Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Westat draws on its long experience in survey research to design, conduct, and analyze customized surveys to
assess satisfaction among the users of government programs. This research helps Federal and state agencies to determine the
usefulness of existing services, identify unmet service needs, and allocate resources more efficiently.
- For the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Westat conducts surveys with travelers entering
the United States and with personnel employed in the Office of Inspections in an effort to
understand travelers' needs and to improve service to the traveling public based on the survey results.
- We assist the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in conducting 10 annual surveys of its external
customers. The goal is to receive feedback from customers and to improve products and services.
- For the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Westat developed four customer satisfaction surveys targeting employers, workers,
stakeholders, and partnership participants. The surveys created standard measures to meet the GPRA strategic and performance plan requirements.
- The Medicare Managed Care CAHPS® for CMS is an annual survey of beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare HMOs. It includes a sample of some 350
health plans and more than 200,000 beneficiaries. The survey provides information on satisfaction with health plans and quality of services.
- For the U.S. Department of Defense, Westat conducted several evaluations of the satisfaction of health
care service beneficiaries. These studies included the following:
- Analyzing data sets,
- Enhancing satisfaction and health status measurement techniques, and
- Applying industry standard measurement strategies to specific policy and program issues.
- For the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Biennial Review of Defense Agencies and Field Activities
is a congressionally mandated evaluation of the performance of more than 25 defense agencies and DOD field activities.
The biennial review is the only DOD-wide assessment of organizational performance using standard customer
satisfaction methods. In the 2003-04 review, Westat surveyed more than 12,000 government
customers of the defense agencies and DOD field activities, with responses organized according to more than
65 unique lines of business across these organizations. Results are reported to the Secretary of
Defense, the heads of all military departments, all defense agencies and DOD field activities, Congress, and other
interested parties.
- Westat redesigned the National Survey of Veterans for the VA to meet the VA's informational needs in
responding to its policy, planning, and budgetary challenges. We then conducted the first comprehensive survey of
veterans since 1992, providing VA with a portrait of the veteran population nationwide. The data allowed the VA
to do the following:
- Provide estimates about the general veteran population;
- Follow changing trends in the veteran population;
- Compare the characteristics of veterans who use VA programs with those who do not;
- Describe veterans' needs for a range of benefit programs; and
- Provide a current source of data for policy analyses.
- Westat is conducting a number of "mystery shopping" assessments for agencies to evaluate users'
knowledge and understanding of agency programs:
- Evaluation of the Medicare and You Education Campaign. For CMS, Westat assesses
responses to beneficiary calls to 1-800-MEDICARE, a centralized call center that has become a central
focus of CMS's beneficiary education strategy. Westat staff developed a series of scenarios and placed calls
to 1-800-MEDICARE (as a beneficiary or beneficiary advocate) to "act out" the scenario. Westat records
responses and questions received from the representative, the number and duration of
"holds," the representative's manner, and other details of each call. We
prepare a monthly evaluation of each test scenario.
- IRS Telephone Routing Interactive System (TRIS) Telefile: Customer Satisfaction Surveys Data Collection
Effort. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is developing customer satisfaction surveys to assist the IRS in
assessing satisfaction among groups of taxpayers who are eligible to use the TRIS Telefile.
Westat established a toll-free telephone line to answer taxpayer inquiries and provided
data entry and analysis support.
- Westat provided continuing statistical and data processing support for a program to
assess the accuracy of responses given by tax assistors at toll-free telephone assistance sites.
The Integrated Test Call Survey System (ITCSS) provides the official accuracy figure for the
telephone assistance service and serves as a basic measure of success for improvement efforts.
- Customer satisfaction with an organization's forms, particularly Federal Government forms, can be key to the success of
programs. Westat has assessed a number of forms for comprehension and usability:
- IRS Schedule D. This form is filled out by businesses on a quarterly basis to report discrepancies
caused by acquisitions, statutory mergers, or consolidations. We assist the IRS in redesigning this form
based on feedback from IRS personnel, as well as input from other government agencies.
- IRS Form 594 Redesign. The main objectives of the project were to make Publication 594 more
useful to taxpayers and to ensure that taxpayers understood their rights and
responsibilities during the collection process. Westat staff collected and analyzed qualitative
data from taxpayers and tax preparers using focus group discussions and cognitive in-depth
interviews. Additional cognitive interviews were also used as part of the iterative
process of redesigning and testing various versions and portions of the publication until a final version was
designed.
- Westat actively assists school reform efforts through satisfaction surveys. For the District
of Columbia, we surveyed principals, teachers, students, parents, and central office staff concerning topics
such as:
- General attitudes,
- Teachers,
- Students,
- Schoolwork,
- Parental involvement,
- Safety and discipline,
- Facilities, and
- Administration and staff.
- For Howard County, Maryland, we surveyed students, teachers and counselors, parents, school support
staff, district-level staff, and school administrators on topics such as professional practice, leadership,
communication, resources, educational climate, diversity, safety and discipline, and general attitudes.
- For the U.S. Department of Education, we have conducted two web surveys of the
Chief State School Officers and other state education officials concerning the No Child Left
Behind Act and other Federal programs and services.
- For Baltimore and the State of Maryland, Westat surveyed students, teachers, and
parents concerning school reform efforts that were part of the city-state partnership.
For more information about the Customer Satisfaction Surveys Research Area,
please send us a message.
