2. Service Performance Measurement
First-Class Mail service performance results are measured through the Transit Time Measurement System (TTMS), which measures service performance from the time mail is entered into the system at an induction point until the time it is received in the home or small business. TTMS is independently administered by PricewaterhouseCoopers under a contract with the Vice President and Consumer Advocate.

TTMS' main goal is to measure service performance from the customer's point of view. The information gathered determines the effectiveness of system performance in satisfying customer requirements. The External First-Class (EXFC) system is an external measurement system of collection box to mailbox delivery performance. EXFC continuously tests a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90 percent of First-Class volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a system wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance. The EXFC measurement system has been in existence since 1990. The independent EXFC system showed an average national overnight performance of 94 percent for 2001. National service performance for two and three-day service commitment areas averaged 85 and 81 percent respectively.

Measuring customer satisfaction is an ever-evolving process. The Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) for the Postal Service is focused on improving customer satisfaction. CSM is composed of three distinct components: one that measures residential satisfaction CSM-R, one that measures business customer satisfaction CSM-B and one that measures event-based customer satisfaction CSM-EVB.

The CSM survey process supports the goal of the Voice of the Customer under CustomerPerfect!. Customer satisfaction is measured independently by The Gallup Organization through a contract with the Vice President and Consumer Advocate.

The CSM-R results (See Table 2.2) showed that 92 percent of the nation's households rated Postal Service Overall Performance as "excellent," "very good," or "good" for the last quarter of the fiscal year.

A redesigned CSM Residential survey was implemented in 2001 to better reflect consumers' expectations of delivery products and services and to better measure postal corporate strategies. The survey was designed to provide more actionable data to field postal managers.

For the CSM-B, National accounts reported an overall performance rating of 91 percent for the last quarter of the fiscal year. These business customers have been identified as the Postal Service's largest customers. Approximately 250 accounts are designated as National Accounts.

The Premier accounts reported an overall performance rating of 90 percent for the last quarter of the fiscal year. These are the second largest group of business customers. There are approximately 12,000 Premier accounts.

Business accounts reported an overall satisfaction rating of 88 percent for the last quarter of the fiscal year. Business accounts are all other business customers not identified as National or Premier Account companies or sites.

TABLE 2.2 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RATINGS BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE IN 2001 PERCENT RATED EXCELLENT / VERY GOOD / GOOD

	PERFORMANCE BY QUARTER		1ST		2ND		3RD		4TH
	National Accounts		94		93		89		91
	Primier Accounts		92		92		91		90
	Business Accounts		89		89		88		88
	Residential Accounts		92		92		91		92