RI 10-72, CSS, August 2016 Edition

U nited States O ffice of Personnel M anagement
Cover redesigned
with current "OPM
Branding".

2016 Customer
Satisfaction Survey

OPM.GOVAUGUST 2016

UNITED SATATES OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Washington, DC 20415
Retirement Services

A Message from the Associate Director of Retirement Services

Dear Friend:
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management serves nearly 2.6 million Federal annuitants and survivor annuitants.
We work to provide our customers with high quality retirement benefit services. These benefits were earned
through service to our country and we must provide services that match the commitment to public service.
This survey collects feedback on satisfaction with our retirement program products and services. You were
selected from a random sample of Federal annuitants and survivor annuitants. Your participation is voluntary,
and any information you provide will be kept confidential. This information will help us determine areas that
need improvement. Annuitants selected for this survey who registered their email address with us will receive
the survey via email link. If you would like annual mailers, IRS 1099R’s and electronic messages delivered
securely to your email address, please visit www.ServicesOnline.OPM.gov to learn how to register.
We will report the survey results to the President and Congress so they can assess how we are doing on meeting
our goals and carrying out our mission: Recruiting, Retaining, and Honoring a World-Class Workforce to Serve
the American People. One way we do this is by maintaining a world-class benefits program. Your participation
in this survey will help us build the workforce. This means you continue to serve your country, and for that, we
thank you.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Zawodny
Associate Director
Retirement Services

Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People
www.servicesonline.opm.gov

www.opm.gov.retirement-services

U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Services
FY 2016 Customer Satisfaction Survey
Purpose of this Survey
Every year the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sets new goals for improving the retirement services
we provide to Federal annuitants. To reflect how well we meet these goals, our survey focuses on retirees who
had a transaction with us during the last year (from October 1, 2015). This includes Long-Time Retirees (retired
before October 1, 2015) who contacted us for service regarding their retirement accounts, and New Retirees
(retired on or after October 1, 2015) who initially applied for retirement benefits or contacted us for service
regarding their new accounts.

Instructions
Please read the instructions carefully. Respond directly in the survey booklet, using pen or pencil. If you wish
to change a response, erase it or cross it out. Some questions may not pertain to you; please mark these with
the “No Basis to Judge” response. For most of the questions, you will mark only one response, but a few
questions noted as “Mark ALL that apply” allow for multiple responses. The last section of this survey is for
New Retirees; Long-Time Retirees should not answer questions in the last section. If you wish to make written
comments for any question, space is provided at Question 42, page 9. If you would like to be interviewed by
OPM Retirement Services to provide additional feedback about your response to this survey, please provide
contact information on page 9.
Please return the completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope within 14 days to:
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY
U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
RS/RM/BS, TRB ROOM 3316-U
1900 E STREET, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20415

Questions
If you have questions about this survey, we will be happy to help you. Please call collect at
202-606-0283 (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday), or email us at:
mib_survey@opm.gov.
Questions about your retirement claim or benefits should be directed to our Retirement Information
Office at our toll-free number: 1-888-767-6738. You can also visit us at our Web site:
www.opm.gov/retirement-services.

i

Frequently asked questions about the Customer
Satisfaction Survey
What is the cost of doing the survey?
Printing and mail/return postage costs about $3,000. This is mostly a one-person task, with a GS-13 program
analyst devoting about ten percent of annual staff hours to producing the survey and analyzing the results.

Will the survey ever be available on-line?
The 2016 survey will be available on-line to some of our customers. Annuitants chosen for this survey by our
random selection process and having a registered email address with OPM will receive an email link to the
survey. Annuitants chosen but not having a registered email address will receive the survey via postal mail. To
assure that only annuitants in the random selection process take the survey, we have not placed the survey on
the OPM website. We may do so in the future.

How is the validity of the survey results assured?
The survey results are subject to random audits by OPM’s Office of the Inspector General.

Public Burden Statement
We estimate providing this information takes an average 25 minutes per survey, including the time for reviewing
instructions, getting the needed data, and reviewing the requested information. Send comments regarding our
estimate or any other aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing completion time, to the
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Services Publications Team (3206-0236), Washington, DC
20415-0001. The OMB Number, 3206-0236, is currently valid. OPM may not collect information, and you are
not required to respond, unless this number is displayed.

Privacy Act Statement
In accordance with Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), the providing of personal information is
completely voluntary. Collection of this information is authorized by Sections 1002, 3301, and 3304 of Title 5,
U.S. Code.
Your responses to this survey are voluntary and there is no penalty for not responding. However, maximum
participation is encouraged so that the data will be complete and representative.
The principal purpose in collecting this information is to study and report attitudes and perceptions of Federal
annuitants regarding the retirement services provided to them by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
(OPM). Your responses will be used to improve these services.
Only OPM staff involved in collecting or preparing this information for analysis will have access to completed
surveys. The information you provide will be analyzed and reported for the whole Federal annuitant population.
In any public release of survey results, no data will be disclosed that could be used to identify specific
individuals and your individual responses will be treated confidentially.

ii

Customer Satisfaction Survey
When answering the following questions, refer only to
your monthly Federal annuitant or survivor annuitant
payments and your experiences since October 1, 2015.

3.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.

Long-Time and New Retirees
Whether you retired many years ago or just recently,
and if you contacted us for service or information on
your Federal retirement account on or after October 1,
2015, please answer the following questions regarding
how well OPM Retirement Services served you.
Contacting Retirement Services
1.

Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

Less than 5years

_______________________________________

5 to 10 years

_______________________________________

Over 10 years

Since October 1, 2015, how many times did
you contact OPM Retirement Services
(telephone, letter, Internet, etc.)?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.

Agree

_______________________________________

4.
2.

Strongly Agree

Please tell us why you disagree or agree:

How long have you been a customer of
OPM Retirement Services (number
of years)?

 A.
 B.
 C.

It is easy to do business with OPM
Retirement Services.

Assistance from OPM Retirement Services
is provided at a time that is convenient to
me (Monday - Friday, 7:40 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time).

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Once
Twice
Three times
Four or more times
Not at all

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Please tell us why you disagree or agree,
and state the hours you would find convenient:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

1

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

5.

What difficulties, if any, have you
experienced in trying to find someone
in OPM Retirement Services to assist you?
(Mark ALL that apply)

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
 G.
 H.
 I.
 J.
 K.

7.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

No difficulties
Telephone rang without answer or
stayed busy
Phone messages not returned
Phone calls transferred multiple times

8.

Left on hold for a long time on
the phone
Automated phone service difficult
to use
E-mail was not answered
Letters not answered in a timely
manner
Letters not answered
I have not tried to find someone

9.

_______________________________

10.

_______________________________
How do you usually request OPM
Retirement Services information, services,
or products? (Mark only ONE response)

Internet
Postal mail

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Yes
No

To learn about retirement related services,
have you accessed OPM’s Web site
www.opm.gov/retirement-services since
October 1, 2015?

 A.
 B.

 A. Telephone
 B. E-mail
 C. Internet
 D. Postal mail

E-mail

Do you use the Internet?

 A.
 B.

Other (specify):

Telephone

OPM’s automated phone system
(1-888-767-6738) is easy to use.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

_______________________________

6.

How do you prefer to receive OPM
Retirement Services information, services,
or products? (Mark only ONE response)

Yes
No

Question #11 is new and 2 questions were deleted.
11.

Have you accessed OPM’s web site
www.servicesonline.opm.gov to make an
on-line customer service transaction since
October 1, 2015?

 A.
 B.
2

Yes
No

12.

15.

I would like to see the following features
added to Retirement Services Online
(www.servicesonline.opm.gov):
(Mark ALL that apply)

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.

Make an insurance change outside of
Open Season based on a Qualifying
Life Event

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

Marital status change
Life Insurance Family Option C
cancellation
Not sure/not interested

16.

Other (specify):
_______________________________

_______________________________
If you read the OPM Retirement Services
Twitter account at
http://twitter.com/fedretireinfo
since October 1, 2015, was the information
useful?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
14.

Not sure
No
Did not view

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Yes
17.

Not sure
No
Did not read

I am satisfied with the appearance of
manuals, brochures, reports, and other
communications materials (e.g., OPM
Retirement Services Website, account
statements) prepared by OPM
Retirement Services.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

If you read the OPM Retirement Services
blog (Retirement Info Center) at
www.opm.gov/Blogs/Retire/index.aspx
since October 1, 2015, was the information
useful?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

Yes

The communications materials I received
from OPM Retirement Services were clear
and understandable (e.g., letters, written
information).

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

_______________________________

13.

If you viewed OPM Retirement
Services Informational videos at
www.opm.gov/retirement-services since
October 1, 2015, was the information
useful?

Yes
Not sure
No

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Did not read

3

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

21.

Overall Satisfaction
18.

OPM Retirement Services personnel
are courteous.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
19.

20.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge
22.

OPM Retirement Services personnel
are knowledgeable.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge
23.

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

4

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

After you retired, OPM Retirement Services
personnel kept accurate records of your
retirement account.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Strongly Agree

Strongly Agree

OPM Retirement Services personnel give
me accurate information.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Strongly Agree

OPM Retirement Services personnel are
able to clearly explain their products and
services.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

OPM Retirement Services provided timely
responses to the inquiries I sent on or after
October 1, 2015.

Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

24.

OPM Retirement Services personnel
provide services when promised.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
25.

26.

Strongly Agree

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
 G.

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Problems and complaints are resolved
quickly by OPM Retirement Services
personnel.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Since October 1, 2015, I experienced a
customer service problem with my annuity
account in the following areas: (Mark ALL
that apply).

Strongly Agree

 H.
 I.
 J.
 K.

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

 L.
 M.

No Basis to Judge

Initial claim for retirement benefits
Initial claim for survivor benefits
Allotment
Cost of living increase
Federal tax withholding
State tax withholding
Change in health benefits plans
or options
Change in life insurance options
Change in mailing address
Direct deposit of annuity payment
Adjust annuity after change in
marital status
I have not experienced a problem
Other (specify):
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

5

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

27.

Very Satisfied

New Retirees Only - Please Continue
with the Survey
If you retired from Federal service on or after
October 1, 2015, please answer the following
questions regarding how well OPM and your agency
served you during your initial retirement process.
Long-Time retirees (retired before October 1, 2015)
should not answer these final questions.

Satisfied

Satisfaction with Retirement Services

If you applied for survivor annuitant
benefits on or after October 1, 2015, as the
result of the death of a Federal retiree, how
satisfied were you with the assistance you
received from OPM Retirement Services in
filing the paperwork needed to obtain
benefits?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

29.

Neither Dissatisfied/Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied

 A.
 B.
 C.

No Basis to Judge

Please tell us why you were satisfied or
dissatisfied:
_____________________________________

30.

_____________________________________

Overall, how satisfied are you with the
services you received from OPM
Retirement Services since
October 1, 2015?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.

31.
Very Satisfied
Satisfied

Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied

Long-Time Retirees have no further questions to
answer. Thank you for answering these questions.
We appreciate your participation. New Retirees
(retired on or after October 1, 2015) should continue
to answer the following questions.

6

Not Sure
No

Yes, it was correct
Not sure
No, it was not correct

When you applied for retirement benefits,
how satisfied were you with how well OPM
Retirement Services handled all aspects of
your retirement claim?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.

Neither Dissatisfied/Satisfied

Yes

After your Interim Payments ended, was
your first regular retirement check
computed correctly?

 A.
 B.
 C.

_____________________________________
28.

In most cases, Interim Payments are paid
until an applicant’s annuity claim is
processed and regular payments begin.
Was this the case for your initial annuity
claim?

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neither Dissatisfied/Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied

32.

OPM Retirement Services provided me with
useful information regarding my retirement.

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

36.

Strongly Agree

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
 G.
 H.
 I.
 J.
 K.
 L.

Agree
Neither Agree/Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
No Basis to Judge

Satisfaction with Your Agency Actions
33.

Were you offered retirement counseling?

 A.
 B.
 C.
34.

35.

Yes
Not sure
No

Did you take retirement counseling?

 A.
 B.
 C.

Yes

 M.
 N.

Not sure
No
37.

At what point in your Federal career did
your agency offer counseling or training
about retirement planning? (Mark ALL
that apply)

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
 G.
 H.

What did the counseling cover? (Mark ALL
that apply)

Mid-career
Annual training open to all employees
More than 3 years before retirement
1 to 3 years before retirement

Overview of retirement benefits
Amount of annuity
Survivor benefits
Health insurance benefits
Life insurance benefits
Social Security benefits
Thrift Savings Plan
Taxes
Long Term Care
Need for retirement savings
How to calculate savings needed
for retirement
Retirement life style
Setting retirement goals

How satisfied were you that the information
from your agency was accurate?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

New employee orientation

I did not receive retirement counseling

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neither Satisfied/Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
No Basis to Judge

Less than 1 year before retirement
Agency did not provide retirement
counseling/training
Not sure

7

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

38.

How satisfied were you with how your
agency helped you take appropriate
actions (e.g., submitting retirement forms,
decisions on health/life insurance, etc.)?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
39.

Satisfied
Neither Satisfied/Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
No Basis to Judge

Very Satisfied
Satisfied
Neither Satisfied/Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
No Basis to Judge

How did your agency’s estimate of your
annuity compare to the annuity computed
by OPM?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

Which of the following describes how you
planned your retirement? (Mark ALL that
apply)

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.

Very Satisfied

How satisfied were you with how your
agency helped you learn what to expect
after you retired (e.g., how long until
annuity payments begin, tax
withholding, etc.)?

 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
 E.
 F.
40.

41.

Estimate was close to or same
as OPM’s
Estimate was significantly different
from OPM’s
Did not receive estimate from my
agency
Not sure

8

Attended agency training
Used agency provided resources
Received individual counseling
Used outside sources
Did not plan for my retirement
Not sure

42.

Comments or suggestions about products or services provided by OPM Retirement Services?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

If you would like to be interviewed by OPM Retirement Services to gain additional feedback on your responses
to this survey, or contacted to participate in future research of our services, please provide your contact
information, below. Please note that the interviews will be conducted after the surveys have been collected and
analyzed, so it may be several weeks before you are contacted.
Name: _______________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________
Email: _________________________________________________________________________________
This completes the survey. Thank you for your participation.

9

This is the new
branded cover.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Services
1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415

MIB_SURVEY@OPM.GOV

Form Approved
OMB Number: 3206-0236
RI 10-72
Revised August 2016
Previous editions are not usuable
RS-02579-08/2016