Department of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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# U.S. Department of Education **Default Questionnaire**
**(Items in BOLD are interviewer instructions, and are not intended to be read to the Client) (Items marked**  **i.e. or e.g. should only be read if respondent needs clarification)**  

### Introduction (Do not read)

INTRO1. Hello, this is ____________________ calling from [data vendor] on behalf of the United

States Department of Education. May I please speak to **(name from list)** ? **(If necessary: We’re conducting a customer satisfaction survey and are trying to contact**  **people who currently have or have received federal student aid).** 1 **(Named person is on the phone, continue at INTRO4)** 2 **(Named person is available, proceed at INTRO3**  **wh en respondent comes to**  **phone)** 3 **(Named p erson is unavailable, schedule callback)**  4 **(Named person is no longer at this number, use INTRO2**  **)** 5 Refused/Hung Up INTRO2. Is there another number at which I could reach him/her? **(If necessary: We’re conducting a**

**cus tomer satisfaction survey and are trying to contact people who currently have or**  **have received federal student aid.)** 1 **(Will provide new number) >>** Thank you and have a good day (Contact new

num ber) 2 **(Refused to provide new number)** >> Thank you and h ave a good day ! INTRO3. **(When respondent comes to phone)**

Hello, this is [interviewer name] calling from [data vendor] on behalf of the United States Department of Education. **(Continue)** INTRO4. We ’re calling as part of an initiative the Department of Education has un dertaken to improve

its customers’ satisfaction. Is this (name from list)? 1 Yes >> (Continue at INTRO5 ) 2 No >> Thank you for your time today ! Good by e. (Terminate) 8 Don’t know **(Terminate)** 9 Refused **(Termi nate)** Department of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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July, 2009 2 2 INTRO5. The Department of Education is conducting this survey with customers such as you to

understand your student aid debt experiences. This is **not** a collections or marketing call but is for research purposes only. This interview is authorized by Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1845

- 0045, and will take about 10 minutes. Your comments will remain strictly confidential. Is now a good time for us to speak?

1 Yes **(Continue with next question)** 2 No **(When would be a more convenient time for you t o complete this survey?)** 


### DRG Sample (For federal student aid debt assigned for six months or more at the **Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group )**  Our records indicate that your federal student aid debt is assigned to the Department of Educat ion’s Default Resolution Group. Please consider yo ur recent experiences with this group as I take you through the following questions. 

### PCA **Sample (For Federal student aid debt assigned for six months or more to a Private Collection A** **gency )**  Our records indicate that your federal student aid debt is assigned to a private collection Agenc y. Please consider your recent experiences with the private collection agency as I take yo u through the following questions.


### Letters/Notifications (Do not read) First I’d like to ask you about the letters or notifications you have received about your federal student aid debt . These may

have included your initial notification of default status monthly statements, notification that yo ur student aid debt has been forward ed to a collection agency, etc. Thinking about the communications you have received, and using a 1 to 10 scale where 1 is “Poor” and 10 is “Excellent”, please rate them on: NOTIF1 Ease of understanding the content of the notifications NOTIF2 Making clear the next steps required of you NOTIF3 The accuracy of your account information (e.g., student aid debt status, pay ments, balances, etc.) NOTIF4 Ease of finding the customer service help number 

### Web Site (Do not read) SKIP for PCA WE B1. In the past twelve months, have you visited the Federal Student Aid collections web site

www.1800iwillpay.com? 1 Yes 2 No **(skip to next section)** 8 Don’t Know **(skip to next section)** 9 Refused **(skip to next section)** On a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” means “poor” and “10” means “excellent”, how would y ou rate the...

WE B2. Clarit y of the web site organization WE B3. Ease of navigating the web site WE B4. Accuracy of information provided on the web site WE B5. Your ability to find the information you needed on the site WE B6. In general, how would you say the Federal Student Aid coll ections web site compares to

other business

- ty pe web sites you have visited? **(read list)**Department of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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1 Better 2 Wo rse 3 About the Same 8 Don’t Know 9 Refused



### Collections A**gency Call Center** 

**– Outbound Calls (Do not read) SKIP for DRG**  COLLAG1 Have you received any collections phone calls regarding your federal student aid debt?

1 Yes 2 No **(skip to CA LL CENTER REPRESENT**  **AT IVE)**  COLLAG2 How long ago was the most recent call in which you spoke to a representative?

1 Less than one week ago 2 One week to less than one month ago 3 One month to less tha n six months ago 4 More than six months ago Thinking about the collections calls you have received on your student aid debt, and again using the 1 to 10 scale with 1 as “Poor” and 10 as “Excellent”, please rate the: COLLAG3 Appropriateness of the number of calls you have received COLLAG4 Appropriateness of time of day and place you received the calls COLLAG5 Courtesy of the representatives you spoke to COLLAG6 Knowledge of the representatives you spoke to COLLAG7 Representatives’ willingness to help COLLAG8 Representatives’ ability to answer your questions COLLAG9 Representative’s making clear any next steps you needed to take



### ED Voice Response Unit
**– Inbound Calls (Do not read) SKIP for PCA**  VRU1. In the past six months, have you called the Department of Education toll free number

regarding your federal student aid debt for questions or help about your debt? 1 Yes 2 No **(skip to Payments)** 8 Don’t Know **(skip to Payments)** 9 Refused **(skip to Payments)** Think about the automated voice response system on the 800 number you dialed. On a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” me ans “poor” and “10” means “excellent”, how would you rate... VRU2. The clarity of the menus VRU3. The ease of using the automated response system VRU4. The time it takes to navigate the automated response system VRU5. In general, how would you say the automated voice response syst em com pares to other

similar systems you have used? **(read list)** 1 BetterDepartment of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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2 Wo rse 3 About the same 8 Don’t know 9 Refused


### Call Center Representative **- Inbound (Do not read)**  **CCR1.** FOR DRG **- When you have called into the Department of Education student aid debt**  **toll f ree number, have you spoken with a customer service representative?** 

1 Yes 2 No **(skip to next section)** 8 Don’t Know **(skip to next section)** 9 Refused **(skip to next section)** CCR1b **FOR PCA ’s** 

- Have you called the Private Collection Agency in the last six mo nths?

1 Yes 2 No **(skip to next section)** 8 Don’t Know **(skip to next section)** 9 Refused **(skip to next section)**
Think about the assistance you received from the representative. On a scale from 1 to 10, where “1” me ans “poor” and “10” means “excellent” , how would you rate the representative on their... CCR2. Wi llingness to help CCR3. Knowledge CCR4. Ability to answer your questions CCR5. Ti me they took to resolve your issue or concern CCR6. Making the next steps you needed to take clear to you CCR7. Courtesy CCR8. Thinking about your las t call to, was your issue or concern resolved in one phone call?

1 Yes 2 No 8 Don’t Know 9 Refused 

### Pay **ments (Do not read)**

**– ask only**  **if flagged in sample as making pay ments**  Now please think about the pay me nt arrangements you may have made or agreed to make on your federal student aid debt, either with the Department of Education or a collection agency. Using the same 1 to 10 scale, please rate: PAY1 The flexibility of the pay ment plan offered to you PAY2 The availability of alternatives to make your pay ments (e.g., c heck, credit card, electronic

debit.) PAY3 The reasonableness of the pay me nt amount given your financial situationDepartment of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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July, 2009 5 5 Please think again about the discussion you have had with the Department of Education and/or your collection agency regarding your situation. PAY4 **( SKIP if PC**  **A -**  **G (Grant) or DRG -**  **G (Grant)** Did anyone you have been in contact with

discuss loan rehabilitation with you? 1 Yes 2 No 3 Don’t recall PAY5 **(SKIP if PC A**  **- G (Grant) or DRG**  **- G (Grant)**  Did anyone you have been in contact with

discuss loan consolidation with you? 1 Yes 2 No 3 Don’t recall 

### AC **SI Benchmark Questions (Do not read)** ACSI1. Using a 10

- point scale on which “1” means “ver y dissatisfied” and 10 means “very satisfied”,

how satisfied have you been with your experiences concerning the handling of your federal student aid d ebt? ACSI2. Now please use a 10

- point scale on which "1" now means "falls short of your expectations"

and "10" means "exceeds your expectations”

- in a positive sense. To what extent has your experience with the handling of your federal student aid debt met your expectations? ACSI3. Imagine your best

- case scenario for working with a lender or the Department of Education on

the handling of your federal student aid debt

- yo ur ideal process for interacting with them. How well do you think your experiences with your studen t aid debt(s) compare with that ideal yo u just imagined? Please use a 10

- point scale on which "1" means "not at all ideal," and "10" means "very close to the ideal." 

### Outcome Measures (Do not read) COMP1. In the past six months, have you complained to the Departm ent of Education about any

aspect of the default process? 1 Yes 2 No 9 Don’t Know/Refused CONF1. Using a scale of 1 to 10 where “1” means “not at all confident” and “10” means “completely

confident”, how confident are you that your student aid debt repay me nt is being handled accurately? 

### Other Questions (Do not read) SKIP PCA **- G & DRG**  **- G**  Thank you for your responses so far, we’re almost done. I’d like to finish up by asking you some questions about information you may have received prior to your loan default. OTH1 Did yo ur school advise you about your responsibilities for repaying the loan and provide information to help you avoid defaulting on your student loans? 1 Yes 2 No **(skip to OTH3)** OTH2 On the 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is now “not at all helpful” and 10 is “ver y helpful ”, how helpful would yo u say the advice or information you received from your school was? OTH3 Did yo u receive any advice or information from your lender servicing company about how to avoid defaulting on your student loan(s)?Department of Education Customer Satisfact ion Program Default 2009

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1 Yes 2 No **(skip to OTH5)**
OTH4 On the 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is now “not at all helpful” and 10 is “ver y helpful”, how helpful would yo u say the advice or information you received from your lender was? OTH5 Do you feel that you received adequate warning from your loan lender alerting you that your loa n was at risk of going into default? 1 Yes 2 No
OTH6 Overall, which of the following describes your situation about your debt? **(read list and code one)**  1 You agree that you owe the debt and are making pay ments on it 2 You agree that you owe the debt, but cannot afford pay me nts at this time 3 You do not believe that you owe the debt and are disputing it 

### Closing (Do not read) CLOSE1. In your own words, is there anything the Department of Education could do to improve its

services it provides to customers such as yourse lf? **(enter verbatim response)**
That’s all the questions I had for you. Thank you for your time, and have a good day.