IRS's 2002 Tax Filing Season: Returns and Refunds Processed Smoothly; Quality of Assistance Improved

IRS discontinued its telephone assistance caller wait-time measure. We recommended that IRS reinstate a telephone assistance caller wait-time measure, such as assister response level or average speed of answer, to assess this important aspect of the customer experience. As a result of our recommendation, IRS added the Enterprise Average Speed of Answer (ASA) to its balanced measures in the FY 2004-2005 Strategy and Program Plan, and began reporting on ASA during the 2004 Filing Season. The impact resulting from this action is that IRS and others are now able to evaluate and assess IRS's performance on this important aspect of the customer experience.

IRS changed its reports on taxpayers waiting for assistance at its Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) in time for the 2006 filing season. Wait-time reports for Field Assistance program managers now show the numbers and percentages of customers in the different intervals tracked by Q-Matic (the Service's traffic management and reporting system for TACs): no wait, 1-30 minutes, 31-45 minutes, 46-60 minutes, 61-90 minutes, and greater than 90 minutes. Additionally, these reports show wait-time intervals by category of assistance (forms, returns, tax law, etc.). During the 2006 filing season, program managers received these detailed wait-time reports every week. Additionally, managers at more TACs now have access to detailed wait-time information through Q-matic's wider implementation. At the time of this audit, nearly 300 sites did not have Q-Matic, and could only monitor wait-times manually. Since this review, the IRS has acted to equip all 400 of its TACs with some version of Q-Matic. At the 224 sites now equipped with full Q-Matic, TAC managers can access real-time information on number of taxpayers waiting, what services these taxpayers are waiting for, and how long they have actually been waiting. Managers have expressed that this capability helps them identify and minimize excessive wait-times by re-allocating resources as needed. During the 2006 filling season, the 224 sites (56%) equipped with full Q-Matic handled 81% of all traffic at walk-in sites.

IRS has taken actions to correct its method of collecting data for its account accuracy measure. First, IRS has deployed Q-Matic at all of its walk-in sites in time for the 2006 filing season, making data available to IRS management nationally. With Q-Matic fully deployed, IRS will have all sites available for its sampling and reviews. Additionally, IRS is continuing its deployment of contact recording as a method of measuring accuracy of account assistance at walk-in sites. According to IRS officials, contact recording enables IRS to standardize its employee evaluation and quality assessment processes, establish baselines, and reliably assess the accuracy of account service at its walk-in sites. As a result, IRS and the Congress is getting better information and a better understanding of the quality of service IRS is providing at walk-in sites.

IRS agreed with our recommendation, and has since addressed these concerns. According to IRS officials, after analyzing the challenges associated with conducting compliance work, while also providing high quality taxpayer assistance, IRS decided that walk-in site staff would no longer perform compliance work after fiscal year 2007. With the completion of the Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint in April 2007, which is IRS's plan for improving taxpayer service, IRS established a set of criteria that it will use to evaluate staffing needs and make future decisions regarding walk-in site locations. As a result, in addition to a better focus on service delivery at walk-in sites, IRS should have more reliable and comprehensive information upon which to evaluate its field assistance staff workloads and walk-in site locations so that it can maintain an adequate level of assistance at all walk-in sites.