Q3 2023

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Applying for Federal civilian retirement: Between Q2 and Q3, all scores increased: satisfaction (3.36 to 3.57), trust (3.56 to 3.74), effectiveness (3.26 to 3.43), ease (3.53 to 3.61), efficiency (3.16 to 3.33), transparency (3.62 to 3.72), and employee helpfulness (3.64 to 3.80). In Q3, overall case processing timeliness improved, which may have contributed to the overall increase in satisfaction.

Managing a Federal annuitant retirement account (Services Online): Scores remained fairly consistent between Q2 and Q3. In Q3, customers indicated a slight decrease in satisfaction (3.62 to 3.60), effectiveness (3.67 to 3.63), ease (3.38 to 3.37), efficiency (3.46 to 3.45), transparency (3.79 to 3.77), and employee helpfulness (3.55 to 3.52). The score for trust increased slightly (3.60 to 3.63).

Service details

Q2 2023

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Managing a Federal annuitant retirement account (Services Online): Between Q1 and Q2 FY 2023, Services Online results decreased: satisfaction (3.81 to 3.59), trust (3.78 to 3.57), effectiveness (3.85 to 3.63), ease (3.58 to 3.34), efficiency (3.62 to 3.43), transparency (3.88 to 3.77), and employee helpfulness (3.73 to 3.52). Some new annuitants have found it difficult to navigate a process related to new requirements for Federal withholding. OPM has updated the related messaging on the Services Online site with the intention of improving future quarter results.

Applying for Federal civilian retirement: In December 2022, OPM launched a new survey to obtain feedback on the customer’s experience applying for and receiving retirement benefits. OPM sent the Q2 FY 2023 survey to new annuitants who completed the retirement application process and received their full annuity payment in December 2022, January 2023, or February 2023. The results between Q1 and Q2 FY 2023 stayed fairly consistent: satisfaction (3.35 in Q1 to 3.36 in Q2), trust (3.57 to 3.56), effectiveness (3.24 to 3.26), ease (3.47 to 3.53), efficiency (3.1 to 3.16), transparency (3.59 to 3.62), and employee helpfulness (3.65 to 3.64).

Service details

Q3 2023

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Applying for Federal civilian retirement: Between Q2 and Q3, all scores increased: satisfaction (3.36 to 3.57), trust (3.56 to 3.74), effectiveness (3.26 to 3.43), ease (3.53 to 3.61), efficiency (3.16 to 3.33), transparency (3.62 to 3.72), and employee helpfulness (3.64 to 3.80). In Q3, overall case processing timeliness improved, which may have contributed to the overall increase in satisfaction.

Managing a Federal annuitant retirement account (Services Online): Scores remained fairly consistent between Q2 and Q3. In Q3, customers indicated a slight decrease in satisfaction (3.62 to 3.60), effectiveness (3.67 to 3.63), ease (3.38 to 3.37), efficiency (3.46 to 3.45), transparency (3.79 to 3.77), and employee helpfulness (3.55 to 3.52). The score for trust increased slightly (3.60 to 3.63).

Service details

Q2 2023

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Managing a Federal annuitant retirement account (Services Online): Between Q1 and Q2 FY 2023, Services Online results decreased: satisfaction (3.81 to 3.59), trust (3.78 to 3.57), effectiveness (3.85 to 3.63), ease (3.58 to 3.34), efficiency (3.62 to 3.43), transparency (3.88 to 3.77), and employee helpfulness (3.73 to 3.52). Some new annuitants have found it difficult to navigate a process related to new requirements for Federal withholding. OPM has updated the related messaging on the Services Online site with the intention of improving future quarter results.

Applying for Federal civilian retirement: In December 2022, OPM launched a new survey to obtain feedback on the customer’s experience applying for and receiving retirement benefits. OPM sent the Q2 FY 2023 survey to new annuitants who completed the retirement application process and received their full annuity payment in December 2022, January 2023, or February 2023. The results between Q1 and Q2 FY 2023 stayed fairly consistent: satisfaction (3.35 in Q1 to 3.36 in Q2), trust (3.57 to 3.56), effectiveness (3.24 to 3.26), ease (3.47 to 3.53), efficiency (3.1 to 3.16), transparency (3.59 to 3.62), and employee helpfulness (3.65 to 3.64).

Service details

Q4 2022

What we learned from this quarter's data:

The number of survey responses for OPM’s Services Online increased by 5 percent in FY 2022 Q4 (25,592) as compared to Q3 (24,311). This increase is primarily due to two email notifications distributed to the users on July 1, 2022, and September 16, 2022, reminding them to set up their Login.gov account for Services Online. Survey data indicates that 38.1 percent of site visitors identified setting up access to Login.gov as the primary reason for visiting the site. Between Q3 and Q4, all seven scores decreased, on average, by .17: satisfaction (3.95 to 3.78), trust (3.89 to 3.73), effectiveness (3.97 to 3.85), ease (3.64 to 3.52), efficiency (3.79 to 3.57), equity (4.02 to 3.83) and website helpfulness (3.87 to 3.69). As reported in Q3, OPM Retirement Services (RS) attributes this decrease to a technical change made to how users access Services Online. In FY 2022 Q3, RS added multi-factor authentication via GSA’s Login.gov to the account login process. Given that the decrease in Q4 scores (.17) was very small as compared to Q3 (.45), RS anticipates that users are becoming more familiar with the new login process and that scores will begin to improve in FY 2023 Q1 as the change will have been in place for over six months. RS has also identified several opportunities to improve user instructions and plans to implement these changes in early FY 2023 Q1.

Service details

Q3 2022

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Services Online The number of survey responses for OPM’s Services Online decreased by 40.43 percent in FY 2022 Q3 as compared to Q2. This decrease is primarily due to a reduced need for customers to access the site for tax information.
Between Q2 and Q3, all seven scores decreased, on average, by 0.45: satisfaction (4.36 to 3.95), trust (4.28 to 3.89), effectiveness (4.34 to 3.97), ease (4.28 to 3.64), efficiency (4.26 to 3.79), equity (4.45 to 4.02) and website helpfulness (4.3 to 3.87). OPM attributes these decreases to a significant technical change made to how users access Services Online. In FY 2022 Q3, RS added multi-factor authentication via GSA’s Login.gov to the account login process. This change requires that the customer establish a Login.gov account and link it to their Services Online account. Once the accounts are linked, customers benefit from improved online account security; the ability to use an email address for the login name, instead of a claim number; and streamlined online password reset.

Service details

Q2 2022

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Services Online

The number of responses for OPM’s Services Online survey increased 46.5 percent from FY 2022 Q1 (27,858) to FY 2022 Q2 (40,813). Q2 typically reflects the highest site activity for the fiscal year due to the availability of the Annual Annuity Notice and 1099R tax forms on the site.

From Q1 to Q2, results for all seven measures slightly decreased: satisfaction (4.44 to 4.36), trust (4.35 to 4.28), effectiveness (4.45 to 4.34), ease (4.4 to 4.28), efficiency (4.36 to 4.26), transparency (4.5 to 4.45) and website helpfulness (4.4 to 4.3). Responses to the open-ended question “How can we improve our site?” did not reveal one issue that stands out for the decrease, but rather several themes related to printing, password resets, and call center hold times.

During Q2, 34 percent of respondents indicated that they came to the site to view their Annuity statement, 23 percent to view/print their 1099R, and 9 percent to change Federal/state tax.

Service details

Q1 2022

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Customer Satisfaction Survey Between FY 2021 Q4 and FY 2022 Q1, results for all measures increased: satisfaction (3.75 to 3.9), trust (3.58 to 3.72), effectiveness (3.77 to 3.9), ease (3.64 to 3.78), efficiency (3.47 to 3.63), transparency (3.92 to 4.02), and employee helpfulness (3.78 to 3.86).

Retirement Services has a new cloud-based contact center. The new cloud-based contact center, coupled with the hiring and training of new staff, may have contributed to the increase in scores.

Services Online The number of responses for OPM’s Services Online survey increased by 97.6 percent in FY 2022 Q1 as compared to FY 2021 Q4 (14,101 to 27,858). Site activity was high due to increases in life insurance premiums and cost of living increases that are reflected in the customer’s monthly annuity statement and annual notice.

Between Q4 and Q1, six of the measure results increased: satisfaction (4.37 to 4.44), trust (4.24 to 4.35), effectiveness (4.32 to 4.45), ease (4.29 to 4.4), efficiency (4.22 to 4.36), and website helpfulness (4.33 to 4.4). The results for the transparency question decreased (4.56 to 4.5).

During this quarter, 45 percent of respondents indicated that they use the site every six months or less and 33 percent indicated that they use the site every few months. The primary reason for visiting the site was to view the annuity statement (54.3 percent).

Service details

Q4 2021

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Services Online Services Online continued to experience lower account activity in Q4 as compared to all other quarters due to a decrease in demand to view transactions such as cost of living adjustments (COLA) or Federal tax information. OPM anticipates that site activity will increase in FY 22 Q1/Q2 as COLA, Federal tax information, and Federal health benefit changes take place and annuitants go to the site to view/print their 1099R, Annual Notice of Adjustment, and monthly annuity statements. In Q4, all factors remained relatively consistent across each of the CX measures: satisfaction remained the same at 4.37, trust and transparency increased by .01 (to 4.24 and 4.56 respectively), effectiveness, ease, and employee decreased by .01 (4.32, 4.29, and 4.33), and efficiency remained unchanged (4.22). Users continued to express frustration with the frequency of required password resets, as well delays in OPM processing of final annuity payments.

Customer Satisfaction Survey Between Q3 and Q4, results for all measures decreased: satisfaction (3.83 to 3.75), trust (3.67 to 3.58), effectiveness (3.86 to 3.77), ease (3.71 to 3.64), efficiency (3.56 to 3.47), transparency (4.00 to 3.92), and employee helpfulness (3.84 to 3.78).

Lingering technical issues, staffing challenges in the call center, and production delays associated with a manual process, compounded with the COVID-19 pandemic, may have contributed to the decline in scores. Retirement Services’ Call Center has a new cloud based contact center and the program will be working to address all these issues.

Service details

Q3 2021

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Services Online Services Online typically experiences less account activity in Q3 as compared to Q1 or Q2. Site usage and account changes by annuitants are consistently lower in Q3, which is largely attributed to the decrease in demand to view transactions such as cost of living adjustments (COLA) or need for Federal tax information during this time (April – June).

In Q3, we saw a slight decrease (between .07 and .13 points) across each of the CX measures: satisfaction decreased by .11, trust decreased by .13, ease and transparency decreased by .07, and efficiency, effectiveness and employee (website helpfulness) decreased between .12 and .13. Users expressed frustration with the frequency of required password resets as well delays in OPM processing of final annuity payments, which may have contributed to the decline in scores.

Retirement claims processing and customer service transactions (services online, phone and email) Overall, Q3 results declined by .08 to .21 points as compared to Q2. As a result of COVID, some workload processing is taking longer than usual. Lingering technical issues and staffing challenges in the call center may also have contributed to the decline in scores. Retirement Services is working to address all these issues.

Service details

Q2 2021

What we learned from this quarter's data:

For Retirement Services: Overall, Q2 percent positive results were consistent with Q1, or declined by one to three percentage points. The overall drop in customer satisfaction is largely due to a series of technical issues with the call center. Customers experienced difficulty accessing representatives to assist and/or respond to inquiries timely. OPM Retirement Services also learned of a number of backlog cases from the NFC that was not received timely. During the quarter, both events contributed to our inability to meet customer expectations.

Retirement Services (Services Online): Overall, Services Online visitors continue to remain satisfied with the web site experience year over year. In addition, Q2 represents a 64 percent increase in survey submissions over Q1 due to availability of tax information (1099R) on the site in January. The percent positive responses for the seven Government-wide questions remained consistent with Q1, and over the past five quarters generally do not change more than two percentage points. The percent positive for Q1 and Q2 are as follows:

1. Satisfaction: 89 (Q1) to 88 percent (Q2)
2. Confidence: 84 to 83 percent
3. Need was addressed: 88 to 87 percent
4. Reasonable amount of time: 83 percent (no change from Q1)
5. Access on device: 92 percent (no change from Q1)
6. Website was helpful: 88 to 86 percent

Likelihood to return to the site (95) and recommend the site (89) remain high quarter over quarter.

Service details

Q1 2021

What we learned from this quarter's data:

Satisfaction with Services OnLine remains high and mainly unchanged from last quarter with 89 percent rating agree/strongly agree in Q1. Across the board there were slight improvements: Effectiveness improved by two percentage points from 86 to 88 percent. Employee (website) helpfulness improved by one percentage point to 88 percent. Equity (ability to access website on device) remained at 92 percent from last quarter. Efficiency, ease, and confidence in Services OnLine all improved by one percentage point (83, 86, and 84 percent respectively).

Service details