U.S. Postal Service

The Consumer Satisfaction Index is an independently run, statistically valid survey of residential customer satisfaction with the quality of service provided by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Extensive research and development went into designing the user-friendly questionnaire; the sampling methodology used is sound; and enough controls are in place to ensure the integrity of the results. The publicly released survey results, however, do not necessarily reflect how satisfied household customers are with specific services. GAO found that survey respondents generally rated USPS' overall performance higher than they rated specific performance dimensions, such as length of lines for window service or consistent delivery of local mail. USPS uses the survey to evaluate management performance and to identify areas needing improvement. USPS' practice of publicly reporting the national and local overall performance ratings, but not the ratings on specific service dimensions, conforms with laws allowing USPS to retain information that it considers to be of a commercial nature. USPS competitors, such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service, also do not disclose detailed information that they collect from their customers on their performance.

GAO found that: (1) CSI was a statistically valid survey for measuring customer satisfaction and the quality of postal services; (2) 87 percent of the respondents to the most recent CSI survey rated the Postal Service good, very good, or excellent on its overall service; (3) 14 percent or less of the respondents rated the overall service unfavorably; (4) 20 Management Service Center (MSC) reports showed that the overall performance scores were generally higher than the scores received on specific service dimensions; (5) the Postal Service has implemented an employee incentive awards program to reward its employees for year-to-year improvements and division-level increases in customer satisfaction; (6) the Postal Service's reporting policy on CSI was to make overall national, regional, division and MSC satisfaction results available to the public, except for detailed information in identifiable geographic delivery areas; and (7) the Postal Service did not release detailed information on customer satisfaction surveys to the public because its competitors may use the information to their advantage.