1
ACSIAmerican Customer Satisfaction Index TM
Measuring Satisfaction with Government Using the ACSI
Mexico City, September 2009
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Snapshot of ACSI
• Established in 1994, ACSI is the only standardized measure of customer satisfaction in the U.S. economy, covering approximately 200 companies in 45 industries and 10 sectors; companies measured account for roughly one-third of the U.S. GDP
• A quarterly measure of the national economy’s health; complementary to measures such as inflation and unemployment
• 50+ departments and agencies of the U.S. Federal Government measured on an annual basis
• Results from all surveys are published quarterly in various media and on the ACSI website, www.theacsi.org
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T M M ETürkiye Müşteri Memnuniyeti Endeksi
Turkish CSI Korean CSI
Mexican CSIColombian CSI Swedish CSI
ACSI Methodology Adopted Internationally
UK CSISingapore CSI
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ACSI and Government Satisfaction
• ACSI measured portions of Federal Government as early as 1994
– Internal Revenue Service measured as part of the ACSI since 1994
• In 1999, ACSI chosen as the “gold standard” measure of customer satisfaction by the Federal government
• Currently more than 200 different government services measured using the ACSI methodology
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Why Measure Satisfaction with Government?
Link customer satisfaction with expectations and
desired outcomes
Benchmark against “best” in business and
government
Set “baseline” for customer satisfaction and measure progress
Provide critical information for annual performance plans to Congress (as required
under GPRA)
Identify areas for improving quality of service provided
to customers
Raise trust in agencies and the
government overallEnable Senior Executives to meet performance criteria
ACSI
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ACSI METHODOLOGY
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ACSI Methodology
• Customer satisfaction (ACSI) is embedded in a system of cause and effect relationships
• Measures are general enough to be comparable across agencies, and private sector companies
• ACSI is measured using multiple indicators
• Objective: Explain desired outcomes
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● A component score is a weighted average of the set of attributes, or survey questions, comprising a component or activity. Responses to survey questions are given on a 1-10 scale, which is converted to a 0-100 scale for score reporting.
● An impact, on the other hand, predicts the increase in satisfaction that would result from a 5-point increase in a component or input score.
● Areas for improvement are those components or activities with a relatively low score and a relatively high impact on satisfaction.
In the simplified example shown here, Activity 2
would be a key action area due to its relatively low score and high impact.
ACSI
65Activity 2
65
Activity 1
76
1.5
.8
Impact
Score
EXAMPLE
ACSI Methodology
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Federal Government ACSI Model
CustomerComplaints
CustomerComplaints
Agency TrustAgency Trust
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
PerceivedQuality
PerceivedQuality
Customer Expectations
Customer Expectations
CustomerService
CustomerService
InformationInformation
ProcessProcess
Confidence
Recommend
Courtesy
Professional
Clarity
Accessibility
Ease
Timeliness
WebsiteWebsite
Ease
Usefulness
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ACSI RESULTSFOR THE
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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68.6 68.6
71.3
70.2
70.9
72.1
71.3
72.3
67.8
68.9
65
70
75
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Aggregate Customer Satisfaction withFederal Government, 1999-2008*
*A methodology change in 2007 limits comparability to prior years. Year-to-year trending is recommended.
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2008 Federal Government ACSI Model
CustomerComplaints
CustomerComplaints
Agency TrustAgency Trust
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
PerceivedQuality
PerceivedQuality
Customer Expectations
Customer Expectations
CustomerService
CustomerService
InformationInformation
ProcessProcess
Confidence
Recommend
Courtesy
Professional
Clarity
Accessibility
Ease
Timeliness
73
75
80
69
76
69
70
9%
1.8
0.6
1.6
1.1
4.0
0.2
-1.9
4.5
0.0
72
69
WebsiteWebsite
Ease
Usefulness
74
80
79
75
74
73
74
79
70
2.3
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How Agencies Utilize ACSI Data
• Test results against current assumptions• Reexamine improvement plans and
strategy• Report results to Congress, employees,
and customers• Design and conduct more detailed drill-
down surveys on low-performing areas• Identify strategic benchmarking
partners; identify/adopt “best practices”
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IRS Finding: e-Filers Vastly More Satisfied
•fewer errors, quicker problem resolution•earlier refunds, easy status tracking
5451
5550
5253535248
44
7678 787778777877
7574
40
50
60
70
80
90
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Paper Filers e-Filers
23 points30 points
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20%
55%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1998 2006
Number of e-filers nearly triples in 8 years
“We realize we have more work to do, but the survey is just one more indication that the IRS reorganization and its emphasis on customer service are paying off. The satisfaction with IRS e-file won´t surprise any taxpayer who has used it. When they try it, they like it. It is fast, accurate and dependable.” - Charles O. Rossotti, IRS commissioner, December 17, 2001
IRS: More e-Filers
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IRS: Improved Individual Tax Filing Experience
IRS hears the voice of the customer… • Commitment to customer service• Increased awareness and usage of e-filing
Customer Satisfaction Up 17 Points51
56
60
6263
64 6465
68 68
50
55
60
65
70
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
All Individual Tax Filers
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57
62
67
68
70
71
73
74
75
78
69
40 50 60 70 80
Homeland Security
Treasury
Education
Agriculture
Federal Government
Veterans Affairs
State
SSA
HHS
Defense
Interior
Citizen Satisfaction by Department
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7880
69
76
65
70
75
80
85
90
National Federal Government
Customer Expectations
Perceived Quality
Government “Expectations Gap”
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80
7574
73
70
65
70
75
80
85
90
CustomerService
Information Website Process AgencyTrust
Customer Service Leads the Way
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Few Citizens Complain, but…
9%
14%17%
47%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
FederalGovernment
Supermarkets Airlines Cable TV
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Complaints are Handled Poorly, and…
4143
58
72
30
40
50
60
70
80
Airlines FederalGovernment
Cable TV Supermarkets
Complaint Handling Score (0-100)
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Complaint Handling Impacts Satisfaction
25
69
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Citizen Satisfaction
Satisfaction when Complaint Handled Poorly
Satisfaction when Complaint Handled Well
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Customer Satisfaction and Trust in Government
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● ACSI measures both agency trust (trust with the specific agency experienced), and overall trust (trust in the Federal government as a whole).
● Overall trust measured by asking:
“Generally speaking, how much of the time do you think you can trust the government?”
Agency-Specific Trust vs. Overall Trust
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69 70
37
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Citizen Satisfaction Agency Trust Overall Trust
Agency and Overall Trust
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Agency TrustAgency Trust
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
Customer Satisfaction
(ACSI)
1.7
4.5Overall Trust in
Federal Government
Overall Trust in Federal
Government
70
69
0.0
37
Agency and Overall Trust
● Customer Satisfaction has a very strong direct impact on trust in a specific agency
● Customer Satisfaction has no direct impact on overall trust in government, but has a small indirect impact via agency trust
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ACSI
• For more information, visit the ACSI website at: www.theacsi.org