Client Service Feedback Survey – #006

December 2023

Analysis Report

Contract Information

For more information on this report, please contact Public Services and Procurement Canada at: TPSGC.Politiquesdepension-PensionPolicies.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

This report presents the results and methodological details for the Client Service Feedback Survey #006 conducted by Advanis Inc. on behalf of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). The survey was administered among 1,570 pension members, between September 6, and ended on October 12, 2023.

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français sous le titre: Sondage sur la rétroaction du service à la clientèle – #006.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). For more information on this report, please contact PSPC at: TPSGC.Politiquesdepension-PensionPolicies.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

• Catalogue Number: P54-3/2023E-4-PDF
• International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-68697-4

• Related publications (registration number: POR 012-23):

  Catalogue number: P54-3/2023F-4-PDF

  International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-68699-8

• © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), 2023

1.0 Summary

1.1 Background and objectives

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) provides day-to-day pension services through two service channels, the Government of Canada Pension Centre and the Pension Program secure employee portal, for pension plan members belonging to the Public Service, Canadian Forces, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

PSPC, in creating a culture of client service excellence, wishes to evolve service delivery based on feedback from its members. To that end, PSPC was seeking to measure member satisfaction with regards to the Pension Program’s service delivery channels.

The primary objectives of the research were to:

• Assess members’ (pension members) satisfaction of services offered by the Government of Canada Pension Centre during service calls or with any services used online by members.
• Assess pension members' ease of use, understanding and experience with pension online tools or content.
• Assess the importance that pension members place on different online web applications and future applications.

The probability-based study was conducted in English and French online and over the phone. Overall, 1,570 people completed the survey between September 6, 2023, and ended on October 12, 2023. The data was weighted according to the pension group of the respondents (PSSA, CFSA, or RCMP) from the population of pension plan members that were in contact with the Government of Canada Pension Centre or accessed the Online Portal between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2023. Pension Centre respondents and Online Portal respondents were weighted separately.

A first wave of this study was conducted between March 30, 2022, and May 2, 2022, a second wave between August 3, 2022, and September 14, 2022, a third wave between November 15, 2022, and December 13, 2022, a fourth wave between February 8, 2023, and March 7, 2023, and a fifth wave between July 6, 2023, and August 14, 2023. For these waves, a report was provided to PSPC. This report presents the results for the sixth wave of the study.

The results will be used by PSPC to identify opportunities for improvements in the way they deliver services.

The total cost of this research was $ 44,640.65.

1.2 Key findings

Pension Centre respondents

The main reason respondents called the Pension Centre was to request general information (45.3%). Generally, they found that the information provided was easy to understand (83.2% gave a score of at least 8 on a scale of 10).

Respondents who contacted the Pension Centre were for the most part satisfied with the service they received (89.2%). The aspects they were the most satisfied with were related to the staff. Indeed, they found the staff courteous (96.7%), helpful (93.4%) and knowledgeable (90.3%). They were less inclined to find that the automated phone system was easy to navigate, but the majority was still satisfied (76.1%).

When asked about the aspect they liked the most about their call to the Pension Centre, the most common answers were related to the agents’ helpfulness (62.4%) and their soft skills (42.0%).

Improving the phone system (19.8%), having better access to agents (18.7%) and the knowledge of the agents and the information provided (16.4%) were the aspects they thought could be improved the most.

Among different online/virtual contact options, Pension Centre respondents would be most likely to access their pension information from a home, personal computer (78.0%).

Online Portal respondents

The main reason for using the Online Pension Portal was to get a pension estimate (75.8%). The majority of those who used the Online Portal were satisfied with the service they received (73.9%). A proportion of 86.5% were satisfied with the ease of login and the majority said the information provided by the Online Portal was easy to understand (63.4% gave a score of at least 8 on a scale of 10). Satisfaction tended to be lower among younger respondents.

The ability to estimate their pension was the aspect respondents liked the most (50.9%) and a proportion of 26.0% liked the fact that it was user-friendly the most.

Furthermore, having access to a Pension statement or other related issues was the element respondents would wish to see improved the most (26.4%), followed by the information (quality or quantity) (17.9%), and the user-friendliness of the portal (15.2%).

Online Portal respondents would be most likely to access their pension information from a home, personal computer (83.8%), among online/virtual contact options.

1.3 Extrapolating the results to a broader audience

Since the target population only includes respondents who had recently called the Pension Centre or visited the Online Portal during a specific period, results cannot be extrapolated to another period or for the broader population.

1.4 Political Neutrality Certification

Political neutrality certification

I hereby certify as Senior Officer of Advanis that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada’s political neutrality requirements outlined in the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity and the Directive on the Management of Communications.

Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Signed:

Nicolas Toutant

Vice-President, Research and Evaluation

2.0 Methodology

2.1 Sample planning and data collection

The target population for the survey was both retired and active pension members, more specifically:

• Public Service Superannuation Plan active employees and retired members (PSSA), including Crown Corporation active employees and retired members.
• RCMP Superannuation Plan active officers and retired members (RCMPSA).
• Canadian Forces Superannuation Plan active regular force and reservist and retired members (CFSA)

This survey was sent to members of the target population who had recently called the Government of Canada Pension Centre or visited the Pension Program secure employee portal. To reach this population, Advanis used a multimodal approach. Potential Online Portal respondents were invited by email to participate in the survey. Potential Pension Centre respondents were also invited to participate in the web survey, and some were called using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) methodology.

Two different samples were sent by PSPC. The first contained a list of active and retired members who recently called the Government of Canada Pension Centre and accepted to be contacted. It included information to reach them by phone and by email. The second contained a list of active members who recently visited the Online Portal and had a Government of Canada e-mail address, and included information to reach them by email only. For privacy reasons, members with only a personal email address listed were removed from the Online Portal list. Only those with an institutional email address at the Government of Canada were kept.

Data collection started on September 6, 2023, and ended on October 12, 2023. A pretest took place on the phone on September 6, 2023. The Government of Canada’s standards for pre-testing were adhered to, with pretests being conducted in both English and French. In total, 28 surveys were completed during the pretest. The pretest data was retained for the analysis.

Email invitations were sent for Online Portal potential respondents and Pension Centre potential respondents who had not answered the survey on the phone and had not stated their refusal. In total, 3,364 members were invited via email to participate in the study. From September 25 to October 12, 2023, 1,300 Online Portal potential respondents were invited, and 2,064 potential Pension Centre respondents. For potential Pension Centre respondents, up to two email reminders were sent to those who had not yet completed the survey and had not stated their refusal to participate. Only one reminder was necessary for potential Online Portal respondents.

Data collection on the phone was performed from September 6, 2023, to September 22, 2023. A total of 2,834 members were called. Of those, 95 had a number that was no longer in service, a wrong number, or could not be reached for reasons related to their phone number. It is to be noted that 508 agreed to participate in the survey; however, 8 were not eligible.

In total, 1,570 respondents participated in the Client Service Feedback Survey – #006. Of those 1,570, a total of 1,100 were coming from the Pension Centre potential respondents’ sample file and 470 were coming from the Online Portal potential respondents’ sample file. All respondents invited from the Online Portal sample file answered the web survey. A total of 500 members invited as Pension Centre respondents answered the survey on the phone and 600 answered on the web.

However, in the questionnaire, respondents were first asked if they had called the Government of Canada Pension Centre or used the Online Portal most recently. This allowed them to confirm if they should answer the survey as members who called the Pension Centre or visited the Online Portal. Hence, a few respondents answered the Online Portal survey even if they were invited as Pension Centre respondents, and vice versa, as they likely had accessed both services recently. We then ended up with 1,086 Pension Centre respondents and 484 Online Portal respondents.

2.2 Questionnaire

The Client Service Feedback Survey – #006 was designed by PSPC. The questionnaire was programmed by Advanis in both English and French. An electronic version of the survey was provided to PSPC for review at several steps. A final version in both official languages for both CATI and web was created and sent to PSPC for approval.

The questionnaire was the same used during the fifth wave, except for one wording change at question Q10. The average survey length was 4 minutes and 30 seconds for completing the web survey and 9 minutes for completing the survey over the phone.

2.3 Calls Monitoring

The data collection period started after the questionnaire had been validated and tested.

The interviewers’ work schedule extended from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Occasionally, interviewers began calling earlier if requested by a respondent (appointments monitoring).

The call-back plan distributed calls during the day and over the weekend at different hours.

2.4 Weighting

The data was weighted according to the pension group of the respondents (PSSA members, CFSA members or RCMP members). Pension Centre and Online Portal respondents were weighted separately. The weights were calculated using the population files sent by PSPC. The list contained all members who had called the Pension Centre or who have visited the Online Portal and consented to participate between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2023.

3.0 Note to readers

The respondents answered the survey in light of their experience with either the Pension Centre or the Online Portal. Hence, the survey results section of this report is divided in two subsections. The section referring to Pension Centre respondents presents the survey results for those who had recently called the Pension Centre. The section referring to Online Portal respondents presents results for those who had recently visited the Pension Program secure employee portal.

All survey results are presented excluding “Don’t know” answers from the base of valid responses.

Readers should also keep in mind that the total for percentages presented in tables and charts may not sum to exactly 100.0% due to rounding.

4.0 Results

4.1 Respondents’ profile (unweighted data)

A proportion of 69.2% of respondents had recently called the Pension Centre. The others had recently visited the Online Portal (30.8%).

The majority of Pension Centre respondents were PSSA members (93.2%). A proportion of 4.2% were part of the RCMP pension group and the remaining were CFSA members (2.6%). For Online Portal respondents, most were PSSA members (93.4%), while 3.7% were RCMP and 2.9% were CFSA members.

Pension Centre respondents were still employed in a proportion of 75.5%, while 24.5% were retired or had another status (including survivors and non-retired, but not currently working for the Government of Canada). The vast majority of Online Portal respondents was currently employed (96.7%).

Over half (53.2%) of Pension Centre respondents willing to give their age were between 40 and 59 years old, while 22.6% were less than 40 and 24.2% were 60 years old or older. Among Online Portal respondents, 70.4% were between 40 and 59 years old, 13.3% were less than 40 and 16.3% were 60 or older.

A proportion of 60.7% of Pension Centre respondents were not members of a visible minority, living with a disability, LGBTQ2+ or Indigenous. This was also the case for 60.1% of Online Portal respondents.

Among Pension Centre respondents willing to give their gender, 60.0% were female and 39.6% were male. A proportion of 54.6% of Online Portal respondents identified as female and 44.8% as male.

4.2 Pension Centre results

4.2.1 Reasons for contacting the Pension Centre (weighted data)

The main reasons for calling the Pension Centre were to request general pension information, a form or documentation (45.3%), request a buyback estimate (32.9%) and regarding their pension payments or to request an estimate of their pension (25.9%).

4.2.2 Satisfaction with the Pension Centre (weighted data)

Overall, most Pension Centre respondents were satisfied with the service they received (89.2%). The satisfaction level was higher among members who are 60 years old or more (94.3%) compared to the other age groups.

The courteousness of the staff was the item respondents were the most satisfied with (96.7%), followed by the helpfulness of the staff (93.4%) and their knowledge level (90.3%). The ease of navigating the automated phone system was the item they were the least satisfied with (76.1%).

The satisfaction levels were higher among respondent 60 or older for courteousness of the staff (99.2%), the helpfulness of the staff (96.1%), the knowledge of the staff (96.5%), the clarity of information provided (96.0%) and the timeliness of the service received (92.7%). Respondents under 40 years old were more dissatisfied with the ease of navigating the system (12.2%).

4.2.3 Understanding the information provided by the Pension Centre (weighted data)

Most (83.2%) considered that the information provided was easy to understand by giving a score of at least 8 on a 10-point scale. Respondents who were 60 years old or older gave a score of at least 8 out of 10 in a greater proportion (91.6%) than younger respondents. Respondents who were less than 40 were more inclined to give a score between 4 and 7 (24.0%).

4.2.4 Strengths and things to improve with the Pension Centre (weighted data)

When respondents were asked what they liked most of their interaction with the Pension Center, 62.4% reported that agents they have interacted with were helpful, knowledgeable, or were able to provide answers. The agents’ soft skills were mentioned by 42.0% and 21.7% praised the efficiency of the Pension Centre.

Improving the phone system (19.8%) and access to agents (18.7%), which includes wait times on the phone and having different opening hours, are the most mentioned suggestions to improve the interaction with the Pension Centre. Having more knowledgeable staff or improving the information provided was suggested by 16.4% of respondents.

Other responses include, among others, the need to have the same person assigned to a member especially when cases are more complicated or require follow-ups.

4.2.5 Contact Options

Among Pension Centre respondents, accessing personal pension information from a personal computer is the contact option they would be the most likely to use (78.0% gave a score of at least 8 on a 10-point likeliness scale). The contact option respondents would be the least likely to use is a webchat or Instant Messaging (43.8%), but this option is more popular with respondents under 40 years old (57.5%). Respondents under 40 years old are also more likely to be interested in a mobile application (61.6%). Respondents that are 60 or older are the least likely to be interested in a mobile application (43.7%).

4.2.6 Perception of the benefits available

Almost three quarters (74.6%) agreed that the benefits available under their pension plan support their wellbeing. This proportion is similar across the different age groups.

4.3 Online portal results

4.3.1 Reasons for visiting the Online Portal (weighted data)

Getting a pension estimate was by far the main reason for using the Online Portal (75.8%). The second most common reason was for the buyback estimator or to get their payment status (15.8%) followed by the use of the Online Portal to update their personal information (12.1%).

4.3.2 Satisfaction with the Online Portal (weighted data)

Almost three quarters (73.9%) of Online Portal respondents mentioned they were satisfied with the service they received. Respondents who are between 40 and 59 have a higher satisfaction (77.1%) and respondents under 40 years old are the least satisfied (53.8%).

Most respondents (86.5%) were satisfied with the ease of login on the Online Portal. A proportion of 80.0% were satisfied with the ease of landing page navigation and 78.3% with the ease of self-service options. Satisfaction tends to increase with age. Indeed, those in the less than 40 age group were the least satisfied age group regarding the ease of landing page navigation and the ease of self-service options. Those between 40 and 59 were the most satisfied with these same elements.

4.3.3 Understanding the information provided by the Online Portal (weighted data)

The information provided by the Online Portal was easy to understand for the majority. A proportion of 63.4% gave a score of at least 8 on a 10-point scale, when evaluating how easy to understand the information was (10 meaning the information was easy to understand and 1 meaning they did not understand at all). Those between 40 and 59 years old were more inclined to consider the information easy to understand (69.0%) and those under 40 years old were less inclined (31.1%).

4.3.4 Strengths and things to improve on the Online Portal (weighted data)

The most liked aspect of respondents’ interaction with the Online Portal was having the ability to estimate their pension (50.9%) followed by finding it user-friendly (26.0%). A proportion of 17.6% also mentioned enjoying the ability to access information.

Among responses obtained, 26.4% of respondents said they would improve the access to Pension statement and 17.9% would improve the amount or quality of information provided on the Online Portal. A proportion of 15.2% requested for the Online Portal to be more user-friendly and about the same number of respondents (14.8%) requested improvements or reported issues with the calculator.

4.3.5 Contact Options

Accessing personal pension information from a personal laptop is also the contact option Online Portal respondents would be the most likely to use if available. Indeed, 83.8% reported they would use it by giving a score of at least 8 on a 10-point likeliness scale. The contact options they would be the least likely to use are SMS notices or reminders (43.1%).

4.3.6 Perception of the benefits available

Almost three quarters (74.1%) of respondents agreed that the benefits available under their pension plan support their wellbeing. This proportion is higher for those aged 40 to 59 (78.2%). Those aged 60 years old or older tend to be less in agreement with this statement (62.8%).

5.0 Conclusion

Pension Centre respondents

Respondents were generally satisfied with the service they received when calling the Pension Centre (89.2%). They were especially satisfied with the courteousness (96.7%), helpfulness (93.4%) and knowledge level of the staff (90.3%).

When asked about what they like the most about the Pension Centre, finding that the agents were helpful, knowledgeable, and able to provide answers was the most recurrent theme about their interaction (62.4%), followed by the agents’ soft skills (42.0%).

Regarding suggestions for improvement, 19.8% of respondents suggested improving the phone system. Also, 18.7% of respondents mentioned the need to improve access to agents. Additionally, 16.4% highlighted the importance to have more knowledgeable staff or better information from the staff.

Requesting general pension information, a form or documentation were the main reasons for calling the Pension Centre (45.3%). Overall, respondents also found the information they were provided easy to understand. Indeed, 83.2% gave a score of at least 8 on a 10-point scale regarding this aspect.

The contact option Pension Centre respondents would be the most likely to use was a personal computer (78.0%). The webchat or Instant Messaging was the one they would be the least likely to use (43.8%).

Pension Centre respondents were of the opinion that the benefits available under the pension plan supported their financial wellbeing in a proportion of 74.6%.

Online Portal respondents

A majority of respondents used the Online Portal to get a pension estimate (75.8%) and nearly three quarters (73.9%) expressed satisfaction with the Online Portal's services. Notably, satisfaction levels varied across age groups, with those under 40 being the least satisfied at 53.8%, while those 40 to 59 were the most satisfied at 77.1%.

Regarding the usability of the Online Portal, a substantial majority of respondents were satisfied with the ease of login (86.5%), landing page navigation (80.0%), and self-service options (78.3%). Satisfaction tended to be lower among those who are less than 40 years old.

A proportion of 63.4% of respondents gave a score of at least 8 on a 10-point scale about the Online Portal's ability to present information in an understandable manner. However, only 31.1% of those under 40 found the information easy to understand.

Having access to the Pension statement or other related issues was mentioned as being the thing that could be improved on the most by 26.4% of respondents, followed by a desire for more or higher-quality information on the portal (17.9%). Additionally, 15.2% requested improvements in user-friendliness, and a similar percentage (14.8%) reported issues or suggested improvements with the calculator.

A personal computer is the most preferred contact option, with 83.8% of respondents expressing a likelihood to use it. Conversely, SMS notices or reminders were the least favoured option, with only 43.1% expressing a likelihood to use them.

Finally, according to 74.1% of respondents, the benefits available under their pension plan support their financial wellbeing.

6.0 Appendix

Appendix A: Methodology

The Client Service Feedback Survey – #006 was designed by PSPC. The questionnaire was programmed by Advanis in both official languages.

The survey was administered among members of the target population who had recently called the Government of Canada Pension Centre or visited the Pension Program secure employee portal.

The target population was both retired and active pension members, more specifically:

• Public Service Superannuation Plan active employees and retired members (PSSA), including Crown Corporation active employees and retired members.
• RCMP Superannuation Plan active officers and retired members (RCMPSA).
• Canadian Forces Superannuation Plan active regular force and reservist and retired members (CFSA)

Online Portal users were sent an email inviting them to participate in a web survey. Potential Pension Centre respondents were invited to participate in the web survey as well. Some were also called using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) methodology.

Two different samples were sent by PSPC. The first contained a list of 2,834 active and retired members who recently called the Government of Canada Pension Centre and included information to reach them by phone and by email. The second contained a list of 8,490 active members who recently visited the Online Portal and included information to reach them by email only. Data collection started on September 6, 2023, and ended on October 12, 2023.

From September 25 to October 12, 2023, we sent 1,300 invitations for Online Portal users and 2064 invitations for Pension Centre users (3,364 in total). For potential Pension Centre and Online Portal respondents, up to two email reminders were sent to those who had not yet completed the survey and had not stated their refusal to participate.

Appendix B: Email invitations sent

• bounced: Invalid email address
• clicked: Respondent clicked on the link included in the email
• opened: Respondent read the email but did not click on the link
• sent: Valid email address but no action was taken by the recipient

Appendix C: Data collection statistics (Respondents from the Pension Centre sample)

Appendix D: Response rate

For the consultation among respondents contacted from the Pension Centre sample, the response rate was calculated by dividing the number of respondents (1,100) by the number of eligible members in the sample (2,730) for a response rate of 40.3%.

For respondents contacted from the Online Portal sample, the response rate was calculated by dividing the number of respondents (470) by the number of initial email invitations who reached potential respondents (1,154). Hence the response rate for the Online Portal portion of this study was 40.7%.

Appendix E: The weights

As previously mentioned, the data was weighted according to the pension group of the respondents (PSSA members, CFSA members or RCMP members). Pension Centre and Online Portal respondents were weighted separately. The weights were calculated using the population files sent by PSPC. The first list contained all members who had called the Pension Centre, and consented to participate in the survey, between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2023. The second list contained all members who had visited the Online Portal between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2023 and had a Government of Canada e-mail address.

As mentioned in section 1.3, results cannot be extrapolated to another period or for the broader population, since the target population only includes respondents who had recently called the Pension Centre or visited the Online Portal during a specific period.

Appendix F: Additional notes

When surveying only a sample of a broader population, there are always risks that results suffer from a non-response bias. This happens when characteristics of those who answered the survey differ from those who did not answer. For this study, several strategies were employed to increase response rates and reduce the effects of non-response bias. This includes communicating the purpose and importance of research at the beginning of the survey as well as reassuring respondents on the confidentiality of their responses and on the legitimacy of the survey.

Appendix G: English questionnaire

Canada Pension Members Survey wave 6

CATI

CATI INTRO w RECRUIT TO WEB OPTION

CATIInt

Good afternoon/evening. I would like to speak to <<sample.name>>.

[IF THEY HAVE TO GET THE PERSON WE WANT TO TALK TO, WAIT UNTIL THAT PERSON PICKS UP THE PHONE AND RE-READ THE INTRO]

My name is ________ of Advanis and I am calling on behalf of Public Services and Procurement of Canada (PSPC).

We are contacting members who called the Pension Center or accessed the Online Pension Portal in the last three months to learn more about your experience as a pension plan member when accessing our services. Feedback from you is essential to improve the services.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and your participation is voluntary and confidential.

Would you have time to complete this with me now? PLEASE VALIDATE Would you continue in English or in French?

[IF ASKED ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE SURVEY]: If you would like to verify the authenticity of this survey, please visit the Government of Canada Pension Centre web page (https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/remuneration-compensation/services-pension-services/pension/cn-cu-eng.html) or call the Government of Canada Pension Centre at 1-800-561-7930.

[IF ASKED ABOUT PRIVACY] :Your answers will remain anonymous and the information you provide will be administered according to the requirements of the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and any other pertinent legislation.

[IF ASKED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF COMPLETING THE SURVEY] :If you experience any difficulties with the survey, or for an alternative means of accessing the survey, please contact Advanis by telephone at 1-866-509-6986 or by e-mail at : sday+pension006@advanis.ca

• ○ (1) Yes, continue on the phone
• ○ (3) Callback later
• ○ (2) No - Refused (did not agree to email or SMS)

record

Please be aware that this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes and that your participation is voluntary. Your responses are confidential and will be grouped with those from other participants. This project also has been registered with the Canadian Research Insights Council.

Login page

Login page

wcag

Si vous préférez répondre au sondage en français, veuillez cliquer sur « Français ».

We are contacting members who called the Pension Center or accessed the Online Pension Portal in the last three months. Feedback from you is essential to improve the services.

Note: If you need to leave the survey and come back to it later, you may use the same link and the survey will resume where you left off. Your participation is voluntary and your answers will remain strictly confidential. This survey is registered with the Canadian Research Insights Council's ( CRIC ) Research Verification Service. The project verification number is: 20230628-AD511. Click here (opens in a new window) to verify the legitimacy of this survey. If you experience any difficulties with the survey, or for an alternative means of accessing the survey, please contact Advanis by telephone at 1-866-509-6986 or by e-mail at : sday+pension006@advanis.ca

• ○ (1) Assistive Survey for those with a disability (Screen reader enabled)
• ○ (2) Start Survey

Survey Questions

Main questions

Q1

Most recently, did you...?

• ○ (1) call the Government of Canada Pension Centre
• ○ (2) use the Employee Online Pension Portal

Q2a

CATI: For the remainder of this survey, please respond based on your call to the Pension Centre
experience with the Online Pension Portal. What was the purpose of your call to the Pension Centre? Did you call...? [IF DOES NOT REMEMBER CALLING THE PENSION CENTER]: We are surveying people who have contacted the Pension Centre in the last three (3) months.

WEB: For the remainder of this survey, please respond based on your call to the Pension Centre
experience with the Online Pension Portal. What was the purpose of your call to the Pension Centre?

CATI: (READ LIST. RECORD ALL MENTIONS)

WEB: Select all that apply

• □ (1) For pension payments / to request an estimate of your pension
• □ (2) To obtain an update of the status of a transfer payment (transfer value, pension transfer agreement)
• □ (3) To request a buyback estimate and/or apply to buy back service
• □ (4) To request general pension information, a form or documentation
• □ (5) To update your profile (name, address, banking information, etc.)
• □ (6) Because of life Events (Enrollments, marriage status, Supplementary Death Benefit)
• □ (97) Other (please specify):

Q2b

CATI: For the remainder of this survey, please respond based on your call to the Pension Centre
experience with the Online Pension Portal. What was the reason for your use of the Online Pension Portal? Was it...?

WEB: For the remainder of this survey, please respond based on your call to the Pension Centre
experience with the Online Pension Portal. What was the reason for your use of the Online Pension Portal?

CATI: (READ LIST. RECORD ALL MENTIONS)

WEB: Select all that apply

• □ (1) Get a pension estimate
• □ (2) Update personal information (address, contact details, etc.)
• □ (3) Service buyback estimator / to get a payment status
• □ (4) Survivor benefits estimator
• □ (5) Other (please specify):

Q3a

CATI: Thinking back on your recent experience when calling the Government of Canada Pension Centre, how would you rate your satisfaction related to the following? Would you say you are Very satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied or Very dissatisfied with...?

WEB: Thinking back on your recent experience when calling the Government of Canada Pension Centre, how would you rate your satisfaction related to the following?

• 1. The ease of navigating the automated phone system
• 2. The courteousness of staff
• 3. The helpfulness of staff
• 4. The knowledge level of the staff
• 5. The clarity of the information provided to you
• 6. The timeliness of the service you received

• ○ (1) Very satisfied
• ○ (2) Satisfied
• ○ (3) Neutral
• ○ (4) Dissatisfied
• ○ (5) Very dissatisfied
• ○ (-8) Not applicable

Q3b

CATI: Thinking back on your recent experience using the Online Pension Portal, how would you rate your satisfaction related to the following? Would you say you are Very satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied or Very dissatisfied with...?

WEB: Thinking back on your recent experience using the Online Pension Portal, how would you rate your satisfaction related to the following?

• 1. Ease of login
• 2. Ease of Landing Page navigation
• 3. Ease of self-service options

• ○ (1) Very satisfied
• ○ (2) Satisfied
• ○ (3) Neutral
• ○ (4) Dissatisfied
• ○ (5) Very dissatisfied
• ○ (-8) Not applicable

Q4

CATI: On a scale of one to 10, where 1 means Did not understand at all and 10 means Easy to understand , was the information you were provided, easy to understand?

WEB: On a scale of one to 10, was the information you were provided, easy to understand?

CATI: IF NECESSARY: The information being referred to would be from the pension expert on the phone
the information found on the portal.

WEB: The information being referred to would be from the pension expert on the phone
the information found on the portal.

• ○ (1) 1 - Did not understand at all
• ○ (2) 2
• ○ (3) 3
• ○ (4) 4
• ○ (5) 5
• ○ (6) 6
• ○ (7) 7
• ○ (8) 8
• ○ (9) 9
• ○ (10) 10 - Easy to understand
• ○ (-8) Not applicable

Q5

CATI: How would you rate your experience with the service you received? Were you...?

WEB: How would you rate your experience with the service you received?

• ○ (5) Very satisfied
• ○ (4) Satisfied
• ○ (3) Neutral
• ○ (2) Dissatisfied
• ○ (1) Very dissatisfied

Q6

CATI: On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means Not likely at all and 10 means Very likely , how likely would it be for you to use the following contact options if they were available:

WEB: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely would it be for you to use the following contact options if they were available:

• 1. Accessing personal pension information from a home, personal laptop or desktop computer
• 2. Text (SMS) notices/reminders
• 3. Webchat/IM (Instant Messaging) with Pension Centre
• 4. Virtual meeting (Audio/Video call) with Pension Centre
• 5. Mobile application

• ○ (10) 10 - Very likely
• ○ (9) 9
• ○ (8) 8
• ○ (7) 7
• ○ (6) 6
• ○ (5) 5
• ○ (4) 4
• ○ (3) 3
• ○ (2) 2
• ○ (1) 1 - Not likely at all

Q10

CATI: To what extent do you agree with the following? My pension plan supports my financial wellbeing. Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree?

WEB: To what extent do you agree with the following? My pension plan supports my financial wellbeing.

• ○ (1) Strongly agree
• ○ (2) Somewhat agree
• ○ (3) Neutral
• ○ (4) Somewhat disagree
• ○ (5) Strongly disagree

Demographics

Demographics

D1

What is your current status at the Government of Canada Pension Centre?

• ○ (1) Active (currently employed)
• ○ (2) Non-Active (retired)
• ○ (3) Survivor
• ○ (4) Other (please specify):

D2

What age group do you fall under?

• ○ (1) 19 and under
• ○ (2) 20 - 29
• ○ (3) 30 - 39
• ○ (4) 40 - 49
• ○ (5) 50 - 59
• ○ (6) 60 - 69
• ○ (7) 70 or older
• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

D3

Do you belong to any of the following groups?

CATI: [READ LIST. RECORD ALL MENTIONS]

WEB: Select all that apply

• □ (2) Indigenous peoples
• □ (3) LGBTQ2+
• □ (4) Persons with disabilities
• □ (5) Members of a visible minority
• □ (1) No, I do not belong to any of the following groups <<catiDoNotRead>>
• □ (7) Prefer not to answer <<catiDoNotRead>>

D4

CATI: Please identify your gender. Are you...?

WEB: Please identify your gender:

• ○ (1) Male
• ○ (2) Female
• ○ (3) Non-Binary
• ○ (4) Other (please specify):
• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

Q7a

Overall, what is the one thing you liked most about your call with the Government of Canada Pension Centre?

____________________

• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

Q7b

Overall, what is the one thing you liked most about your use of the Online Pension Portal?

____________________

• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

Q8a

Overall, what is the one thing you believe could be improved on most to make your call with the Government of Canada Pension Centre a more positive experience?

____________________

• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

Q8b

Overall, what is the one thing you believe could be improved on most to make your use of the Online Pension Portal a more positive experience?

____________________

• ○ (-8) I prefer not to answer

Survey quality

End of the survey

ENDWEB

This is the end of the survey. On behalf of Public Services and Procurement of Canada, we would like to thank you for your participation. Public Services and Procurement of Canada has contracted an independent public opinion research company, Advanis (opens in a new window) , to conduct the research on its behalf. © 2023 Privacy Policy CRIC Pledge

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CATIEnd

We have asked you all of our questions. We hope you've found this interesting, and we sincerely thank you for your time.

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Contact info: Sue Day at 1-888-883-7094

If you are having some stress/emotional difficulties at this time, it might help to talk to someone. I have a toll free number I could give you if you were interested in talking to someone.

Canada: 1-800-784-2433 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

US: 1-800-273-8255

Appendix H: French questionnaire