[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40688-40689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14899]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office


Customer Input: United States Patent and Trademark Office 
Customer Surveys

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on the continuing and proposed information 
collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Susan K. Brown, Records 
Officer, Office of Data Management, Data Administration Division, 
USPTO, Suite 310, 2231 Crystal Drive, Washington, DC 20231; by 
telephone 703-308-7400; by e-mail at [email protected]; or by 
facsimile at 703-308-7400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to the attention of Cathy Smith, Program Analyst, 
Center for Quality Services, Crystal Park 1--Suite 812, 2011 Crystal 
Drive, Arlington, VA 22202; by telephone at 703-305-4211; by facsimile 
at 703-308-8002; or by e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a generic clearance for an undefined number of voluntary 
surveys that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may 
conduct over the next three years. These surveys may be conducted in a 
variety of forms, such as telephone surveys, face-to-face interviews, 
mail surveys, questionnaires and customer surveys, comment cards, and 
focus groups.
    The USPTO is currently investigating the feasibility of electronic 
surveys for all of the customer satisfaction surveys that the USPTO 
conducts. At this time, customers can respond only to the Annual Patent 
and Trademark Customer Satisfaction surveys electronically.
    In the past year there has been an increase in the use of 
electronic transmissions throughout the USPTO, with various offices 
assessing their specific services through customer surveys. This is 
part of a broader agency initiative to improve customer satisfaction 
with the USPTO. Although customers do have the option to respond to the 
Annual Customer Satisfaction surveys electronically, the USPTO may not 
be able to collect other surveys electronically because the agency does 
not collect e-mail addresses in the databases that support the external 
surveys. Currently, the USPTO is in the process of developing an 
electronic customer database.
    A brief description of the expected methodology for the various 
survey vehicles is provided below:
    For telephone surveys, the USPTO calls the respondent and either 
surveys the respondent over the phone or schedules an appointment and 
faxes the survey questions to the respondent. In addition, a script is 
prepared for the actual telephone interview so that each telephone 
survey is conducted in the same manner. At this time, the USPTO is 
unable to predict the actual number of telephone surveys that may be 
conducted. The USPTO estimates that 400 responses will be received from 
telephone surveys, for an estimated burden of 100 hours.
    For possible face-to-face interviews, the USPTO uses a variety of 
delivery mechanisms to try to meet our customers' needs. A script is 
prepared so that each respondent is asked the same questions. There 
also may be other occasional uses of face-to-face interviews to assess 
customer satisfaction. The USPTO estimates that 200 responses will be 
received from face-to-face interviews, for an estimated burden of 50 
hours.
    The USPTO also mails surveys to respondents with instructions to 
mail the completed surveys back to the USPTO in the self-addressed and 
stamped envelope provided with the survey. In general, the USPTO 
follows up non-responses by mailing reminders and through phone 
contacts. At this time, the USPTO is unable to predict the actual 
number of survey mailings that may be conducted. In the past year there 
has been an increase in the use of electronic transmissions throughout 
the USPTO in assessing specific services through customer surveys. This 
accounts for an increase in the estimated number of responses through 
this category of surveys since the last submission. The USPTO estimates 
that 5,000 responses will be received from survey mailings. The USPTO 
estimates that 3,500 of these will be submitted electronically, for an 
estimated burden of 875 hours, and that the remaining 1,500 paper 
surveys will be mailed to the USPTO, for an estimated burden of 750 
hours. The overall burden for the mail surveys is 1,625 hours.
    The USPTO uses questionnaires and customer surveys to survey users 
of USPTO's various services or to survey attendees at various 
conferences, among other items. The USPTO provides survey forms which 
are either handed to the respondents by the staff or left for attendees 
to pick up as they enter or exit from various functions. If the 
completed surveys are not handed directly back to a staff member, the 
respondents are instructed to drop off their surveys or mail them back 
to the USPTO. At this time, the USPTO is unable to predict the actual 
number of questionnaires and customer surveys that may be conducted. 
The USPTO estimates that 1,800 responses will be received from 
questionnaires and customer surveys, for an estimated burden of 144 
hours.
    Another survey instrument which the USPTO frequently uses is 
customer comment cards. These comment cards are pre-paid and return-
addressed postage cards which the respondent can mail back to the 
USPTO. At this time, the USPTO is unable to predict the actual number 
of questionnaires and customer surveys that may be conducted. The USPTO 
estimates that 2,000 responses will be received from customer surveys 
and questionnaires, for an estimated burden of 160 hours.
    The USPTO frequently uses focus groups as a survey instrument. The 
USPTO asks groups of its customers to get together and discuss issues 
of mutual interest. Many times the results of these sessions are used 
to help make improvements to USPTO operations or to recommend that 
certain issues be studied further. There has been an increase in 
assessing the needs of our external customers through direct customer 
contact. This is part of a broader agency initiative to compile data in 
lieu of paper surveys and accounts for the increase in estimated 
responses from focus groups since the last submission. The USPTO 
estimates that 600 responses will be received from focus groups, for an 
estimated burden of 1,200 hours.
    These various survey vehicles are designed to obtain customer 
feedback

[[Page 40689]]

regarding products, services, and related service standards of the 
USPTO. At this time, the USPTO is unable to state precisely which 
survey vehicles will be used during the renewal period. As the USPTO's 
survey needs are determined, the USPTO will submit the specific survey 
instrument for approval.

II. Method of Collection

    These surveys will be conducted by telephone and face-to-face 
interviews, mailings, questionnaires and customer surveys, comment 
cards, and focus groups. The USPTO is also exploring the possibility of 
using the USPTO Web site to conduct customer surveys. Respondents 
currently have the option to respond electronically to the Annual 
Customer Satisfaction surveys through the USPTO website. A random 
sample is used to collect the data. Statistical methods will be 
followed.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0651-0038.
    Form Number(s): Depending on the individual situation, the USPTO 
may have survey and questionnaire forms and comment cards. The USPTO is 
exploring the feasibility of using electronic surveys, so this 
information collection may also include electronic forms in the future.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit; not-for-profit institutions; farms; the Federal Government; and 
state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000 responses per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The USPTO estimates that it will take 
approximately 15 minutes to complete telephone surveys and face-to-face 
interviews, 5 minutes to complete questionnaires, customer surveys, and 
comment cards, and 2 hours to conduct a focus group. The USPTO 
estimates that it will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the 
Annual Patent and Trademark Customer Satisfaction surveys 
electronically, and that it will take approximately 30 minutes to 
complete the paper versions of these same surveys.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 3,279 hours per 
year.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost Burden: $644,324. The USPTO 
believes that both professionals and para-professionals will complete 
these surveys, at a rate of 75% of the current professional rate of 
$252 per hour and 25% of the para-professional rate of $30 per hour. 
Using a combination of these rates, the USPTO is using an hourly rate 
of $196.50 to calculate the respondent costs. The USPTO estimates 
$644,324 per year for salary costs associated with respondents.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
                                Estimated time   Estimated      annual
             Item                for response      annual       burden
                                                 responses      hours
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Telephone Surveys............  15 minutes.....          400          100
Face-to-Face Interviews......  15 minutes.....          200           50
Mail Surveys (Annual Patent/   30 minutes.....        1,500          750
 Trademark Customer
 Satisfaction Surveys).
Electronic Patent/Trademark    15 minutes.....        3,500          875
 Customer Satisfaction
 Surveys.
Questionnaires and Customer    5 minutes......        1,800          144
 Surveys.
Comment Cards................  5 minutes......        2,000          160
Focus Groups.................  2 hours........          600        1,200
                                               -------------------------
    Total....................  ...............       10,000        3,279
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    Note: The burden figures shown in the table above are estimates 
based on the types of surveys that the USPTO may be using during the 
next three years. At this time, the USPTO cannot predict which and 
how many surveys will be conducted. Depending on the number of 
surveys that the USPTO actually conducts, it is possible that the 
burden hours could decrease from the totals shown in the table.


    Estimated Total Annual Nonhour Respondent Cost Burden: $0. (There 
are no capital start-up or maintenance costs associated with this 
information collection.)

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 7, 2002.
Susan K. Brown,
Records Officer, USPTO, Office of Data Management, Data Administration 
Division.
[FR Doc. 02-14899 Filed 6-12-02; 8:45 am]
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