Description FY 14 Online Authentication Survey

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Online Authentication (OA) Survey

SSA SUB-NUMBER: D-03

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY:

BACKGROUND

In May 2012, the Social Security Administration (SSA) introduced a new online authentication process that allows customers to create an online account (username and password) for conducting secure business on SSA’s website. Currently, customers can use their mySSA online account to view their Social Security statement online, report a change of address or direct deposit, and obtain a proof of income letter on SSA’s website. In FY 2014, SSA will expand the use of the online account to include requests for a replacement SSA-1099 or Medicare Card.

SSA presents an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) online survey to a random sample of customers who successfully create a mySSA online account on our website. The purpose of the OA survey is to reach those customers who are unsuccessful in creating their online account on the website and must visit an SSA field office (FO) to resolve their issue. We have designed the survey to measure satisfaction with the entire online account registration process (including service received in person and over the telephone), and to gauge customers’ inclination to use their online account for future business with SSA.

We conducted the survey for the first time in FY 2013. We are repeating the survey in FY 2014 to gather additional feedback as the volume and type of customers using a mySSA online account changes.

SURVEY

Description of Survey

We will conduct the Online Authentication Survey by mail using a scannable questionnaire. The survey covers aspects of online services that we know, based on our other surveys of Internet customers, can influence satisfaction. We also used SSA’s annual surveys of office visitors, 800 number and FO callers to identify aspects of in-person and telephone service that affect customers’ perceptions of those modes of service.

The survey questions address the following areas:

• What type of online account action brought the person to the FO, how the person heard about the online account, what type of business the person wanted to conduct using the online account, and (where applicable) why the person hasn’t yet finished creating the online account;

• Satisfaction with in-person service, including office location, hours, signs and instructions, office comfort, appearance, privacy, and waiting time;

• Satisfaction with FO employees, including their helpfulness, courtesy, job knowledge and clarity of explanations;

• Whether the person was able to complete the business in one visit and whether SSA staff explained that they had to correct the person’s SSA records;

• Satisfaction with the overall service received during the visit;

• Satisfaction with the service received on the telephone, including how long it took to reach someone, the SSA telephone staff’s helpfulness, courtesy, job knowledge, and clear explanations, and whether the person had to make more than one call to SSA;

• Satisfaction with the overall service received from telephone staff;

• Satisfaction with SSA’s notices concerning the online account, as well as how long it took to receive notices sent by mail;

• Satisfaction with SSA’s website, including the ease of finding the online account service, appearance of the online pages, ease of answering questions, helpfulness of explanations, and the length of time it took;

• Overall opinion of SSA’s website for the online account service and level of confidence that the information on SSA’s website is secure;

• Satisfaction with the entire experience creating an online account, likelihood to recommend the service to others, and likelihood to conduct other types of business on SSA’s website;

• Demographic questions (Internet experience, age, education) to put the survey responses in perspective.

Statistical Information

Sample Selection

Currently, about 16,000 visitors per month conduct business in an FO related to their mySSA online account. When SSA expands the services accessed through mySSA in FY 2014, we expect that number to grow. We estimate the volume of visitors in the sample period will be about 20,000 per month, projecting to a yearly universe of 100,000.

SSA has systems that identify customers who visit an FO to resolve their online account business. We will use those systems to identify a random sample of survey participants during the months of January – February 2014. We will select three biweekly samples of 1,000 cases each for a total sample size of 3,000.

Methodology

An SSA-approved contractor conducts the survey by mail. We mail a pre-notification postcard to all sampled individuals advising them to expect the survey questionnaire. A week later, we mail a questionnaire with a cover letter that explains the purpose of the survey. We include both the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Privacy Act statements in the initial cover letter. We make two additional contacts to solicit participation; we send a follow-up postcard and a duplicate survey package (questionnaire and follow-up cover letter).

Response Rate

SSA takes the following steps to maximize the response rate for this survey:

• To minimize the time between customers’ service experience and the survey, thereby ensuring salience, we select the samples biweekly.

• We mail out a pre-notification postcard to inform sampled individuals that they will soon be invited to participate in the survey, and to be on the lookout for the envelope containing the questionnaire. Using a postcard format allows the sampled individuals to see that SSA sanctions the survey. Additionally, the postcard identifies the contractor who is conducting the survey for SSA, which should increase the likelihood that sampled individuals will open the envelope when they receive the questionnaire.

• Within one week after we send the initial postcard, we mail the questionnaire and an accompanying cover letter encouraging sampled individuals to respond by emphasizing the importance of the survey.

• One week later, we mail a reminder postcard to all sampled individuals.

• Two weeks after we send the reminder postcard, we mail a follow-up letter and another copy of the questionnaire to sampled individuals who have not responded as of that point.

• The scannable questionnaire is designed for ease of use, e.g., font sizes are large, difficult fill-in bubbles are not used

In the FY 2013 Online Authentication Survey, we achieved a response rate of 61 percent. We expect to achieve a similarly good response rate in FY 2014. Note that SSA routinely conducts a non-responder analysis to identify any significant differences in the responder and non-responder populations and their potential impact on the survey results.

Sampling Variability

The key variable in the Online Authentication Survey is the person’s overall satisfaction with the entire experience creating an online account. We define satisfaction as the combined rating of excellent, very good, or good (E/VG/G). The overall rating reported in the FY 2013 survey was 77 percent E/VG/G. Assuming a 60 percent response rate, our proposed sample size is large enough to provide a sampling variability at the 95‑percent confidence level equal to +/- 2.1, which is adequate for the intended purpose of the survey.

SSA’s Office of Quality Performance will perform all sampling and data analysis. Statistical Dan Zabronsky, Director of SSA’s Division of Modeling in OQP will provide statistical support. He can be reached at (410) 965‑5953.

IF FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A PAYMENT, INDICATE AMOUNT (No more than $25 can be authorized under OMB rules):

We will not compensate participants for this survey.

USE OF SURVEY RESULTS:

SSA will use the results of this survey to evaluate and improve various aspects of its mySSA online account service, particularly for customers who are unable to complete the process on our website.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response time (/60) = annual burden hours):

Number of Responses: 3,000

Estimated Response Time: 10 minutes

Annual Burden Hours: 500 hours

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deborah Larwood

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 410-966-6135