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Notices Federal Register

58383

Vol. 69, No. 189

Thursday, September 30, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Farm Service Agency 

Information Collection: Customer 

Service Comment Card

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking 

comments from all interested 

individuals and organizations on the 

collection of customers’ opinions and 

comments on FSA’s customer service by 

use of a Customer Service Comment 

Card. The card will allow customers to 

comment, either on-the-record or 

anonymously, directly to FSA’s 

Washington headquarters on the quality 

of service they receive with respect to 

FSA programs. Customers can mail or 

fax the post-paid card, deliver it to their 

local Service Center or submit it on the 

Internet.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received on or before November 29, 

2004 to be assured consideration. 

Comments received after that date will 

be considered to the extent practicable. 

Comments should reference the title and 

number of the information collection to 

which they pertain.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to 

Ronald W. Holling, Director of Minority 

and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers 

Assistance, Office of Business and 

Program Integration, Farm Service 

Agency, STOP 0501, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0501, (202) 720–

8530; e-mail Ronald.Holling@usda.gov,

and to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Washington, DC 20503. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. For further information, 

contact Ronald Holling at the address 

listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: FSA Customer Service Card. 

Expiration Date: October 31, 2004. 

OMB Number: 0560–0242. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: This information collection 

is necessary to monitor customer 

satisfaction with FSA customer service, 

information, procedures, and facilities 

and to provide a means to improve 

customer service. This information 

collection complies with the issuance of 

Executive Order 12862 on September 

11, 1993, which directs Federal agencies 

to change the way they do business, to 

reform their management practices, to 

provide service to the public that 

matches or exceeds the best service 

available in the private sector and to 

establish and implement customer 

service standards. 

FSA does not have an official 

mechanism for its customers to 

comment on the quality of service they 

receive with respect to FSA programs. 

FSA customers and various outreach 

organizations have expressed the need 

for such a mechanism. They also 

indicated, and FSA employees have 

noticed, that some customers are 

reluctant to submit customer service 

comments at their local Service Center. 

The form will allow customers to 

comment, either on-the-record or 

anonymously, directly to FSA’s 

Washington headquarters on the quality 

of service they receive with respect to 

FSA programs. 

All information on the form will be 

optional. The information to be 

requested on the card will be: Name and 

location of the Service Center visited, 

date of visits, purpose of visit, customer 

name and address and customer ratings 

of several aspects of the service 

received. The ratings will be measured 

on a one to five scale for: 

1. Service, 

2. Response time to the customer’s 

request, 

3. The servicing employee’s courtesy, 

ability and helpfulness, and 

4. The overall quality of service 

normally received. 

In addition, a space will be provided to 

write any other comments the customer 

desires.

Customers can mail or fax the postpaid card to FSA’s Director of Minority 

and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers 

Assistance in Washington, DC, send it 

electronically on the Internet or deliver 

it to their local Service Center. 

Comments will be handled by 

Headquarters staff and may be referred 

to FSA State and county offices, as 

appropriate. The data collected will be 

used as well to address customer 

concerns and improve customer service. 

The USDA is requesting a 3-year 

approval. 

Respondents: Individuals; potential or 

actual program participants. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 100,000. 

Estimated annual number of forms 

filed per person: 1. 

Estimated average time to respond: 5 

minutes (0.083 hours). 

Estimated total annual burden hours:

8,333. 

Comments are being solicited to 

determine: (1) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of FSA, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of 

FSA’s estimate of burden, including the 

validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology. 

All comments received in response to 

this notice, including names and 

addresses when provided, will be a 

matter of public record. Comments will 

be summarized and included in the 

submission for OMB approval.

Signed at Washington, DC, on September 

23, 2004. 

James R. Little, 

Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

[FR Doc. 04–21876 Filed 9–29–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P