Form 042 PBGC Premium Filer Questionnaire

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

Premium Filer Satisfaction Survey 2019

Introduction

Hello, my name is ____________________ from Discovery Research Group, calling on behalf of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or “PBGC”.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is conducting research as part of the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The purpose of this research is to help the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation improve its services to you and others like you. You will never be identified by name unless you request that someone from PBGC contact you about your response. This interview is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1090-0007 which expires on September 30, 2021. This survey should take approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

(If respondent inquires about the purpose or validity of the survey, please ask respondent to call the PBGC practitioner toll-free number at 1-800-736-2444 and select the premium option.)

Demo1. What types of interactions have you had recently with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation? (Select all that apply.)

1. Filing and/or paying a PBGC premium

2. Other premium-related action, such as asking an e-filing or premium-related clarifying question

3. Addressing post-premium filing matters, such as requesting a refund, waiver of penalty, or clarification of your statement of account

4. Requesting a coverage determination

5. Filing a standard termination notice with PBGC, or other related action (for example, ask a clarifying question, post-distribution certification, missing participants forms)

6. Responding to a standard termination audit

7. Asking a legal question

8. Asking an actuarial question

9. Other (Please specify): _________________________________

Demo 2. Which of the following categories describes you best?

1. Actuary

2. Attorney

3. Third-party administrator (TPA)

4. Consultant or accountant

5. Plan administrator or sponsor

6. Representative of plan administrator or sponsor

7. Other (Please specify): _________________________________

Demo3. (Ask only if Demo1 = 1, 2 or 3)

Was your most recent premium filing the first time you personally filed with PBGC?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not Sure

Premium Filing and Premium Refunds – ONLY ASK QUESTIONS Premium 1.1 through 1.4 TO ALL WHO ANSWERED DEMO1 =1, 2, or 3

Please think about your experience with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation when you last made a premium filing. Using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …

Premium 1.1. The ease of making your premium filing

Premium 1.2. The clarity of the premium payment instructions

Premium 1.3. The helpfulness of the premium payment instructions

Premium 1.4. If you requested a premium refund, the timeliness of getting the refund (If not applicable, skip Premium 1.5)

Premium 1.5. How did you request a refund (via filing, email or My PAA Quick Link)?

(Select one.)

1. Via the premium filing

2. Via email

3. Via the MyPAA quick link (located on the MyPAA Plan page under “Submit a Request”)

(If respondent rates question Premium 1.2 and/or 1.3 “6” or lower, ask Premium 2.1)

Premium 2.1. What is the most important thing PBGC can do to improve the premium payment instructions? (Open-End—capture response)

Standard Termination Filings – ONLY ASK QUESTIONS Standard1.1, 1.2, 1.3 TO ALL WHO ANSWERED DEMO1 =5 Filing a standard termination notice with PBGC, or other related action (e.g., ask a clarifying question, post-distribution certification, missing participants forms)

Please think about your experience in filing a standard termination with PBGC. Using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …

Standard 1.1. The ease of making your standard termination filing

Standard 1.2. The clarity of the standard termination instructions

Standard 1.3. The helpfulness of the standard termination instructions

Standard 1.4 Are you aware of the alternate filing approach for plans anticipating a standard termination?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not Sure

(If respondent wants to know more about the alternate filing approach, offer to take respondent’s contact information at the end of the call, and a PBGC representative will call, or provide the PBGC practitioner toll-free number at 1-800-736-2444 and advise to select the premium option.)

Written Communication

Written1. What was the most recent piece of written communication you remember receiving from PBGC?

(Select one.)

1. Premium invoice (statement of account, bill)

2. Past-due filing notice

3. What’s New or filing reminder email

4. Acknowledgment of something you submitted

5. Other: _______________________

6. None (Skip to Customer 1)

Written2. Are you aware that all PBGC correspondence is now viewable by all My PAA filing team members using the "Plan Correspondence" Quick Link?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not Sure

(If respondent wants to know more about the viewing correspondence in My PAA, offer to take respondent’s contact information at the end of the call, and a PBGC representative will call, or provide the PBGC practitioner toll-free number at 1-800-736-2444 and advise to select the premium option.)

Please think about this written communication you have received from PBGC. Using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …

Written 2.1. The timeliness of receiving PBGC’s written communication

Written 2.2. The clarity of PBGC’s written communication

Written 2.3. The helpfulness of PBGC’s written communication

Website

Website 1. Have you visited PBGC’s website recently (in the past 6 months)?

1. Yes

2. No (If no, skip to Customer 1.1)

3. Don’t Know (If don’t know, skip to Customer 1.1)

Consider your most recent experience on PBGC’s website — the public portion separate from the My PAA premium filing application. Using a 10-point scale, on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …?

Website 2. How well the site layout helps you find what you are looking for

Website 3. How well the information viewed answered your questions

Website 4. How understandable the information is

Website 5. What is the most important improvement PBGC could make to its website? (Open-End—capture response verbatim)

Customer Care

Customer 1. Have you spoken or corresponded with a PBGC representative recently (in the past 6 months)?

4. Yes

5. No (If no, skip to Sat 1.1)

6. Don’t Know

Customer 2. What was the general topic of your recent interaction with a PBGC representative?

(Select one.)

1. Actuarial question

2. Legal question

3. Premiums or premium filing

4. Coverage

5. Standard termination

6. Other: _______________________

Customer 3. Did you know practitioners can open actionable service requests with the PBGC directly from My PAA now?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not Sure

(If respondent wants to know more about opening service requests in My PAA, offer to take respondent’s contact information at the end of the call, and a PBGC representative will call, or provide the PBGC practitioner toll-free number at 1-800-736-2444 and advise to select the premium option.)

Consider your most recent interaction with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Using a 10-point scale, on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …?

Customer 3.1. The ease of reaching the appropriate person

Customer 3.2. The respect shown by the PBGC staff

Customer 3.3. The knowledge demonstrated by the PBGC staff

Customer 3.4. The follow-up provided by the PBGC staff

ACSI Benchmark Questions

Sat1.1 Using a 10-point scale on which "1" means "Very Dissatisfied" and "10" means "Very Satisfied," how satisfied are you with the services provided by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation?

Sat2 Using a 10-point scale on which "1" now means "Falls short of your expectations" and "10" means "exceeds your expectations," to what extent have the services provided by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation fallen short of or exceeded your expectations?

Sat3.1 Forget for a moment your experience with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Now, imagine what an ideal institution managing a pension insurance program would be like.

How well do you think the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation compares with that ideal institution you just imagined? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" means "not at all close to the ideal," and "10" means "very close to the ideal."

Policy and Legislation

Think about the policies and legislation that involve PBGC. Using a 10-point scale, on which “1” means “Poor” and “10” means “Excellent,” how would you rate …

Policy 1.1 How well PBGC keeps you informed of regulatory changes

Policy 1.2 The adequacy of guidance available to help you comply with policy and legislation

Policy 1.3 PBGC’s efforts to keep you informed about how it is streamlining processes related to policy and legislation

(If respondent rates any of the above questions (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) in Policy and Legislation “6” or lower, ask CONCERN1) 

Concern1.     “What is your main concern in the areas of Policy and Legislation?” (Record response verbatim and categorize into one of the following response choices):

1. Amount of or increases to premiums

2. Cost, or cost of maintaining pension plan

3. Government’s role

4. PBGC’s deficit, funding, or solvency

5. Complexity, extent, or burden of regulations or compliance

6. Pension plan funding

7. Small plans

8. Long-term viability of PBGC, defined benefit plans, and the pension insurance program

9. Fairness or consistency

10. Multiemployer pensions or the multiemployer program

11. Other

Outcome Measures

Outcome1. Have you formally contacted the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to complain within the past 3 months?

• Yes (Go to Outcome2.1)

• No (Skip to Outcome3)

• Don’t Know/Refuse to answer (Skip to Outcome3)

Outcome2.1 How well or poorly was your most recent complaint handled? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" means "handled very poorly" and "10" means "handled very well."

(If respondent scores question Outcome 2.1 “6” or lower, ask Outcome 2.2, otherwise skip to Outcome3)

Outcome2.2 “What was the topic of your complaint?” (Open-End—capture response verbatim)

Outcome3. Using a 10-point scale, on which "1" means "not at all confident" and "10" means "very confident," how confident are you that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will do a good job the next time you interact with the agency?

(If respondent rates the above question “6” or lower, ask Outcome3a, otherwise skip to Outcome4)

Outcome3a.     “What is the main concern affecting your confidence in PBGC?” (Open-end—capture response verbatim)

Outcome4. How confident are you that the PBGC will do a good job in the future of insuring defined benefit pension plans and protecting workers' pensions? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" means "not very confident" and "10" means "very confident."

OpenEnd1. How can PBGC better meet your needs? (Open-end—capture response verbatim and categorize into one of the following response choices):

1. Control or decrease premium amount

2. Control cost of maintaining pension plan

3. Expand or improve communications

4. Simplify premium filing

5. Improve customer service (ability to reach, responsiveness)

6. Other

Contact1. Would you like PBGC to contact you regarding your response?

1 Yes [Go to Q41.1]

2 No [Go to End3]

Contact1.1 Please provide the following information, and a PBGC representative will contact you.

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(Read only if respondent expresses concern about leaving contact information)

Note 1: Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 1302(b)(4), PBGC is authorized to collect the following personally identifiable information: name, telephone, number, and email address. PBGC is collecting this information for the sole purpose of contacting you to follow up on your responses to the survey questions, as you are requesting. This information will be used by PBGC personnel. Furnishing this information is voluntary and will not impact other business you may have with PBGC.  The data will be maintained on our secure server.

Name:

Telephone:

Email:

Best time to reach you:

Contact2. What type of assistance would you like from PBGC? (Open End--limit to 100 characters)

Thank you for your time. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation appreciates your input and will use this feedback to better serve its customers. Have a nice day!

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