Annual Data for Customer Service Satisfaction

• For Overall Customer Service Satisfaction

  • This dataset provides data at the national level for overall satisfaction of customers who have used one of the following methods for conducting business with us:
    • In-person service.
    • Local Social Security office.
    • Hearing office.
    • Social Security Card Center.
    • Telephone service through our National 800 Number.
    • Online services on our website.
  • In this dataset, we define "satisfaction" as an overall service rating of: excellent, very good or good (E/VG/G) on a six-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor. We determine the percent "satisfied" by dividing the number of responders who rate overall service as E/VG/G by the total number of responders providing a rating.
  • For each fiscal year included in the dataset, we provide the customer satisfaction rates for the types of service, rounded to the nearest whole number.

• For Initial Disability and Hearing Level Service Satisfaction

  • This dataset provides data at the national level for overall satisfaction of claimants who have either filed an initial disability application or have received a decision on an appeal at the hearing level. For the initial application for disability, we survey mid-process to get satisfaction ratings on ease of filing a disability application and overall opinion of our service. We also survey after an initial disability decision is made to get ratings for ease of filing disability applications and overall opinion of service. We separate ratings for claimants who are awarded benefits and for those who are denied benefits. Similarly, we survey claimants after a hearing level decision is made. Our goal is to get ratings on the hearing experience and overall opinion of our service, with separate ratings for claimants who are awarded benefits and for those who are denied benefits.
  • In this dataset, we define "satisfaction" as an overall service rating of excellent, very good or good (E/VG/G) on a six-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor. We determine the percent "satisfied" by dividing the number of responders who rate overall service as E/VG/G by the total number of responders providing a rating.
  • For each fiscal year included in the dataset, we provide the satisfaction rate for overall service, rounded to the nearest whole number. For initial disability claims, we also provide the rate for ease of filing the application. For hearing level decisions, we provide the rating of the hearing experience.

The data displayed in the datasets are based on results of the following surveys.

• For Overall Customer Service Satisfaction

  • 800 Number Caller Survey - Conducted by telephone with a random sample of callers who contacted the national 800 number during a 4-week period. In FY 2018, we began conducting the survey every two years. FY 2021 was the last time we conducted the survey. We don't plan to conduct the survey again.
  • Field Office Caller Survey - Conducted by telephone with a random sample of callers who contacted one of 110 randomly selected field offices during a 4-week period. FY 2019 was the last time we conducted the survey. We don't plan to conduct the survey again.
  • Field and Hearing Office Visitor Surveys - Conducted by mail with a random sample of customers who visited one of 52 field offices or 13 hearing offices (randomly selected each year) during a 4-week period. In FY 2018, we began conducting the survey every two years. FY 2023 was the last time we conducted the survey. We don't plan to conduct the survey again.
  • Social Security Card Center Visitor Survey - Conducted by mail with a random sample of customers who visited any of the Social Security Card Centers during a 4-week period. We introduced this survey in FY 2011. FY 2018 was the last time we conducted the survey. We don't plan to conduct the survey again.
  • Internet Benefit Applications Survey - Conducted by mail with a random sample of people who completed an online benefit application. We introduced this survey in FY 2009. FY 2015 was the last time we conducted the survey.
  • Internet Change of Address/Direct Deposit - Conducted by mail with a random sample of customers who requested either a change of address or direct deposit of their Social Security benefits using our online service. We introduced this survey in FY 2011. FY 2015 was the last time we conducted the survey.
  • Internet Disability Reports - Conducted by mail with a random sample of people who applied for disability benefits and provided the detailed medical information online or provided medical information online for an appeal of a denied claim. We introduced this survey in FY 2012. FY 2015 was the last time we conducted the survey.
  • Internet Request - Conducted by mail with a random sample of people who completed online requests for a Medicare replacement card, proof of income letter, or replacement1099. Internet Request Survey FY 2015 was the last time we conducted the survey.

• For Initial Disability and Hearing Level Service Satisfaction

  • Disability initial claims mid-process survey: conducted by mail while the disability decision was still pending with a random sample of approximately 10,000 claimants.
  • Disability award survey: conducted by mail with a random sample of approximately 10,000 awarded claimants.
  • Disability denial survey: conducted by mail with a random sample of approximately 10,000 denied claimants.
  • Hearing award survey: conducted by mail with a random sample of approximately 15,000 claimants with a recent favorable hearing decision on their disability claim.
  • Hearing denial survey: conducted by mail with a random sample of approximately 15,000 claimants with a recent unfavorable hearing decision on their disability claim.

• For both files

  • Statistical Methodology: Satisfaction rates represent a mean value of the upper and lower limits of a calculated variability range. The mathematical formula used to establish these limits considers the size of the sample and the satisfaction rate found. The formula uses a mathematical calculation to produce a variability range acceptable at a 95-percent confidence level.

• For Overall Customer Service Satisfaction

  • Weighting: All satisfaction rates are weighted to reflect the data as they would appear if all customers using the type of service had been surveyed.

• For Overall Customer Service Satisfaction

  • One asterisk (*) Annual survey population not calculated.
  • Two asterisk (**) All services not computed.
  • Three asterisk (***) The survey was conducted over an extended (11-month) time period rather than our traditional 1-month time period.

• For Initial Disability and Hearing Level Service Satisfaction

  • A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff.

• For Overall Customer Service Satisfaction

  • Fiscal Year (FY): A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff.
  • Service: Type of service measured by the survey.
  • Annual Pop. Served: Annual number of people Social Security served in the fiscal year through this type of service.
  • Survey Responders: Survey responders providing an overall rating for this type of service.
  • Satisfied Service Rating: Percent satisfied with this type of service overall. Satisfaction defined as ratings of excellent, very good, or good (E/VG/G) on a 6-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor. The satisfaction rate is rounded to the nearest whole number.
  • Excellent Service Rating: Percent giving the rating of excellent (on the 6-point scale shown above) for this type of service overall. The "excellent" rate is rounded to the nearest whole number.

• For Initial Disability and Hearing Level Service Satisfaction

  • Type of Survey: Type of Survey.
  • Aspect of Service Satisfaction: Ease of filing and overall opinion of service.
  • Fiscal Year (FY): The percent satisfied by fiscal year (the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September). Satisfaction is defined as ratings of excellent, very good, or good (E/VG/G) on a 6-point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor. The satisfaction rate is rounded to the nearest whole number.