Form 507 RRB Survivor Customer Satisfaction Survey

S urvivor

Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)

Survivor Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire

Final Version

(Items in BOLD are interviewer instructions, and are not intended to be read to the respondent)

(Items marked i.e. or e.g. should only be read if respondent needs clarification)

Introduction (Do not read)

1. Hello. The Railroad Retirement Board has hired my company, [Data Collection Company], to call on their behalf. My name is _________________. May I please speak with __________?
   
   
   

   1. (If speaking to the right person skip to Q3)

   2. (If holding for the right person continue to Q2 when person comes to phone)

   3. Person not available (Schedule a call back)

   4. No Such Person “Thank you and have a nice day!”

   5. Refusal/Hung Up

2. Hello. The Railroad Retirement Board has hired my company, [Data Collection Company], to call on their behalf. My name is _____________.

3. We are conducting research on how satisfied users are with services provided by federal government agencies as part of the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The purpose of this research is to help the Railroad Retirement Board improve its services to you. Your answers are voluntary, but your opinions are very important for this research. This survey does not solicit personal information regarding your annuity, your responses will be completely confidential, and you will never be identified by name. This interview is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1090-0007. This interview will take between 8 to 10 minutes. Is now a good time?
   
   
   

   1. Yes (Continue)

   2. No “Can we schedule a time that is more convenient for you?”

For all questions, please include choices 98 = Don’t Know and 99 = Refused/Hung Up

Screening Questions (Do not read)

4. The Railroad Retirement Board has told us that you are currently receiving survivor benefits. Is this correct?

   1. Yes

   2. No (TERMINATE “Thank you for your time. Have a nice day!”)

98) Don’t Know (TERMINATE “Thank you for your time. Have a nice day!”)
99) Refusal/Hung up (TERMINATE “Thank you for your time. Have a nice day!”)

Publications (Do not read)

To begin, please think about the publications you may have consulted for information on applying for and receiving your survivor benefits.

5. Did you use the publications to help you file your application?

   1. Yes (Continue)

   2. No (Skip to Application Process)

Thinking about the publications you received with your application, please rate the following on a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “Poor” and 10 means “Excellent”:

6. Ease of understanding the information in the publications

7. Accuracy of the information

8. Usefulness of the information

9. Helpfulness of the publications in filing your application for benefits

Application Process (Do not read)

Now, think about the process that you went through to obtain your survivor benefits. On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “Poor” and 10 means “Excellent,” please rate the following:

10. Ease of survivor benefit process

11. Amount of supporting documentation required

Award Letter (Do not read)

Now, please think about your Award Letter, which was the first letter you received to notify you of your benefits.

12. Did you receive an Award Letter?

    1. Yes (Continue)

    2. No (Skip to Customer Service)

On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “Poor” and 10 means “Excellent,” please rate the following:

13. Length of time you waited to receive your letter

14. Ease of understanding information contained within the letter

Customer Service (Do not read)

Now, think about the ways you have recently contacted the Railroad Retirement Board about your survivor benefits.

15. Please indicate whether you have had contact with the Railroad Retirement Board in the following ways: (Interviewer: read List, select all that apply)

    1. Organized seminars or meetings

    2. Visiting a field office in person

    3. Meeting a traveling field service representative on Customer Outreach Program Service (e.g., in a place other than the field office.)

    4. By personal phone contact with a field office

    5. Automated toll-free phone system (e.g., RRB’s Help Line Services)

    6. Internet (e.g. Benefit Online Services at RRB.gov)

    7. By e-mail

    8. By U.S. mail

16. Please indicate your most recent means of contact with the Railroad Retirement Board:

    1. Organized seminars or meetings

    2. Visiting a field office in person

    3. Meeting a traveling field service representative on Customer Outreach Program Service (e.g., in a place other than the field office.)

    4. By personal phone contact with a field office

    5. Automated toll-free phone system (e.g., RRB’s Help Line Services)

    6. Internet (e.g. Benefit Online Services at RRB.gov)

    7. By e-mail

    8. By U.S. mail

Consider the most recent contact you have had with the Railroad Retirement Board concerning your survivor benefits. On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “Poor” and 10 means “Excellent,” please rate the Railroad Retirement Board on the following:

17. The ease of getting in touch with the Railroad Retirement Board

18. The courtesy of its personnel

19. The professionalism of its personnel

20. The responsiveness of its personnel

21. The clarity of the information provided to you

22. The accuracy of the information provided to you

ACSI Benchmark Questions (Do not read)

23. On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means “Not at All Satisfied” and 10 means “Extremely Satisfied,” how satisfied are you with services provided by the Railroad Retirement Board in paying your survivor benefits?

24. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 now means “Does Not Meet Expectations” and 10 means “Exceeds Expectations,” to what extent have the services provided by the Railroad Retirement Board in paying your survivor benefits fallen short of or exceeded your expectations?

25. Forget for a moment your experiences with the Railroad Retirement Board. Now, imagine an ideal organization that pays survivor benefits. How well do you think the Railroad Retirement Board compares with that ideal organization? Please use a 10-point scale on which 1 means “Very Far from Ideal” and 10 means “Very Close to Ideal.”

Prior Expectations (Do not read)

26. Most of the questions I have been asking you are about your recent experiences with the Railroad Retirement Board. Now, I would like you to think about your expectations of the Railroad Retirement Board’s services before you filed for survivor benefits. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means “Very Low” and 10 means “Very High,” how would you rate your prior expectations of the overall quality of the survivor benefits services provided by the Railroad Retirement Board?

Overall Quality (Do not read)

27. Now, please consider all your experiences and impressions since you filed for your survivor benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means “Very Low” and 10 means “Very High,” how would you rate the overall quality of the survivor benefits services provided by the Railroad Retirement Board?

Outcome Measures (Do not read)

Next, I want you to think about your interaction with the Railroad Retirement Board since you started receiving your survivor benefits.

28. Since you recently began receiving survivor benefits, have you complained to the Railroad Retirement Board about its service providing your benefits?

    1. Yes

    2. No (skip to Q30)

29. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means “Handled Very Poorly” and 10 means “Handled Very Well,” please rate how well your complaint was handled.

30. Using a 10-point scale on which 1 means “Not At All Confident” and 10 means “Very Confident,” how confident are you that the Railroad Retirement Board will do a good job in providing survivor benefits in the future?

Epilogue Question (Do not read)

Consider the value you place on the various ways the Railroad Retirement Board currently provides assistance and service to you. Rate the following services using a 10-point scale where 1 means “Not At All Valuable” and 10 means “Very Valuable.” (Q31 – Q35 will be randomly rotated)

31. U.S. mail

32. E-mail

33. Phone contact with a field service representative

34. Self service through the automated toll-free number (e.g. RRB’s Help Line)

35. In person (e.g., a visit to a field office or meeting a traveling field service representative in a place other than a field office)

36. Internet (e.g., Benefit Online Services at RRB.gov)

Preference Questions (Do not read)

Finally, we’d like to ask just a couple more questions about your preferences…

37. Of all the service options that the Railroad Retirement Board could offer you, which would be your most preferred method for conducting future business (e.g., change of address, or making a change to your direct deposit information)? (responses will be randomly rotated)

    1. U.S. mail

    2. E-mail

    3. Phone contact with a field service representative

    4. Self service through the automated toll-free number (e.g. RRB’s Help Line)

    5. In person (e.g., a visit to a field office or meeting a traveling field service representative in a place other than a field office)

    6. Internet(e.g., Benefit Online Services at RRB.gov)

38. Which would be your second most preferred method for conducting future business (e.g., change of address or, making a change to your direct deposit information)? (responses will be randomly rotated)

    1. U.S. mail

    2. E-mail

    3. Phone contact with a field service representative

    4. Self service through the automated toll-free number (e.g. RRB’s Help Line)

    5. In person (e.g., a visit to a field office or meeting a traveling field service representative in a place other than a field office)

    6. Internet (e.g., Benefit Online Services at RRB.gov)

Thank you for your time. The Railroad Retirement Board appreciates your views and will use them to better serve its customers. Have a nice day!

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