U.S. Postal Service: New Focus on Improving Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: Ggd-96-30

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) efforts to measure, report and improve customer satisfaction, focusing on: (1) the extent to which USPS distributes customer satisfaction data for use internally and by Congress; (2) whether USPS can improve the distribution of such data; (3) how USPS is using customer satisfaction and other data to improve customer service; and (4) additional steps USPS could take to improve customer satisfaction.

GAO found that: (1) USPS widely distributes residential customer satisfaction data for internal use to improve customer service, but has reduced the amount of performance data it provides to Congress; (2) USPS does not distribute business customer satisfaction data internally or externally because USPS fears compromising its position in an increasingly competitive market; (3) adequate distribution of business customer data could help USPS assess and improve business customer service; (4) although USPS has initiated numerous innovative efforts to improve customer service and satisfaction since 1990, residential customer satisfaction has remained relatively constant; (5) USPS has not developed a well-coordinated overall national strategy for improving customer service or focused on areas causing the most customer dissatisfaction; and (6) USPS has not always made the best use of customer satisfaction and other performance data to evaluate its initiatives, but it is studying ways to improve the use of all of its performance measures to improve customer satisfaction.