Social Security Administration (SSA) Monthly Data for
National 800 Number Network (N8NN)
Call Volume and Customer Service Representative Busy Rate
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(Updated )
This dataset contains data for fiscal year(s) 2009 on and is currently available in the following format(s):
Background
We are providing data about our performance to serve the public using Social Security’s national 800 number telephone system. This service is a popular way for millions of people to ask questions and conduct business with us. In fact, on June 10, 2014, we answered our one billionth call. We use several measures to monitor our performance and the public can use the information about our performance to understand the service they are likely to receive. They can also use the information to decide the best time to call us.
Dataset Index
Agency Program Description
Social Security's National 800 Number Network provides toll-free telephone service to members of the public residing in the continental United States as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. We answer the calls in Teleservice Centers (TSCs) and Processing Centers (PCs) located nationwide. The National 800 Number Network provides customer service five days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the caller's time zone. Automated services are available 365 days a year. Normally, call volumes are at their highest levels during the first week of the month and at check delivery times.
We have customer service representatives who answer calls in answering sites and in the PC locations. All customer service representatives receive extensive training in the various programmatic areas administered by Social Security, including retirement, survivor, disability, and Medicare benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. The types of inquires handled range from the status of Social Security Cards applied for through the Enumeration at Birth program to questions about potential eligibility and filing claims for retirement benefits.
For a complete list of services on the National 800 Number Network and other information about our national telephone service, go to: Contact Social Security By Phone.
Dataset Description
This data file provides information at the national level by month for federal fiscal years 2009 on for volume of calls and the customer service representative busy rate for calls to the National 800 Number Network. Maintaining adequate staffing and the ability to replace losses is the largest factor affecting National 800 Number performance.
Data Collection Description
Our software routing vendor, CARE, provides the data. Beginning in 2013, we moved to a new network called CARE2020.
Notes
- A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff.
- Effective 03/31/2020, N8NN customer service representatives answered calls on dual networks: CARE2020 and Avaya.
- The National 800N metrics include Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), which began March 23, 2023.
Data Dictionary
Fiscal Year (FY): The 12-month period that starts the Saturday after the last Friday of September and ends the last Friday of September.
Month: Calendar month.
# of Calls Offered to Customer Service Representatives: The number of calls offered to customer service representatives.
# of Busy Calls: The number of busy calls.
Customer Service Representative Busy Rate: The number of calls offered to customer service representatives that received a busy message divided by the total number of calls offered to customer services representatives, reported as a percentage.