[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38317-38318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15539]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket No. BTS-2000-6845]


Request for OMB Clearance of an Information Collection; Customer 
Satisfaction Surveys

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has requested approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget for an information collection, its 
Customer Satisfaction Surveys. BTS published a Federal Register notice 
asking for public comment on these surveys on February 7, 2000, but did 
not receive any comments in response.

DATES: You must submit your written comments by July 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send comments to both (1) the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), OMB, 7251 7th Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20503, attention: DOT Desk Officer; and (2) the Docket Clerk, Docket 
No. BTS-2000-6845, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Comments must include 
the OMB control number, 2139-0007.
    You only need to submit one copy. If you would like the Department 
to acknowledge receipt of the comments, you must include a self-
addressed stamped postcard with the following statement: Comments on 
Docket BTS-2000-6845. The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard and 
mail it back to you.
    If you wish to file comments using the Internet, you may use the US 
DOT Dockets Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov. Please 
follow the instructions online for more information. This website can 
also be used to read comments received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tanya Guthrie, Office of Statistical 
Programs and Services, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, telephone number 202/366-2087, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 2139-0007.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Needs and Uses: To fulfill the requirements of this Executive Order 
12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, the Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics (BTS) implemented plans and requirements for measuring 
customer satisfaction with BTS and Department of Transportation 
programs and services. As the statistical agency of the Department of 
Transportation, BTS is charged with fulfilling a wide variety of user 
needs. The diversity of BTS activities and customers demands a more 
inclusive and comprehensive approach to measuring customer service and 
monitoring and using customer

[[Page 38318]]

feedback. BTS has implemented a wide range of customer satisfaction 
surveys. Information derived from the BTS customer satisfaction surveys 
will be used to (a) identify the customers who are, or should be, 
served by the agency; (b) survey customers to determine the kind and 
quality of services they want and their level of satisfaction with 
existing services; (c) post service standards and measure results 
against them; (d) benchmark customer service performance; (e) survey 
employees on barriers to, and ideas for, matching the best in business; 
(f) provide customers with choices in both the sources of service and 
the means of delivery; (g) make information, services, and complaint 
systems easily accessible; and (h) provide means to address customer 
complaints.
    Description of Survey Topics: Since 1998, the BTS Customer 
Satisfaction Survey Program included the Product Evaluation Survey 
(PES), the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS), and the Omnibus Survey. 
The PES provides information on levels of customer satisfaction with 
various products, and the objective of the survey is to give BTS a 
better understanding of the technical preferences and information needs 
of specific users. The main objective of the CSS is to provide 
information about the overall satisfaction of BTS customers, the 
frequency of use of products and services, and specific information on 
how BTS is meeting various customer service criteria. Although the CSS 
addresses some product issues, such as format compatibility and 
difficulty of use, it is not the main objective of the survey. The 
Omnibus Survey focused on frequency of use of various modes within the 
transportation, satisfaction with highways, and satisfaction with 
transportation in the local community. Over the next three years, BTS 
will implement the Customer Satisfaction Survey and the Omnibus Survey 
Program. The Customer Satisfaction Survey will assess what customers 
think about the quality of products and services and how we might 
improve them to meet customer needs. The Omnibus Survey will assess 
satisfaction with the transportation system, and will target the DOT 
strategic goals of safety, mobility, economic growth, human and natural 
environment and national security.
    Burden Statement: The total annual respondent burden estimate is 
10,000 hours. The number of respondents and average burden hour per 
response will vary with each survey.
    Public Comments Invited: BTS requests comments regarding any aspect 
of this information collection, including, but not limited to: (1) the 
necessity and utility of the information collection for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information; 
and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the 
quality of the collected information, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Heather Contrino,
Surveys Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-15539 Filed 6-19-00; 8:45 am]
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