Social Security Administration: Additional Actions Needed in Ongoing Efforts to Improve 800-Number Service

SSA pursued several initiatives to increase agent productivity. For example, in 2006, SSA implemented a "Screen Pop" feature to decrease the time agents spend handling calls by obtaining and routing caller information to agents with the incoming call. SSA further increased agent call handling capacity by increasing the number of routine calls handled by automated services. Since fiscal year 2004, the number of calls handled by automated services increased from 20.9 percent to 29.2 percent in fiscal year 2007. As a result of SSA's initiatives to increase callers' access to agents, calls seeking and not getting through for agent assistance decreased from 17.2 percent for fiscal year 2004 to 13.3 percent for fiscal year 2007. The is the first decrease since we made our recommendation.

SSA observed 800-number agents and found that those who routinely used the customized computer application had higher service accuracy levels. Since we issued our report, SSA has taken a number steps to reduce service errors such as requiring agents to view an IVT broadcast that stressed the importance of using the computer application and providing them refresher training in its use. SSA also implemented a "screen pop" feature to collect the required personal identifying information from callers before forwarding them to agents. According to SSA, "service accuracy" increased a statistically significant 2.5 percentage points from fiscal year 2005 to 86.4 percent for fiscal year 2006. SSA's assessment of its service accuracy at 86.5 for fiscal year 2007 shows that the agency has sustained the improvement from the prior year.