Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Customer Satisifaction Surveys

Rate Social Security’s Service

ABOUT OUR SURVEY
Social Security would like to know how well we served you when you filed your recent application for retirement benefits. The survey asks you to rate the service you received in person, on the telephone, or on our website. This survey also asks about your expectations for good service and how you want to do business with Social Security in the future. 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
		 No  SKIP to Question 1
Please use the space provided on the last page to explain any of your answers, especially any reasons for dissatisfaction, or to offer any other comments you may have about filing for retirement benefits.

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.

PREPARING TO FILE FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS

1. Before you filed your application for retirement benefits, did you get any information from Social Security to help you prepare?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 5.

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

Mark  all answers that apply.
o	Visited Social Security’s website
o	Called Social Security’s national toll-free number
o	Called a local Social Security office
o	Visited a local Social Security office
o	Reviewed last Social Security Statement I received 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 (www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator) and the personalized Social Security Statement Online (www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount). Before you filed, did you use either of these tools to get an estimate of your retirement benefit?

Mark  ONLY 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  one answer.	Very Useful	Somewhat Useful	Not Very Useful	Not at All Useful	No Opinion
I found Social Security’s Retirement Benefit Estimator to be…	o	o	o	o	o
I found the Online Social Security Statement to be…	o	o	o	o	o

5. Did you get any information about Social Security retirement benefits from anywhere other than Social Security?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes	 Continue with Question 6.
o	No	 SKIP to Question 7 if you answered “yes” in Question 1.
		 SKIP to Question 9 if you answered “no” in Question 1.

6. Where did you get that information?

Mark  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 such as Facebook or Twitter
o	Government agency other than Social Security
o	Some other way: Please explain: _______________________________________________________

7. No matter where you obtained information to prepare for retirement, did it change your plans about when to start collecting your Social Security retirement benefits?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 9.

8. How did the information change your plans about when to start collecting your Social Security retirement benefits? Did you:

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Claim Social Security benefits earlier than planned
o	Claim Social Security benefits later than planned

HOW YOU FILED YOUR APPLICATION FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS

9. Did you file your application for retirement benefits:

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	In person with a Social Security employee
o	Over the telephone with a Social Security employee
o	On Social Security’s website  SKIP to Question 14.

10. Social Security offers an online application on its website that people can use to file for retirement benefits. At the time you filed, were you aware of Social Security’s online application?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 12.

11. What was the main reason you didn’t use the online retirement application?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Don’t use the Internet
o	Easier to understand things when explained by a person
o	Can get my specific questions answered right away with a person
o	Concerned about security and/or privacy of my information
o	Concerned online application might be too hard, complicated
o	Problem with computer or Internet access
o	Tried to but was not successful
o	Some other reason: Please explain: _____________________________________________________

12. Did you make an appointment with Social Security to file your retirement application?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 15.

13. Please rate the following aspects of your appointment with Social Security.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
How soon you could get an appointment	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Convenience of the scheduled appointment	o	o	o	o	o	o	o

SATISFACTION WITH THE ONLINE APPLICATION

The next question is for people who filed their application for retirement benefits on Social Security’s website.

If you did NOT file your retirement application online, please SKIP TO Question 15.

14. Please rate the following aspects of your experience using Social Security’s online application.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
Ease of finding the online application on Social Security’s website	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Ease of answering the questions on the online application	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Helpfulness of the explanations in the “More Info” links on the online application	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Availability of other help from Social Security to complete the online application	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Length of time it took to complete the online application	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
How well the online application explained what would happen after you submitted it	o	o	o	o	o	o	o

SATISFACTION WITH SOCIAL SECURITY’S TELEPHONE SERVICE

15. Did you ever call Social Security about your application for retirement benefits?

    Mark  ONLY one answer.
    o	Yes
    o	No	 SKIP to Question 18.

16. Did you call Social Security’s national toll-free number, a local office, or both?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	National toll-free number
o	Local Social Security office
o	Both
o	Not sure

17. Please rate the following aspects of Social Security’s telephone service.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
The automated system that answered your call	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
How long it took you to get through to an employee	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Overall time it took the employee to handle your call	o	o	o	o	o	o	o

SATISFACTION WITH SOCIAL SECURITY’S IN-PERSON SERVICE

18. Did you ever visit a Social Security office about your application for retirement benefits?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 20.

19. Please rate the following aspects of your visit to the Social Security office.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
Office location	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Office hours	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Signs/instructions explaining how to check in when you got to the office	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Office comfort (seating, temperature, etc.)	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Office appearance (clean, pleasant, etc.)	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Office privacy	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Waiting time to be served in the office	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
SATISFACTION WITH SOCIAL SECURITY EMPLOYEE SERVICE

The next question is for people who spoke to one or more Social Security employees about their application for retirement benefits.

If you did NOT speak with any Social Security employees, please SKIP TO Question 21.

20. Please rate the service you received from all the Social Security employees you spoke with about your application for retirement benefits.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
Helpfulness of the employees	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Courtesy of the employees	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
How well the employees knew their jobs	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
How clearly the employees explained things to you	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Amount of time the employees spent with you	o	o	o	o	o	o	o

OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE APPLICATION EXPERIENCE

21. Please rate the following aspects of your experience filing for retirement benefits.

Mark  one answer for each item.	Excellent	Very Good	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	No Opinion
How well Social Security explained the information you needed to know about your benefits	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
How quickly you received Social Security’s decision on your application	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Clarity of Social Security’s letter explaining the amount of your benefits and when they would be paid	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
Social Security’s service overall	o	o	o	o	o	o	o

YOUR SERVICE PREFERENCES

22. Please tell us how you would prefer to conduct Social Security business you might have in the future, such as changing your address or getting a statement of the total benefits you received in the last year. Mark  one method as your first choice and one as your second choice for each type of business.

	An Automated Phone Service	An Agent on a National toll-free Number	An Agent on a Local Phone Number	A Visit to a Local Office	Use an Online Service	E-mail		Regular 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							

23. Now we would like to know how you would define timely service when you do business with Social Security. First, when doing business on the telephone, please mark  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 employee on the phone is …	o	o	o	o	o	o

A reasonable time for me to wait:	Less than 1 hour	More than 1 hour but same day	Next day	2 to 3 days	More than 3 days	A week or more
For an employee to call me back when I leave a phone message is …	o	o	o	o	o	o

24. When doing business in person, please mark  the box that best describes the amount of time you think is reasonable to wait.

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

25. When doing business on a website or by e-mail, please mark  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 hour	More than 1 hour but same day	Next day	2 to 3 Days	More than 3 days	A week or more
To get a response when I ask a question on a website or by e-mail is …	o	o	o	o	o	o

PRIVACY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

26. 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. Based on your recent experience applying for retirement benefits, how confident are you that the information in your Social Security records is secure?

Mark  one answer.	Very Confident	Somewhat Confident	Not Very Confident	Not at All Confident	No Opinion
I would rate my level of confidence in the security of my Social Security records as…	o	o	o	o	o

DOING BUSINESS ONLINE

27. Do you currently use the Internet?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	 SKIP to Question 37.

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

Mark  one answer.	Very Experienced	Somewhat Experienced	Not Very Experienced	Not at All Experienced	No Opinion
I would rate my level of experience using the Internet as …	o	o	o	o	o

29. How do you access the Internet? Do you use a:

Mark  all answers that apply.
o	Personal or laptop computer
o	Wireless handheld device (smartphone, iPad, etc.)

30. The list below describes different activities people can do on the Internet using a personal or 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.

Using a personal or laptop computer, I…
Mark  one answer for each item.	Often	Sometimes	Never
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
Use Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking site	o	o	o

Using a wireless handheld device, I…
Mark  one answer for each item.	Often	Sometimes	Never
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
Use Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking site	o	o	o

31. Social Security offers a service called my Social Security (www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount) where people can create a secure online account with a user name and password to conduct various types of business. For example, if they receive benefits people with an online account can change their address or direct deposit information, or get a statement of the monthly benefits they receive. Have you already created an online account with Social Security?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes	 SKIP to Question 37.
o	No

32. To create a secure online account, Social Security must verify your identity. In addition to providing your name and Social Security number, how comfortable would you be providing each item below in order to do business online with Social Security?

Mark  one answer for each item.	Very Comfortable	Somewhat Comfortable	Not Very Comfortable	Not at all Comfortable	No Opinion
Your current address	o	o	o	o	o
Your date of birth	o	o	o	o	o
Your phone 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 prior earnings or your Social Security payment amount.	o	o	o	o	o

33. 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  one answer for each item.	Very Comfortable	Somewhat Comfortable	Not Very Comfortable	Not at all Comfortable	No Opinion
Checking against Social Security’s own records	o	o	o	o	o
Checking against records from a private company, like a credit bureau	o	o	o	o	o

34. How likely would you be to create an online account for handling future Social Security business?

Mark  one answer.	Very Likely	Somewhat Likely	Not Very Likely	Not at All Likely	No Opinion
For me, creating an online account with a user name and password for Social Security business is...	o	o	o	o	o

35. What is the main reason why you might be likely to create an online account with Social Security?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
	Can take care of my business any time of day
	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

36. What is the main reason why you might not be likely to create an online account with Social Security?

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Prefer to speak to a person
o	Concerned about security and/or privacy of my information
o	Problem with computer or Internet access
o	Concerned completing online business 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

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOU

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

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Yes
o	No	è SKIP to Question 39.

38. Do you need special accommodations because of a:

Mark  all answers that apply.
o	Physical limitation (for example, wheelchair access)
o	Visual limitation (for example, large print or Braille documents)
o	Deafness or difficulty hearing (for example, sign language interpreter or video relay)
o	Other limitation (for example, a learning disability)

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

Mark  ONLY one answer.
o	Not a high school graduate
o	High school graduate or GED
o	Trade/technical/vocational school graduate
o	Some college
o	Undergraduate degree
o	Graduate degree or postgraduate training

40. If you have any comments about the service you received from Social Security for your application for retirement benefits, please provide them here:

Thank you for your time and attention with this survey. Please return the completed questionnaire in the enclosed postage-paid envelope as soon as possible to:

Social Security Survey

ICF International

980 Beaver Creek Drive, Martinsville VA, 24112

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: TBD

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