Social Security Administration (SSA) Monthly Data for
Field Office Telephone Service
National Answer and Busy Rates
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(Updated )
This dataset contains data for fiscal year(s) 2013 on and is currently available in the following format(s):
Background
We are providing data about our performance in serving the public through answering phone calls to our local field offices using the SSA's national Field Office Network Enterprise (FONE) telephone system. Phone service is a popular way for many people to ask questions and conduct business with us. 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.
Dataset Index
Agency Program Description
Social Security operates more than 1200 local field offices across the country and in certain territories. Representatives in our field offices can assist you with all issues related to programs administered by Social Security.
To obtain the phone number of your local field office, use our Social Security Office Locator. Just type in your postal ZIP code and we will provide you with the office address, phone number and business hours. We will also furnish you with directions to the office and with a map pinpointing the office's exact location.
Our field offices generally offer the full range of Social Security services, including applying for new or replacement Social Security cards, applying for Social Security and Supplemental Security income benefits, making changes to your benefits information and helping Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and resources apply for extra help with the cost of their prescription drugs under the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program. Many of these same services are available online at the SSA Homepage or through our toll-free service, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Dataset Description
This dataset provides information at the national level by month for federal fiscal years 2013 and on for answer rate and busy rate for calls to our field offices. The data does not include calls that were abandoned while waiting in queue without representative service and overflow calls which are those callers who wait in queue over the 15 minute maximum wait time without representative service. Maintaining adequate staffing and the ability to replace losses is the largest factor affecting the services we provide to the public.
Data Collection Description
Our software routing vendor provides the data. In 2012, we completed our transition to a new network called TSRP.
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.
- Reporting quarters are administratively set reporting periods and do not necessarily correspond exactly to calendar months.
- This dataset provides field office answer and busy rates, which account for most, but not all, of the calls to field offices. The calls not reflected in this dataset are abandon calls and overflow calls.
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.
Answer Rate: The total number of queue calls answered by field office representatives expressed as a percentage. It is derived by dividing the total number of queue calls answered by representatives by the total calls offered.
Busy Rate: The total number of queue callers requesting field office representative assistance who receive a busy condition, expressed as a percentage. It is derived by dividing the total number of queue callers who receive a busy condition by the total calls offered.