This annual report is done pursuant to Executive Order 12862 of September 11, 1993, under which the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Department of State developed the following customer service standards in September 1994:

• You will receive your passport within 25 working days after your application is received. Service will be provided in a courteous manner and, whenever possible, we will try to meet your individual travel needs.

• You will receive timely and accurate information on travel safety and conditions in foreign countries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• You will receive a timely and courteous response to your request for American citizen services, and service will be provided by knowledgeable, professional, and courteous personnel.

• Services to persons seeking visas to legally visit or reside in the United States will be provided by professional, knowledgeable and courteous personnel.

A 14% increase in demand for passport services challenged our ability to meet the 25-day standard for issuance, but by innovative management, extensive overtime, and extraordinary efforts by employees at every level, we managed to issue most passports within 20 days. Service was courteous, and we almost always met individual travel needs. In December 1996, the National Passport Information Center in New Hampshire (which produced approximately one-third of the passports issued) received the Vice President's Hammer Award for efforts to make the government work better and cost less.

During the summer, we conducted our second national survey of passport customers. The first survey in 1994 established baseline data for national and regional service quality measurement, which has continued on a regional basis to the present. The 1997 survey was intended to:

• identify and measure the attainment of customers' service quality expectations.

• test the reliability of 1994 service baselines and improve the reliability of results.

• establish baselines for service components added subsequent to 1994: the Internet website, the National Passport Information Center (NPIC), and the New York Passport Agency's automated appointment system.

• 98% of respondents in 1997 were satisfied with the services provided, as compared with 97.3% in 1994.

• 99.2% of respondents reported the information printed in their passport accurate in 1997, while 99.0% reported accuracy in 1994.

• 98.8% of respondents reported receiving passports in time for their trips in 1997; 99.5% reported timeliness in 1994.

Accounting for service additions since 1994, 16.4% of respondents consulted the NPIC; of those, 93.7% found the Customer Service Representatives to be courteous, and 85.6% found them knowledgeable. 10.2% of respondents used the Internet; of those, 95.7% found the information easy to understand, and 46.3% downloaded applications. 83.9% of respondents who used the New York Passport Agency's automated appointment system found it easy to understand and use. (Service is offered in English and Spanish. The validity and significance of this response may be affected by the proportion of respondents whose first language is other than English or Spanish.)

Questions most frequently answered by respondents tend to be those of greatest importance to customers. In 1994, I received my passport in time for my trip ranked in fifth place. In 1997, it ranked second after a question about where and how the person applied for the passport. The importance of timeliness is reinforced by the fact that since its inception in 1995, use of the expedite fee (EF) option ($30 for processing within 3 business days of receipt) has consistently increased. It was 13% of all issuances in 1995 and 15% in 1996 and is projected to be 17% in 1997. With the initiation of the EF, for the first time, Passport Services had an obligation beyond that stated in its Customer Service Standard.

The survey results reinforced the need for continuous knowledge training at the NPIC; identified the need for improved signage at some facilities that accept passport applications; and indicated which Passport Agencies may need help to decrease marginal service delivery problems. Passport Services will take remedial action in those areas. The survey also underscored the impact of an automated appointment system for high-traffic Passport Agencies. (The appointment system in New York resulted in a substantial decrease in waiting time for customers.)

Since November 4, 1996, the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) has provided passport information and application status through a 900 number. Prior to the NPIC all customers, except those in the 13 major cities where Passport Agencies are located, made long distance calls to those Agencies for information. Unfortunately, calls were accidentally disconnected, went unanswered, or frequently were placed on hold for over 30 minutes because of lack of staff, telephone technology, and information infrastructure. The service was abysmal and the complaints were constant.

In an effort to improve customer service, we began to look for a way to provide service and information to the public in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our goal was a modern, state-of-the-art call center to provide the service deserved by the U.S. citizen traveling public, but we did not have the funding to staff it ourselves. The NPIC was our answer to "too few people to issue passports and answer telephones." The Department of State contracted with AT&T to provide passport information and status checks at a cost of 35 cents per minute for recorded information or $1.05 per minute to speak directly with an operator (or a flat rate of $4.95 for operator assistance using a credit card). The NPIC received over 840,000 calls from November 1996 through August 1997. The Department and AT&T have worked closely to resolve any complaints. Examples of NPIC service excellence include:

• Exhaustive 24-hour automated information.

• Customer Service Representatives (CSR) available 12-hours/day, 5 days/week.

• 843,741 calls answered from November 4, 1996, through August 31, 1997, with fewer than 100 written complaints.

• 1-3 second average speed of answer on the automated line. (The best-practices standard is 15 seconds.) The average speed of answer once a customer selects a live operator is 16 seconds.

• A sophisticated infrastructure that handles a large number of calls. Customers never receive a busy signal. (The suggested standard is 1%.)

• Call abandonment rate of less than .05% for the voice response unit and 1.4% after the customer selects an operator. (The standard is 2%.)

• Resolution of 80% of first calls by the NPIC without contacting a Passport Agency. Since more than half of the problems referred to the Passport Agencies are resolved promptly by the Agency and do not require callbacks to customers, the total first call resolution rate is conservatively estimated at 90%. (The standard for first call resolution is 85%.)

In 1997, the Los Angeles Passport Agency instituted a program to accept passport applications from newly naturalized citizens following mass naturalization ceremonies at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Applicants are supplied with the necessary application materials and instructions by Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (BCIS) officers once they establish their eligibility for naturalization. They come to the naturalization ceremony prepared with a completed application form, passport photos, and the appropriate fee. The passport oath is given en masse immediately following the oath of citizenship. Once the naturalization certificates are distributed, those who are applying for a passport are directed to a table staffed by Passport Services employees and volunteers from community-based organizations where they submit their applications. The applications are taken back to the Passport Agency and processed, and the new U.S. passport is mailed back to the customer, along with the original naturalization certificate. Passport Services believes that partnering with the BCIS, officials of the U.S. District Court, and volunteers from the various community-based organizations to assist our customers exemplifies the very best in federal government service. Innovation, resource sharing, increasing efficiency while reducing cost, and providing better service to the American public is what the reinvention of government is all about. We will encourage other Passport Agencies to follow the example of the Los Angeles Agency and facilitate the passport application process for new citizens.

In August, Passport Services held its first National Customer Service Conference to formally introduce the message and mission of its Customer Service Program as a basic, common sense approach to service and problem-solving and to encourage front-line staff to seek out and contribute ideas for "best practices," so that we better utilize their experience and talents.

Travel Information Services: You will receive timely and accurate information on travel safety and conditions in foreign countries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

One of our primary goals is to help U.S. citizen travelers avoid problems, and the Internet has provided an effective means to reach large numbers of people around the world at a low cost to both the government and the public. It enables us to provide travel warnings and other time-sensitive travel-related messages to Americans instantaneously.

Our automated information systems continue to grow in popularity. During our 1997 customer survey in July, the systems had 1,461,933 users, compared with 327,855 in July 1996. Almost all of the increase was due to the rise in internet usage. 257 persons completed the survey, and 246 (95%) found our information helpful. Both the number of surveys returned and the satisfaction rate were up slightly from 1996.

The most used features of our website were the travel warnings and passport information and services. The most frequently requested Consular Information Sheets were: Mexico, United Kingdom, Israel and Occupied Territories, Italy, Germany, Cuba, Canada, France, China, and Egypt. Our website is used by increasing numbers of persons in other countries. Visa information is growing in popularity, with the Visa Bulletin which was added in 1997 becoming among the most visited items on our site.

As of September 1997, our website averages about 40,000 hits daily, up from 18,000 one year ago. We recorded our highest one-day total - 68, 392 - on August 11. Users repeatedly left comments such as: "...very helpful. This is a great example of a good use of taxpayer money!" The site continued to garner "best of the net" accolades: PC Computing magazine (12/96), Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions (2/97), Yahoo! Internet Life magazine (3/97). In December 1996, the employees that prepare the publications that go on our automated information systems received the Vice President's Hammer Award for improving the way the government provides services.

We listen to our customers and when possible adjust our travel information systems to include the enhancements they suggest. In the past year, we added downloadable passport applications and redesigned our website to ease navigation. We created a seamless linkage between the Congressionally mandated but relatively little-used Consular Affairs Bulletin Board (CABB) and our website, giving the general public access to the crime and security information posted on the bulletin board and dramatically expanding the range of information available to CABB users. We increased our links to other sites of interest to travelers and are working with our Embassies and Consulates to make their sites more helpful by identifying best practices that can be emulated, such as the disaster preparedness information provided by Osaka Kobe and Port Louis, the Frequently Asked Questions prepared by Paris, Bern's tips for living in Switzerland, Singapore's link to the Singapore government Immigration Home Page, Sao Paulo's link to the local tourist and business information site, and Beijing's on-line registration form that allows travelers to notify the Embassy of their presence in China.

Overseas Citizens Services: You will receive a timely and courteous response to your request for American citizen services, and service will be provided by knowledgeable, professional, and courteous personnel.

The Public Employees Roundtable recognized our service to Americans abroad by honoring the Office of Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) with its 1997 Public Service Excellence Award in the International category (presented by Vice President Gore on May 5). The announcement concerning the award stated:

With luck, you may never need the Overseas Citizens Services, but if you travel or reside abroad and trouble erupts, you'll be thankful for their outstanding ability to keep you informed and provide for your safety. Around the clock, OCS is alert to helping fellow citizens resolve myriad problems, including as many as 3000 arrests, 6,000 deaths, 11,000 international adoptions and 1,200 child abduction cases annually....OCS's teamwork and pro-active orientation led to the creation of Emergency Fly-Away Teams with experienced officers and state-of-the-art equipment to augment embassies in times of crisis.

In 1997, we coordinated nine large-scale evacuations of Americans from other countries. The response of American citizens was quite favorable.

We have concluded agreements with twelve major U.S. airlines calling for mutual assistance in aviation disasters overseas. Representatives of the airlines participated in our Crisis Management training, and six of our employees took training given by the airlines. This initiative, coupled with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) signed in June, will enhance intergovernmental and private sector cooperation to the benefit of the American victims of air disasters and their families.

The August 1997 Korean Air Lines crash in the U.S. Territory of Guam was the first test of the MOU concerning the "foreign" aspects of domestic aviation disasters. A liaison officer from the Bureau of Consular Affairs coordinated the State Department's efforts with the NTSB, Department of Defense, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (BCIS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and foreign Embassies in Washington. A representative from the State Department's Crisis Management Staff joined the NTSB team sent to Guam. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul worked with the Korean government to facilitate travel of Korean officials and family members and provided support for American families resident in Korea who had a loved one in the crash. We coordinated with BCIS to facilitate passport and visa waivers for victims and their families, gained permission from the Japanese government for members of the HHS mortuary team to transit Japan without passports en route to Guam, and obtained a funding guarantee from the Korean government for U.S. military medical evacuation and treatment of seriously burned survivors. We are currently helping to make special arrangements for shipment and identification of remains. Our broad experience in international air disasters has meant we have been able to provide valuable assistance on a wide variety of issues in response to this tragedy.

Visa Services: Services to persons seeking visas to legally visit or reside in the United States will be provided by professional, knowledgeable and courteous personnel.

The Public Liaison Division of the Visa Office responds to over a million visa inquiries each year by telephone or letter. The automated telephone answering system, which provides basic information on visa regulations and procedures, received over 900,000 calls in the past year. The most frequently asked questions are placed early in the system "tree" so most callers have their questions answered sooner. Callers who need further clarification on a specific visa subject have an option to speak with an information officer. These officers handled over 60,000 calls last year.

With the number of telephone and written inquiries on the rise, it became apparent that modern technology had to be utilized in order for the office to maintain its current level of service. Visa Office managers looked at private industry standards for customer service and met with government systems specialists to discuss the possibility of expanding public inquiries to include interactive e-mail.

To remain on the forefront of information management, the Visa Office inaugurated interactive e-mail with the public in April 1997. Visa inquirers worldwide can access the e-mail through a link on the Bureau of Consular Affairs' home page. The Visa Office responds to well over 1,000 e-mail inquiries each month, most of which are answered within 24 hours. The e-mail service has had a direct impact on the way the office conducts business and has produced a substantial improvement in customer service. Customers are satisfied knowing that they have access to "real people".

AT&T is contracted to provide a 900-number hotline which gives basic information on the popular visa lottery program without charge 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If callers want specific information on application procedures and eligibility, the contractors will mail out a detailed package within three work days for a $5.10 fee.

Through the Data Share initiative between the Bureau of Consular Affairs and BCIS, data on over 1,000,000 immigrant visa applicants has been passed electronically between the two agencies, which share responsibility for processing immigration cases. When fully operational, the program should significantly reduce the number of errors caused by duplicative data entry as well as speed up processing through elimination of dependence on postal delivery of paper files. We share innovative and effective visa processing practices with officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion: Consular services have an immediate and personal impact on millions of Americans and foreigners. Over the past year, the Bureau of Consular Affairs has made a concerted effort to identify "best practices" and implement them on a worldwide basis. Improved customer service is one of the main goals of this initiative. We will continue to our efforts to provide the timeliness, courtesy and professionalism that our customers expect and deserve. We welcome suggestions from the public on how we may serve them better.

September 1997

Customer Service Initiatives