FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1999
Public Information Office CB99-239
301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)
Joanne Dickinson
301-457-4081
Census Bureau Scores Well in Customer
Satisfaction Survey of Federal Agencies
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau scored 70 out of a possible
100 compared with an aggregate score of 68.6 for government agencies in an
expanded American Customer Service Index (ACSI) survey, according to results
released today by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government
http://www.npr.gov.
The survey, conducted last summer by the University of Michigan's
National Quality Research Center, is the first to examine 30 federal
services.
"The findings of this survey confirm we are meeting or exceeding the
expectations of the vast majority of our customers," said Kenneth Prewitt,
director of the Census Bureau. "However, the survey also tells us that
there are improvements to be made especially in the area of accessing our
data products on the Internet."
The Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/mso/www/npr/acsi.htm did well in:
- Professionalism and courtesy the score of 86 is considered an outstanding
rating for any company or government agency.
- The quality of Census Bureau products was perceived to be high (78).
- The Census Bureau's Internet site was also viewed positively (76).
Some areas where the Census Bureau needs improvement include:
- "Customer loyalty," which received a rating of 74, was considered adequate
but not high.
- The information and products of the Census Bureau on the Internet were
viewed as "somewhat difficult to use."
- About 1 in 4 data users said they were less satisfied with their interaction
with the Census Bureau now than they were two years ago.
Some of the actions underway at the Census Bureau to improve customer
satisfaction include:
- Improving its World Wide Web site and conducting more usability testing.
- Offering more training for data users on Census Bureau data products, with
emphasis on American FactFinder (the new Internet application that allows
users to make queries and retrieve quick reports).
- Soliciting comments and feedback from customers.
The ACSI tracks customer evaluations of the quality of goods and services
provided by 170 private companies. The only government agencies in previous
surveys were the U.S. Postal Service and the Internal Revenue Service.
Customers who participated in the survey included state and local government
agencies, universities, libraries, chambers of commerce and public interest
groups who regularly use census data and make them available to the public.
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