S. 671 would direct agencies to collect information from their customers using standard questions developed by the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration. The bill also would require agencies to post the responses to those questions online, to use the responses to improve their services, and to establish a website that would link to agency reports on customer service. Finally, the bill would require the Government Accountability Office to prepare an annual report on the quality of customer service provided by federal agencies.
Most provisions of the bill would codify policies and practices agencies already follow to gather feedback and improve customer service. For instance, the President’s Management Agenda and Gears of Government Award program encourage customer service improvements, while the Government Performance and Results Act and the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act require agencies to improve customer service performance. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $2 million over the
2021-2026 period, primarily for agencies to adjust the ongoing customer service plans and to prepare annual reports.
Enacting the bill could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.
