 households. This number, on its own, cannot be used as a proxy for Non-Experienced Movers as it does not account for potential moves in prior years.

To develop a reliable proxy we utilized a combination of data sources to establish a potential universe. It is important to remember that this research project defines Non-Movers as individuals who have never completed an interstate move, so our population can include individuals who have completed an intrastate move. The 2008 Pew Research Study on American Mobility⁸ found that 37% of individuals have never moved from their hometown. The U.S Census Bureau estimated a total 117,205,000 households during the approximate time Pew Research conducted its study (2008 to 2009). If we assume 37% of the 2008 householders never left their hometown, our potential Non-Experienced mover universe would be 43,365,000. Assuming a corresponding increase in the householder population (a little more than 1%) between 2008 and 2011 (according to the U.S. Census) and the Non-Experienced Mover segment, the total estimate of the current Non-Experienced Mover Universe will be defined as 43,920,000.

According to the Pew Research study, the characteristics of Non-Experienced Movers are fairly balanced by gender, race and income – with men and households with lower income being slightly more likely to be Non-Experienced Movers.

As previously indicated, this research will use a stratified sampling plan. To gather a sample that is as representative as possible of the three distinct mover universes outlined above, we have developed research quotas for this study. The quotas were established using Census data as a guide.

Table 4: Quotas
Recent Mover Sample Quota – n=1,500
Gender
Male				Female
n=750				n=750
Income				Income
Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+	Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+
n=275	n=125	n=175	n=175	n=350	n=125	n=150	n=125

Pre-Mover Sample Quota – n=400
Gender
Male				Female
n=200				n=200
Income				Income
Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+	Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+
n=65	n=35	n=50	n=50	n=100	n=33	n=34	n=33

Non- Experienced Mover Sample Quota – n=400
Gender
Male				Female
n=200				n=200
Income				Income
Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+	Less than $40K	$40K-59K	$60K-$99K	$100K+
n=50	n=50	n=50	n=50	n=50	n=50	n=50	n=50

As the study is conducted, metrics will be provided on a daily basis to track the “hard” quotas. Although not included as part of the “hard” quotas, race will also be closely tracked and the call center will make adjustments (as needed) to ensure a representative sample is achieved.

A review of the Pew Research Institute study on “Trends in Mobile Phone Usage⁹” revealed that 85% of U.S. citizens own a cell phone. As such, it is likely that the large majority of households contacted for this survey will have a cell phone. Although this research effort will utilize cell phone numbers to contact individuals for potential participation (and those contacts and completes will be tracked), a quota will not be established for the total number of participants who own or use cell phones.

If the rate of completed surveys per attempt is too low for specific segments within the sample quotas established in this document, it might be necessary to change the number of required completions for one or more segments in accordance with resource and budget limitations. This will not be done without notifying and receiving approval from FMCSA.

Sample Size Determination and Sampling Error

To address potential issues such as dispersion, sample frame error and non-response error, “hard” quotas (by gender and income level) and a “soft” quota (by race) have been established in an effort to ensure a representative sample.

The sample sizes for each target group were calculated using the following formula:

Sample Size n = Z² [P (1-P) / D²]

P = expected proportion, which at .5 equals the highest possible uncertainty of responses
D = maximum difference between the sample proportion and the population proportion
Z = based on Confidence Level, the area under the corresponding normal curve

For non-experienced movers and pre-movers, this formula is applied as follows to achieve a desired +/- 5% maximum error:

Sample Size n = Z² [P (1-P) / D²] = 384, rounded up to 400

P = 0.5 or 50% (expected proportion, which at .5 equals the highest possible uncertainty of responses)
D = .05 or +/- 5% error (maximum difference between the sample proportion and the population proportion)
Z = 1.96 at 95% Confidence Level

For recent movers, this formula is applied as follows to achieve a desired +/- 2.5% (approximately) maximum error:

Sample Size n = Z² [P (1-P) / D²] = 1536, rounded down to 1500

P = 0.5 or 50% (expected proportion, which at .5 equals the highest possible uncertainty of responses)
D = .025 or +/- 2.5% error (maximum difference between the sample proportion and the population proportion)
Z = 1.96 at 95% Confidence Level

Point Estimation

This study is a single stage project, and each sampled segment uses one-stage sampling. Design-based estimation is therefore appropriate. Key indicators to be measured include awareness of DOT moving-related services, familiarity with fraud signs, and research activities conducted pre-move. Reporting of key indicators will employ post-survey stratification weighting with household income as the major weighting variable and other variables (gender, ethnicity, age) used as needed within each population to the extent that suitable control values are present and variance between the sampled population and the entire population are observed.

Variance/Standard Error Estimation

The sample sizes described above result in standard error of 0.0245 for non-experienced movers and pre-movers, and approximately 0.0127 for recent movers (at 95% confidence).

Nonresponse Adjustments

Unit Non-response: The anticipated response rate of 5% requires non-response adjustments. It is assumed that non-response can be accounted for through list sourcing and demographics. Using a combination of cell phone and landline lists will increase the likelihood of a more representative sample in terms of age and psychographics. The combination of stratified gender and income quotas (to ensure a stable pre-weighted base) and post-survey stratification weighting will be used to address unit non-response, using population-specific demographic distributions for income, age, gender, and ethnicity for pre-mover and recent mover groups from US Census data, and extrapolating distributions for non-experienced movers by adjusting US Census data to remove pre-movers and recent movers and account for trends identified in Pew’s 2008 mover study.¹⁰ Household income will be the major variable for stratification.

Justification of Anticipated Response Rates

The data source lists used to obtain the sample will provide an anticipated incidence rate of 70%. The survey response (participation) rate is anticipated to be 5%; in line with the expected participation rate of telephone surveys of this nature and length.

The following will be utilized to ensure adequate response rates:

• Use specialized marketing research survey software and a sample management system that ensures sample is dialed and dispositioned appropriately.

• Use a proven dialing algorithm that maximizes response rates through alternating day part contact attempt times, callback management, etc.

• Use an experienced marketing research interviewing team who are trained to encourage complete participation.

Other ways to maximize response rates are through additional dialing attempts to reach each number. Four dialing attempts will be used for this project.

The call center used for this study completes an estimated 900,000 telephone surveys a year.

Notable Items that Will Be Tracked

Although not noted on the survey questionnaire, the following items (at a minimum) will be tracked by the call center while the survey is being conducted:

• Total number of attempts/dials

• Number of contacted households not qualified

• Number of households contacted that refused to participate

• Number of households dialed with no completed survey

• Total number of cell phone attempts/dials

• Number of contacted cell phones not qualified

• Number of cell phones contacted that refused to participate

• Number of cell phones dialed with no completed survey

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[X] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

1 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average hourly wage of employees on private nonfarm payrolls: $23.87 for April 2013. Accessed from the following website as of May 2013: http://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cesbtab3.htm

2 Database is compiled from multiple nationally recognized consumer databases.

3 This file is compiled from a multitude of “Homes for Sale” newspaper listings. This file has both weekly and monthly hotlines available and indicates homeowners that are selling their homes and preparing to move (and most probably purchasing a new home) on average, within 90 days from when records are added to the file. Usage on this file includes standing orders from home improvement stores, national moving/storage companies and mortgage companies.

4 This is a deed derived database compiled on a monthly basis from county clerks, deed recorders, and title filings. Ownership transactions are recorded and reported within 15 to 30 days of the transaction. The Homebase Hotline Mortgage file identifies established and new homeowners. Annual transactions: 1,765,460

5 The total number of households is based on the raw data compiled by the U.S. Census for the 2011 to 2012 general mobility of householders who moved interstate. The precise numbers shown in Table3 for gender, race, and income of the mover universe do not equal 2.040,000 households, respectively. This is likely the result of missing or redundant data from Census respondents. Accordingly, 2,040,000 is the best approximation of the RECENT and PRE-MOVERS universe.

6 The Census does not track race categories for American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander for trends on mobility.

7 The Census does not track specific annual income in excess of $100,000. The answer scale for income demographics for this survey includes income brackets above $100,000 to add precise descriptions to the $100,000 or more respondent group.

8 Taylor, Paul, Pew Research Center, “American Mobility Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?,” December 2008, http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/04/American-Mobility-Report-updated-12-29-08.pdf (accessed 11/30/2012).

9 Smith, Aaron, Pew Research Center, “Trends in Cell Phone Usage and Ownership.” April 2011, http://www.pewinternet.org/Presentations/2011/Apr/FTC-Debt-Collection-Workshop-Cell-Phone-Trends.aspx (accessed 11/30/2012).

10 Taylor, Paul, Pew Research Center, “American Mobility Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?,” December 2008, http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/04/American-Mobility-Report-updated-12-29-08.pdf (accessed 11/30/2012).

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