SUPPORTING STATEMENT
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE
(OMB No. 3064-0134)
INTRODUCTION
The Customer Assistance information collection permits the FDIC to collect information from customers of financial institutions who have inquiries or complaints about service. Customers may document their complaints or inquiries to the FDIC using a letter or an optional form (6422/04). The form has been revised to allow for online completion and submission on the FDIC’s web page, although it can still be completed in hard copy and mailed to the FDIC for those who prefer to do so. In addition, the FDIC is adding to the collection a new Business Assistance Form (6422/11). The new form is identical in all material respects to the Customer Assistance Form and does not impact the burden for the collection. It’s purpose is to improve response times by automating the process of routing incoming inquiries to the appropriate person,.
A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Circumstances and Need
Consumers and bankers who wish to submit their complaints or inquiries to FDIC must do so in writing. The optional online customer assistance forms permit the FDIC to respond to consumers or businesses in an expeditious fashion. Submitting the form directly online will make the data submitted much more accurate.
2. Use of Information Collected
The information would be used to improve the way FDIC relates to consumers and businesses requesting assistance in resolving their complaint or inquiry. FDIC would use the information from the form to determine the nature of the complaint and inquiry, what financial institution if any is involved, and review the information to determine the response to provide to the requestor.
3. Use of Technology to Reduce Burden
The Customer Assistance Form and the Business Assistance Form are available for the general public to submit their complaint or inquiry by an interactive form on the Internet.
4. Efforts to Identify Duplication
There is no duplication of reporting. The Customer Assistance Form and the Business Assistance Form will allow consumers or businesses another avenue, other than by telephone or writing, to submit their complaint or inquiry.
5. Minimize the Burden on Small Entities
The submission of this information would have no burden on small banks.
6. Consequences of Less Frequent Collections
This capability is an optional method of submitting complaints and inquiries to the FDIC for consumers and businesses.
7. Special Circumstances
None.
8. Summary of Public Comments; Consultation
A “first’ Federal Register notice seeking comment was published on April 25, 2012 (77 FR 24711). No comments were received.
9. Payment or Gift to Respondents
None.
10. Confidentiality
No confidentiality issues anticipated. The Customer Assistance Form will display the standard Privacy Act Statement.
11. Information of a Sensitive Nature
No questions of a sensitive nature are included in the form.
12. Estimates of Annualized Burden
Number of respondents: 15,000 (14,550, customer assistance form; 450, business assistance form)
Time per response: 30 minutes
Total annual burden: 7500 hours.
13. Capital, Start-Up, Operating and Maintenance Costs
None.
14. Annual Cost to the Federal Government
15,000 responses x ½ hr per response = 7,500 hours x $30/hr = $75,000
(Note: this is not an increased cost to the government; it is included in salary expenses for staff that are already on board.)
15. Reason for Program Changes or Adjustments
There is no change in total burden. However, the FDIC has added a new form to the collection to separate business inquiries from individual consumer inquiries. This resulted in a reduction of 450 hours in the burden attributable to the Customer Assistance Form, with assignment of those hours to the burden attributable to the new Business Assistance Form.
16. Publication
The information collected is for internal use and is not published.
17. Display of Expiration Date
The expiration date will be displayed.
18. Exceptions to Certification
None.
B. STATISTICAL METHODS
Not applicable.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | FDIC |
| File Modified | 2012-07-02 |
| File Created | 2012-07-02 |