Veterans Affair Section (VBA Letter 20-04-42)

VBA Letter 20-04-42 Reprint for Vets

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Veterans Benefits Administration Washington, D.C. 20420 October 14, 2004 VBA Letter 20-04-42 Director (00) All VA Regional Offices and Centers SUBJ: Public Contact Team Telephone Management The report of the 2004 Mystery Caller Telephone Service Quality Assessment Follow-up Study is enclosed. This letter provides significant findings from the report and discusses local quality control requirements, available training, and rotation issues related to the Public Contact Team (PCT). Significant Findings The following is the significant data from the 2002 and the 2004 studies on responses to general benefits questions: Results 2002 2004 Completely Correct 5% 19% Mostly Correct 10% 16% Partially Correct 29% 20% Minimally Correct 34% 23% Completely Incorrect 22% 22% Editorial: No matter how the V.A. "slices or dices" the results, the ratio is 22% incorrect and 78% correct or a C grade. There is some ambiguity for "partially" and "minimally" which makes up the bulk of the correct percentage(s)... (They are lucky the Bush administration is "cherry picking" this babe .. just like national intelligence.) The following is the significant data from the 2002 and the 2004 studies showing how Veterans Services Representatives (VSRs) were rated on customer interaction: Courtesy Willingness Prompt Professionalism to Help Service 2002 2004 2002 2004 2002 2004 Excellent 40% 26% 37% 26% 39% 70% Very Good 41% 43% 39% 36% 37% 17% Good 15% 21% 16% 16% 17% 10% Fair 2% 9% 4% 17% 4% 2% Poor 1% 1% 3% 5% 2% 1% Very Poor 1% 0% 1% .5% 1% .2% Editorial: The only thing in 2004 the V.A. got a C grade for is promptness??? Well, what do you expect from military retirees -- anyone else have personal experiences, full of excuses???

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Director (00/21) Local Quality Control Regional offices (ROs) must conduct required local telephone quality reviews through silent monitoring. Not all ROs are in compliance. In July, there were five stations that had not conducted any silent monitoring in FY 2004 and eight stations that consistently reported 100 percent accuracy. As of July, the national average accuracy rate reported by ROs through local silent monitoring was 94 percent for FY 2004. This is not consistent with the accuracy rate found during the national "mystery call" findings (22 percent completely inaccurate responses). Editorial: Are these so-called "completely inaccurate" responses of the type that would be considered serious misinformation or trivial? Available Training There are many training tools available to Public Contact Team coaches for use in training VSRs. The following are some of these tools: · VA Pamphlet 80-04-01, Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents, can be used as a basic training tool for new VA employees and for refresher training. · ADVISOR is a computer-based training program that covers the eight major benefit programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is readily available on line. Each benefit module includes information on eligibility requirements, application procedures and processing, and rates of payment. Scenarios are included as part of the learning process. ADVISOR also features a "Training Mode of Operation," which allows participants to keep a record of lesson assessments. Information from individual participant disks can be compiled and used to determine PCT training needs. ADVISOR is available through the Internet and Intranet. · Twelve videotapes were sent to each RO in August 2004 for training of employees assigned to the PCT. Eight of the 12 videotapes cover the Education, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Loan Guaranty, and Insurance programs. These tapes can be used to train new employees or for refresher training. There are two tapes for each program. The first tape addresses the overall program, and the second tape includes frequently asked questions and the threshold for transferring calls to the appropriate toll-free number. The four remaining tapes are overviews of the National Cemetery Administration and the Veterans Health Administration benefits and services. Editorial: The V.A., entering the new millenium, doesn't even have the right tools for Internet/Intranet and probably more military retirees providing team coaches .. pathetic. When a PCT rep tells me "..Regs/Law don't matter" -- you've got to wonder what the hell they are doing?

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Director (00/21) · The Compensation and Pension Service Training web page contains the Core Training Curriculum for the Claims Processing Initiative (CPI) Model and includes lesson plans, handouts, and PowerPoint slides for the PCT. Editorial: Now, I must say that Powerpoint and other slide presentation tools have been around for over a decade and I realize the U.S. govt lacks in recruiting quality staffers such as myself, GS-12 Rating (1979.) Rotation Issues The rotation schedule for VSRs into the PCT should promote a consistent, high- level quality of work and a cohesive team atmosphere. Through C&P site surveys and from other methods, we have learned that some VSRs are rotated more than once per day to answer telephones; some are rotated daily; some are rotated weekly. Often, employees are not physically located together; i.e., spread throughout the Veterans Service Center. This type of rotation is not in the spirit of the CPI model and is not acceptable. VSRs on the Public Contact Teams should sit together as a team. Rotation should not be done on a weekly or daily basis. VSRs should be rotated for a three-month period at a minimum. There are, of course, times during peak workload periods when VSRs not normally assigned to the PCT are asked to help. These instances are not relevant to the problem discussed here. Editorial: If I read this "correct," (pund intended) that people are rotated as little as on a daily basis, well, let that supervisors try working under those conditions. The results of the 2004 study are below expectations and are disappointing to the organization. Of special concern is that the excellent and very good responses declined for courtesy and professionalism (from 81 to 69 percent) and for willingness to help (from 76 to 62 percent). Significant improvement, however, was made in prompt service (from 76 to 87 percent). We must be able to provide prompt service and give correct answers with the courtesy and professionalism that our customers deserve. Questions about the information in this letter or the enclosed Mystery Caller Study may be e-mailed to the direct services mailbox at VAVBAWAS/CO/DIRECTSERVICES. /s/ Daniel L. Cooper Under Secretary for Benefits Enclosure (1)

2004 VBA MYSTERY CALLER TELEPHONE SERVICE QUALITY ASSESSMENT FOLLOW-UP STUDY Conducted by Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Compensation and Pension Service August 2004

Table of Contents Hyper-Text Links Executive Summary Background Objective Study Design Making the Call Initial Contact With a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) Rating the Response Examples of Responses Rating the Veterans Service Representative (VSR) Suggestions for Improvement Appendix A: Mystery Caller Questions Compensation and Pension (C&P) Education Loan Guaranty Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment General Miscellaneous Final Editorial and Suggestions Who is Frank Picchione - Resume

Figure Hyper-Text Links Figure 1 - The National Performance Review (NPR) Standards" Figure 2 - VBA Interim Telephone Standards Figure 3 - RO Distribution of Mystery Calls in 2004 Study Figure 4 - Distribution of Mystery Calls by Category Figure 5 - Time Spent in Queue Figure 6 - Blocked-call and Abandoned-call Percentages Figure 7 - Greetings by VSRs Figure 8 - VSR Responses to Questions Figure 9 - Accuracy and Completeness of Responses Figure 10 - Responses by Category Figure 11 - Criteria for Evaluating Mystery Calls Figure 12 - VSRs Rating on Customer Interaction in 2004 Study Figure 13 - VSRs Rated Excellent, Very Good, or Good in 2004 Study Figure 14 - Jargon Used by VSRs on Telephone Calls Figure 15 - Phrases/Words Used by VSRs to End/Close Telephone Calls

Executive Summary The Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), conducted a follow-up study of telephone service quality of Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs) at 57 VBA regional offices (ROs) throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Puerto Rico and Manila ROs were not included in this study. (The original study was completed in 2002.) For this study, a total of 1,089 calls were distributed between the ROs. Calls were made during normal business hours between March 24, 2004, and May 18, 2004. The mystery callers made calls staged as relatives or friends of veterans. Each call included a general question about veterans' benefits that did not require any veteran-specific information. The mystery callers kept track of various service components such as length of time for the call to be answered, length of time on hold, and total length of talk time. At the conclusion of the call, mystery callers evaluated the VSRs on service provided. This evaluation included courtesy and professionalism, willingness to help, and prompt service. The mystery callers also evaluated the verbatim responses to the questions for accuracy and completeness. This report gives this study's outcomes and also compares some of its significant information to the 2002 study. The major findings of this study follow: · While timeliness improved, conveying the willingness to help declined significantly from 92 percent in 2002 to 78 percent in this study. · In this study, 70 percent of the calls were answered within 3 minutes and all were answered either by a person or an automated message (as compared to the 2002 study, only 31 percent were answered within 3 minutes). Editorial: How the hell does the V.A. quantify automated message response to "prompt service" category??? .. giving itself a 70% increase in 2004???

· Overall, only 50 percent of the VSRs answered the phone correctly as follows: VA, this is (name), may, how, or can I help you? (How can I help you is preferred.) · VSRs use too much jargon when answering calls, and they do not use a professional closing when ending calls. · Favorable ratings (excellent, very good, and good) were 90 percent on courtesy/ professionalism and prompt service (down significantly from 97 percent in 2002). · This study found that 22 percent of the responses were completely incorrect. The 2002 study also found 22 percent completely incorrect responses. So while we scored at 90 percent for courtesy/professionalism and prompt service, we scored only 35 percent for completely correct and mostly correct responses. · Here is the significant data from the 2002 and the 2004 studies on responses to general benefits' questions. Results 2002 2004 Completely Correct 5% 19% Mostly Correct 10% 16% Partially Correct 29% 20% Minimally Correct 34% 23% Completely Incorrect 22% 22% Overall, these findings suggest that VBA is still falling short of its objective to provide excellent telephone service to our customers when responding to general questions on veterans' benefits. However, some of VBA's objectives, particularly in terms of length of time to answer a call and the length of time in the local queue, have greatly improved. Improvements in the quality and completeness of the responses provided by the VSRs can be made by targeted training and by the VSRs knowing where to go to get the information needed in order to respond correctly to questions. Also, RO directors need to convey to their station managers and their VSRs the performance expectations and the importance of giving quality telephone service to our Nation's veterans and callers telephoning VBA on their behalf.

Background Objective: Excellent Customer Service The National Performance Review (NPR) began the process of setting standards for telephone service in the Federal Government. Based on a review of telephone performance standards in leading businesses and their relationship to customer satisfaction, the NPR established telephone service standards for Federal agencies. Please see Figure 1. Figure 1 NPR Telephone Standards Performance Area Performance Standard Average time to answer Less than 15 seconds Abandoned-call rate Less than 2% Busy rate (blocked-call rate) Less than 1% Service level 98% First-call resolution (all information given on 95% call {no transfer}) The performance areas for operator service levels include: courtesy, initiative, accuracy, and completeness. NPR urged agencies to establish benchmark standards, to try to continuously improve performance, and to measure their performance against the established standards. In an effort to move toward the NPR standards, VBA established interim standards for telephone service. Please see Figure 2. Figure 2 VBA Interim Telephone Standards Performance Area Performance Standard Average time to answer 3 minutes Abandoned-call rate Less than 10% Blocked-call rate (those calls that can't get Less than 10% into the local RO queue)

In 2002, C&P Service conducted an external "mystery caller" study of VBA's telephone service and wanted to evaluate the entire call event. This evaluation included the following items: · length of time until the call was answered · manner in which the caller was treated · completeness and correctness of the response In order to see if we had improved and to get a more current baseline for comparison with the National Silent Monitoring Quality Program, C&P Service conducted a similar study from late March 2004 through May 2004 that mirrored the 2002 study. The mystery caller method provides an efficient way to objectively test the telephone service using a surrogate (mystery caller) for the average customer. These mystery callers recorded information on calling outcomes: no answer, busy signals, hold times, etc. The mystery callers also recorded the verbatim responses given by the VSRs to specific questions that were evaluated with regard to accuracy and completeness. The mystery callers also evaluated the VSRs on courtesy, professionalism, and willingness to help. (These ratings have no relationship to the accuracy and completeness of the responses.)

Study Design This study included mystery calls to all regional offices in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. No calls were made to the Puerto Rico and Manila ROs. Calls for this study were similarly distributed based on the call volume from the 2002 study. The distribution of the 1,089 calls conducted in this study is shown in Figure 3 on the next page. Calls were assigned to those ROs within a Virtual Information Center (VIC) in the Eastern, Southern, and Central Areas, as if they were stand-alone offices. Since it wasn't possible to guarantee if the call was taken by a VSR in the "home" RO, a question was asked as to where the call was being handled. Calls were randomly scheduled throughout the local working hours of the ROs. With the exception of the St. Petersburg Regional Office, no more than one call per hour was made to a specific RO. Due to the volume of calls St. Petersburg handles, it had more calls assigned than any other regional office. Experienced mystery callers made calls that were staged as relatives or friends of veterans. The same questions used in the 2002 study were used in this study. As part of each call, a specific question was asked covering VBA administered benefits. All questions were general in nature, and none required veteran-specific data. The questions were designed to represent the type of inquiry normally made as a first step in obtaining information about whether a benefit was available. A complete list of the 60 questions used is in Appendix A of this report.

Figure 3 Distribution of Mystery Calls in 2004 Study RO No. of Calls RO No. of Calls Albuquerque 11 Montgomery 26 Anchorage 3 Muskogee 21 Atlanta 30 Nashville 29 Baltimore 12 New Orleans 24 Boise 5 New York 34 Boston 13 Newark 21 Buffalo 12 Oakland 38 Cheyenne 2 Philadelphia 26 Chicago 17 Phoenix 22 Cleveland 37 Pittsburgh 19 Columbia 22 Portland 9 Denver 28 Providence 5 Des Moines 7 Reno 9 Detroit 23 Roanoke 19 Fargo 4 Salt Lake City 5 Fort Harrison 4 San Diego 18 Hartford 7 Seattle 29 Honolulu 7 Sioux Falls 3 Houston 29 St. Louis 21 Huntington 10 St. Paul 15 Indianapolis 20 St. Petersburg 174 Jackson 18 Togus 4 Lincoln 6 Waco 63 Little Rock 15 Washington 12 Los Angeles 32 White River Junction 3 Louisville 17 Wichita 7 Manchester 4 Wilmington 3 Milwaukee 10 Winston-Salem 25 Total 1,089 Editorial: As a statistical analyst expert, author of the Federal (Statistical) EEO System for USARPAC, the results may have been a lot different IF Reno had more than 9, Honolulu > 7, Sioux Falls 3, etc. Get my drift? Everyone knows St Petersburg sucks and should be evaluated on its own merits, ie, fired! IOW, for 50+ ROs, 1,000 calls don't get it. It would be one (1) thing to attempt to cover C&P equitably, but half a dozen categories, eg, education, loans -- ridiculous.

Based on their actual experience, C&P staff determined the proportion of all general (not veteran-specific) questions received by VSRs for each of the following categories: compensation and pension, education, loan guaranty, vocational rehabilitation and employment, general, and miscellaneous. The distribution appears in Figure 4. There were no mystery caller questions covering insurance benefits, and the listed categories were distributed randomly across the 1,089 calls. Calls were made to the "back-door" phone numbers of each regional office. This is the number that the National Automated Response System (NARS) uses to direct 1-800-827-1000 calls to ROs based on the area code from which the calls originate. Using this back-door phone number put the mystery caller directly in the local RO queue. However, because of the caller ID system (which shows the number you are calling from), several VSRs questioned how the mystery callers reached their particular RO. As part of the study design, several of the calls made to the regional offices were developed to specifically request or expect the VSR to offer a publication or form. Given the question asked, it could be typical for a VSR to suggest a publication or form be sent to the caller. The mystery callers kept notes on prepared forms. The responses to the questions were written verbatim. If this seemed to take a long time, the mystery callers explained to the VSRs that they wanted to correctly document the information they were given, as the mystery callers would be giving this information to the veterans or others on whose behalf they were calling.

Figure 4 Distribution of Mystery Calls by Category Category Actual Percentage from VA Number of Calls Scheduled C&P 32% 347 Education 14% 151 Loan Guaranty 17% 183 VR&E 5% 61 General 19% 211 Miscellaneous 13% 136 Insurance 0% 0 Total 100% 1,089

Making the Call The study design called for a total of 1,089 mystery calls. The mystery callers were told to hold at least 25 minutes before hanging up if placed in the local queue. Of the total calls, 326 (30 percent) were made to ROs within a VIC. In most cases, these calls were answered by VSRs with no significant time spent in queue. The number of calls completed to ROs not in a VIC was 763 (70 percent). Most of these calls were answered by the automated message and placed in queue. For more details on the amount of time spent in queue, please see Figure 5. Out of the 1,089 calls, less than 10 (1 percent), the busy signal was received indicating that the local queue was full. (The mystery callers called these offices until they could get through.) No calls were answered by a personal voice mail. Figure 5 Time Spent in Queue Number of Calls Totaled 1,089 Amount of Time Number of Calls Percentage Less than 1 minute 276 25% 1-2 minutes 320 29% 2-3 minutes 161 15% 3-4 minutes 111 10% 4-5 minutes 89 8% 6-10 minutes 98 9% 10-20 minutes 27 3% Over 20 minutes 7 1% Note: 70 percent of the calls were answered within 3 minutes 30 percent of the calls were in queue over 3 minutes Over 75 percent of all calls were placed in the local queue. One in 4 (25 percent) of these calls were in the local queue less than 1 minute, while 29 percent were in the queue more than 1 but less 2 minutes. Calls that went to the local queue and were answered within the VBA standard of 3 minutes or less was 70 percent. Almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) of all calls that were in the local queue were answered in less than 5 minutes, while 13 percent of calls were either answered in 5 minutes or longer or were not answered within the 25-minute calling protocol. See Figure 6 showing the blocked-call and abandoned-call rates comparison for 2002 and 2004.

Figure 6 Blocked-call and Abandoned-call Percentages Blocked Abandoned 2002 3.0% 12.5% 2004 1.8% 5.3% Note: For 2002, the months of September and October were averaged, as this was the 2-month period used for the January 2003 report (study months of September and October). For 2004, the months of April and May were averaged, as this was the 2-month period used for the August 2004 report (study months of April and May).

Initial Contact With a VSR In all of the 1,089 scheduled calls, the mystery callers talked to a VSR. When the VSR answered the call, one or more greetings were given. In half of the calls, the VSR identified the agency as Department of Veterans Affairs, provided a name, and asked how, may, or can I help you. The most often single greeting used in 5.9 percent of the calls was Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, or other identifier indicating that the caller had reached a Department of Veterans Affairs office. The second most single greeting used in 1.4 percent of the calls was the name of the VSR's regional office. Please see Figure 7 on the next page. In over half of the calls, the VSR answered the phone with more than one greeting. When these calls are combined with those where only one greeting was given, the most often used greeting remained Department of Veterans Affairs. This greeting was given in at least 93 percent of all calls answered by VSRs. May I help you was said in 65 percent of the calls, and 1 in 7 (74 percent) gave their first or last name. (How may I help you is preferred.) In a small number (37 or 3 percent) of the calls, the VSR put the caller on hold. In 29 of these calls, the VSR came back on line in an average of less than 5 minutes; 3 were disconnected after 1 minute; and, in another instance, the mystery caller hung up after 25 minutes in accordance with the calling protocol.

Figure 7 Greetings by VSRs Number of Calls Totaled 1,089 Number of Calls Percentage VA + name + may I help you 546 50.0% VA + name 257 24.0% VA + may I help you 137 12.4% Department of Veterans Affairs 64 5.9% Hello, good morning, or good afternoon 44 4.0% All other 22 2.0% Name of regional office 15 1.4% VSRs name only 4 .3% Editorial: Again, if you are rating critical information based upon (1) how quickly the phone is picked up and (2) the greeting, you can see why I feel the V.A. has serious problems; serious management problems as well as staff. Reviewing this report for content, quality, is absent. Management can not even train staff to greet a veteran on the #800 the right way, what do you expect? As in the 2002 study, VSRs most often answered the questions rather than refer the mystery callers to a web site or to another telephone number.

Also as in the 2002 study, when all responses are considered, 82 percent of the VSRs answered the questions. Please see Figure 8. Figure 8 VSR Responses to Questions Number of Calls Totaled 1,089 Response Percentage Answered questions 82.0% Offered publication 18.0% Gave phone number only 10.0% Gave another agency or name/no phone number given 5.0% Refused to provide general information without claim or 2.0% Social Security number or not being the veteran Gave web site for answer 1.0% Did not give answer or referral .3% Note: Total greater than 100 percent (118.3 percent) due to rounding and multiple possibilities (e.g., answered questions but also offered publication and phone number).

Rating the Response The mystery callers who are considered experts in VBA benefits evaluated the verbatim responses of the VSRs. The mystery callers evaluated the VSRs accuracy and completeness of responses and gave each response a mark in the following categories: completely correct, mostly correct, partially correct, minimally correct, and completely incorrect. Please see Figure 9. Figure 9 Accuracy and Completeness of Responses Results 2002 2004 Completely Correct 5% 19% Mostly Correct 10% 16% Partially Correct 29% 20% Minimally Correct 34% 23% Completely Incorrect 22% 22% As shown in Figure 10, the ratings varied by category. For responses to loan guaranty questions, 74 percent were at least partially correct, while responses to education questions were 41 percent at least partially correct. Responses to questions in the other categories received fairly comparable evaluations. Figure 10 Responses by Category Category Results Completely Mostly Partially Minimally Completely Correct Correct Correct Correct Incorrect C&P 18% 17% 18% 30% 17% Education 15% 16% 10% 19% 40% Loan Guaranty 29% 15% 30% 14% 12% VR&E 8% 16% 26% 23% 27% General 22% 13% 22% 23% 20% Miscellaneous 15% 17% 15% 27% 26% Note: Total calls rated were 1,086. Three could not be rated, as the mystery callers either were put on hold before they could ask their questions or calls were disconnected before the VSRs responded. Please see Figure 11 for the criteria used for each response by category.

Figure 11 Criteria for Evaluating Mystery Calls Category Criteria Completely Correct Addressing all issues in the response provided by VACO Mostly Correct Addressing most of the issues in the response provided by VACO Partially Correct Answering some part of the expected response and providing a phone number Minimally Correct Answering part of the expected response but providing no phone number Completely Incorrect Answering no part of the expected response, giving wrong information, or giving no information and suggesting the caller telephone another number Pages 12 through 21 show actual responses by VSRs to questions posed by the mystery callers. The answers reflect responses in all categories. There are also examples of lack of courtesy and professionalism and what VSRs seemed to convey in discouraging the filing of a claim. After each response you will find the mystery callers evaluation. The responses are shown exactly as spoken by the VSRs. We didn't change any words to make the responses grammatically correct.

Examples of Responses to 2004 Mystery Caller Study Questions

Question: My mom has been having back problems. She thinks this may be related to a back injury she had while she was a nurse in WW II. Are there any benefits she can get? Response: It sounds like your mother needs to file a claim for service connection if she injured her back in service. Meanwhile, she can be treated for her back problems at the VA medical center on a co-pay basis now. And then if she gets service connection, it will be free. Be sure she takes for DD 214 with her. I can mail you the application for service-connected benefits. Or while she is at the hospital, she may pick up a copy. If she needs help filling out the form, we have counselors here that could help her. Evaluation: Completely correct Showed willingness to help

Question: My sister was a nurse in Vietnam. She died last week of lung cancer. She never received anything from VA, but my friend said she should have gotten a check. Can I get her check? Response: Sorry to hear about your sister's death. We all must experience these sorrows from time to time. No, you cannot receive her benefits, and I am not trying to be mean about it. Do you have her Social Security number or DD 214 handy? This would tell us a lot of information we need to help us since she had never filed a claim. Have you filed for burial benefits? Was she buried in a private cemetery? Have you ordered a marker yet? I don't mean to pry, but I am trying to save you some money any way I can. She is entitled to the marker free; she may be entitled to some help on the funeral expenses. I will send you the forms today. Or if you prefer you can look for the DD 214 and call me back at which time I will know more information and still will send you the forms at that time. My name is ___________; my extension is _____________. You may call me direct. Evaluation: Completely correct Showed willingness to help; acknowledged death of sister in empathetic way

Question: My son just got out of the service and wants to get some education or training so he can get a good job. What types of education programs can be used for the GI Bill? Response: Oh, there is lots of different types of programs. There are colleges, vocational schools, and just plain training programs. We help with licensing and certification tests. Just all kinds. Only the school or place of training must be approved for VA. He can find this out by calling us and asking or just asking the school or place of training. If you would give me his zip code, I could send him a list of schools and training facilities in his area. (The mystery caller said that the veteran was not home from service yet, and that she did not know if he would live with his father or with her.) Oh, so he is still on active duty? Well, be sure and tell him that there is a program that if he contributes an extra $600 to his GI Bill before he gets out or service, it can give him an extra $150 a month on his GI Bill if he uses the entire 36 months. This ends up to be $5400 more, but it has to be contributed before he gets out. And he must have proof that he contributed it. Evaluation: Completely correct Showed willingness to help

Question: My brother was killed while on active duty in the Army. His wife is now going to school getting education benefits from the VA. How many years does she have to use these benefits? Response: I'll have to look that up. I'm not sure; please hold. I'm sorry it's taking so long. We don't get many education questions as everyone calls St. Louis, but this is a question we should be able to answer. Yes, she has a maximum of 48 months to use and 10 years from the date of death of the veteran or the date the VA determines the death to be service connected. Evaluation: Mostly correct (response should have been 45 months) Showed willingness to help rather than to transfer

Question: My son hurt his back while he was in the service. I think he is receiving disability benefits for this, but he needs help. He can't do construction work like he used to do before he went in the service. Can you help? Response: Yeah, there are a couple of different routes he can go. He can file for an increase in that condition. He would write a letter saying his service-connected condition has gotten worse, and that he is unable to do his job in construction as he once did. He should also state that he wants to apply for vocational rehabilitation. This program would train him or assist him to train for another occupation-one that won't aggravate his service-connected condition. VA won't put a lot of money into training a veteran for a trade that in a year or two will aggravate his service- connected disability. If he's like me, he was probably very active at one time. For me, it was frustrating to pick out a new job so different from what I'd done before. He'll be tested to find out what he likes and dislikes. A rehab counselor will work with him in selecting a new vocation. If he has other questions, he can call us. Evaluation: Mostly correct (didn't offer the VR&E form) Showed willingness to help and empathy

Question: My sister would only like to speak to someone about a very female-related issue. Can you give me that number and the office she would be talking to? Response: Yes, we do have a special person for your sister to talk with. We have a Women's Coordinator, and her name is _____________. She has a direct number which is _________________. If your sister calls her and leaves a message, be sure to tell her that no one answers her calls but herself. It would be less costly to your sister if she calls this toll-free line and have a counselor to transfer her. Unfortunately, __________ is only here on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We do have a wonderful, wonderful woman counselor at the VA Medical Center at _________________. If your sister wants to talk with someone today or to begin some counseling prior to filing a claim, she should contact _____________ at ______________number, extension _______. Both of these counselors are very sensitive to the needs of these people. I am so glad you contacted us for her, and I hope she will contact one or both of these counselors. Evaluation: Completely correct Showed exceptional professionalism, empathy, and willingness to help

Question: My husband was discharged from the Army last month. Can he get free dental care from the VA? Response: No, ma'am. He cannot just have free dental care. Did he have a dental examination at the time of discharge or within 90 days of discharge? (Mystery caller said did not know.) OK, well, our regulations state that veterans who were not provided a dental examination at the time of discharge or within 90 days of discharge, we can provide them one. It is a one-time examination only. You need to have him check his DD 214, as it should be stated on there. Evaluation: Completely correct Courteous

Question: My sister's husband served in Vietnam, and their youngest child (age 15) has spina bifida. Is there anything VA can do for them? Response: Yeah, this is not a question we get often. I can read our printed information for you or make a copy and sent it to you. A child of a veteran with a birth defect, spina bifida, may be eligible for benefits under one of two programs. Veterans must have served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. The child can be paid at 1 of 3 levels based on the severity of his condition. There are allowances. I can give you the monthly rates if you like. You apply through the office here in ________. May I put you on hold for a moment while I check with someone? I want to be sure that I give you the right information. OK, ma'am, thanks for holding for me. I just spoke with the person here who handles these claims. We'd need a copy of the child's birth certificate. We'd have to verify the veteran's service in Vietnam. The veteran would need to send medical evidence showing the child's birth defect and its severity. The coordinator here will look at all he evidence and get the claim ready to send to the Denver Regional Office to be processed for payment. Do you have the veteran's claim number or Social Security number? We thought if you had it, we could go ahead and start on it. OK, I'm going to go ahead and send a form to him along with a couple pieces of information. Evaluation: Partially correct (didn't mention health care or vocational rehabilitation) Editorial: I can see how the folks that prepared this report "cherry picked" mystery callers situations that make the "mostly correct" and "partially correct" situations seem like a minor issue, as to mistake; misinformation. Not mentioning health care (benefits) and/or vocational rehab .. minor?

Question: My son is being discharged in 2 weeks from the Marine Corps. Are there any veterans' preferences for State or Federal jobs? Response: Depends on when he went into service. There are certain dates of service that qualifies him for the 5-point preference when he applies for a State or Federal job. If he is coming out of service with a disability or files for service connection for a disability and it is granted, he may be entitled to the 10-point preference. He actually needs to check with the human resources office at the place he applies for employment to see if he qualifies for the 5-point preference. Also, you might tell your son to ask for a copy of his service medical records to bring home along with him. This sure does speed the process up if he applies for any service connection. Evaluation: Completely correct Showed willingness to help

Question: My brother-in-law is 100 percent disabled, and they just separated. Can my sister still receive part of his VA check? (other information: children grown and on their own; sister not working) Response: It will depend on whether he was receiving compensation or pension. (Caller says it was about $2,000 a month.) Well, like I said, it will depend on whether he was receiving compensation or pension. She can apply for an apportionment. Just tell her to call in on the 800 number, and we will tell her how to do it. Evaluation: Minimally correct (didn't explain what an apportionment is)

Question: My son served in Vietnam, and he just died of lung cancer. I have custody of his 10-year old daughter. Are there any benefits for my granddaughter? Response: Are you claiming his cause of death is due to service? If you can prove the cause of death is service connected, we can pay DIC. We would need his medical history from the time of his discharge to his death. Do you know his medical history? (Mystery caller said: he died of lung cancer.) That's not one of the conditions related to Agent Orange. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (wrong information given-lung caner is one of the conditions related to Agent Orange; also didn't explain what DIC is) Didn't express empathy in recent loss of son

Question: My son served in Vietnam, and he just died of lung cancer. I have custody of his 10-year old daughter. Are there any benefits for my granddaughter? Response: What is your son's Social Security number? (Mystery caller said: I don't have it.) Well, I can't help you if you don't give me any information. I can send you an application for benefits, or you can download it from the computer. You can try for benefits. But you say you are now the child's custodian? Well, your income is going to count. What is your monthly income? (Mystery caller said: about $200 a week.) Well, that sounds like it is awful high, and you wouldn't be eligible. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't address possible DIC-only pension) Very discouraging; didn't express empathy in recent loss of son

Question: My son served in Vietnam, and he just died of lung cancer. I have custody of his 10-year old daughter. Are there any benefits for my granddaughter? Response: Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. Lung cancer is a condition we can grant as service connected if he served in Vietnam. Was your son receiving benefits from us? (Mystery caller said: he was not.) Please hold one moment. OK, ma'am. The safest thing to do would be to file a claim for the child for service-connected death benefits. But I don't believe there would be any benefits for her because you couldn't prove his death as service connected since the veteran never filed a claim. I'm sorry. (Mystery caller asked: So there are no benefits I can get for her?) No, ma'am. I'm sorry. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (wrong information) Polite, but discouraging

Question: My mom has been having back problems. She thinks this may be related to a back injury she had while she was a nurse in WW II. Are there any benefits she can get? Response: Well, we got a problem. Her being in WW II, we must be looking for records of at least 60 years ago. She can apply for service-connected disability, but proving it will be difficult. Getting her service records from 60 years ago and the fire in St. Louis and all. She may have some records of her own, but could she find them after all these years? Or maybe she didn't even seek treatment while in service. You see what I mean? But she can take her discharge to the hospital and get treatment and prescriptions. Let me give you the number for the hospital. It is ______________. She needs to call them, and they will send her an application. (Mystery caller asked: can I download it?) Oh, yes, go to www.va.gov, and then click on C&P, go to forms, and go to 21-526. While you're on the Internet, you could just go ahead and file on line, that would be the quickest way. I really feel bad that it has been so long. Thank you for calling. Evaluation: Minimally correct Polite, but discouraging

Question: My dad was killed in a training accident while on active duty just before Desert Storm. Does the VA offer any benefits for me to go to college? Response: Was your mother in receipt of benefits from the VA? Was she married to your father? (Mystery caller said: yes.) Your mother was not in receipt of benefits? (Mystery caller said: no.) Did your father die on active duty? (Mystery caller said: he did.) And your mother wasn't getting benefits? Well, if your mother was in receipt of benefits, you would be eligible. But you're telling me that your mother was not in receipt, so you are not entitled. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (he would be entitled if his father died on active duty) Tone was discourteous

Question: My brother was killed while on active duty in the Army. His wife is now going to school getting education benefits from the VA. How many years does she have to use these benefits? Response: Well, let me see. She has 45 months of benefits. Bear with me on the length of time. (VSR was reading from a book.) OK, here goes. She has 10 years from the date he is notified of being permanent and total, or 10 years from the date the spouse is notified of her entitlement to DIC and education benefits. Evaluation: Completely correct

Question: My son hurt his back while he was in the service. I think he is receiving disability benefits for this, but he needs help. He can't do construction work like he used to do before he went in the service. Can you help? Response: He can file for an increase. (Mystery caller indicated that the veteran only knew construction work, and that he had to lie down all evening after returning home from work.) Yes, uh huh, well, he can file for an increase. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't answer the question) Unprofessional and discourteous

Question: My husband just started going to college using the Voc-Rehab program, and I was just wondering how long he has to use this program. Response: I don't know. He needs to ask his vocational rehabilitation counselor the next time he talks with him. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't answer the question) Unprofessional and discourteous

Question: I'm calling for my neighbor. Can he use his VA home loan more than once? Response: Sure. (Mystery caller said: he just didn't know if he could use it more than once.) Sure. Evaluation: Minimally correct Very unprofessional

Question: Is there an expiration date for VA home loan benefits? Response: No, not that I know of. You have to fill out a form. Has he applied for a certificate of eligibility yet? I can read you what the "blurb" says. Applicant must have a good credit rating, must have income sufficient to support the mortgage, and must live in the property. I'll send you the form. (Mystery caller asked: can I get it off the Internet?) Yes, the web site is: www.homeloans.va.gov/elig.htm. Now you're in business. Evaluation: Partially correct (didn't address reserves) Editorial: Having worked a technical support help desk for over five years, I can see that some of these "partially" issues could better serve the veteran or caller with a check-list for the most common situations, eg, va loan. Easy to remedy and increase information provided without much more that documenting the types of questions being fielded.

Question: My sister's husband served in Vietnam, and their youngest child (age 15) has spina bifida. If there anything VA can do for them? Response: Hang on just a second, and I'll get you to the spina bifida coordinator. Hold on a second. OK, ma'am, hang on a second. Let me track down that phone number. OK, ma'am, guess he's out to lunch. They would have to prove he was in Vietnam and in the area where Agent Orange was sprayed. I'm not sure how they go about doing that. That's why I wanted you to talk to him. You can either call back after lunch, or I can leave a voice mail and ask him to call back. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't offer any information) Showed unwillingness to help

Question: My brother is being discharged in 2 weeks from the Marine Corps. Are there any veterans' preferences for State or Federal jobs? Response: No preference. Everyone is a veteran. With government, you get points if you're a veteran. For a disabled veteran, there's points. Nothing out of the ordinary. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (wrong information) Tone discourteous; unwilling to help

Question: My father served in Vietnam in 1961 and 1962. Is there a way he can find out if he was exposed to Agent Orange? Response: He should know if they were spreading that chemical out then. He would be the only one to know. OK (hung up laughing). Evaluation: Completely incorrect (gave no information) Rude and unprofessional

Question: My grandfather served in the Merchant Marines during WW II and was injured. Is he entitled to any VA benefits? Response: He may be if his service is verified. He obviously would have some medical records back then. The U.S. Coast Guard has offices at Coast Guard Headquarters that deal with WW II Merchant Marine records. Let me hop on their web site. Obviously before getting started, you would get verification of service for the Merchant Marines. The web site is www.USCG.mil. Let's see if I can find it. Unit Headquarters - OK, let me go into headquarters organization. It's in here somewhere. I'm looking. Ah, darnit, oh it used to have an office which specifically deals with this. Government and public affairs office-gives me nothing. Darnit, darnit, darnit. I'm trying to get into the building-know what I mean? Publications-oh, darnit, hold it. Search our site-records, great. Didn't pop up anything. Darnit, OK, OK, see if that does anything. There's a toll-free number: 1-800-772-8724. That will probably go to Topeka, Kansas. Tell them you're looking for WW II Merchant Marine records. Evaluation: Minimally correct (only thing VSR got right was: He may be if his service is verified) Unprofessional Editorial: It is one thing to call a VSR "unprofessional" for emphasis on "country slang," or "darn it" .. as emphasized in the illustration, but if the VSR provided the correct information, was informative and helpful .. k.m.a. BTW, the V.A. should be able to train the staff to answer the phone "as one," with the same greeting .. if they want to talk about professionalism.

Question: My grandfather is a Korean War veteran who was injured in Korea. When he dies, is he eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery? Response: I can't answer for Arlington. You can call your congressman. They love doing those kinds of things for their constituents. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't provide the information) Unprofessional; unwilling to help

Question: My husband served in the National Guard from the late sixties until 1986. He has had a bad back for years, but now it's so bad he can't work. Can he get any help from VA? Response: I don't know. He just has to file a claim. (Mystery caller asked: he just has to file a claim?) That's right. He just has to file a claim. Evaluation: Completely incorrect (didn't give answer) Discourteous; unwilling to help

Rating the VSR After the mystery callers completed each call, they rated the VSR on several areas related to customer interaction. These areas included: courtesy and professionalism, willingness to help, and prompt service. This study did not include empathy and individualized attention (like the 2002 study did), as we felt that most of the questions did not relate to empathy and individualized attention. VSRs received ratings of good or better on 2 of the 3 items in at least 90 percent of the calls in the 2004 study. The highest ratings were received in prompt service (70 percent), rating the VSRs excellent, and 17 percent rating them as very good, while 10 percent giving them a rating of good. In less than 1 in 20 instances was a rating given of only fair (2 percent), poor (1 percent), or very poor (less than 1 percent). Courtesy and professionalism received ratings of 26 percent as excellent, 43 percent as very good, and 21 percent as good. Less than 1 in 10 gave a rating of only fair (9 percent), poor (1 percent), and no ratings were given very poor. The other area, willingness to help, received marginally lower ratings. Slightly more than 1 in 4 (26 percent) of the VSRs were rated as excellent. Additionally, 36 percent were rated as very good, and 16 percent were rated as good. Clearly, the ratings of VSRs in this area would seem to need much improvement. Note that the impression callers have immediately after getting off the phone with VSRs may be considerably different than their opinions a week or so later when they have found out that the information they received may have been incomplete or inaccurate. Please see Figure 12 on the next page for comparisons regarding customer interaction.

Figure 12 VSRs Rating on Customer Interaction in 2004 Study Courtesy and Professionalism Willingness to Help Prompt Service Excellent 26% 26% 70% Very Good 43% 36% 17% Good 21% 16% 10% Fair 9% 17% 2% Poor 1% 5% 1% Very Poor 0% .5% .2% Note: Totals for Willingness to Help and Prompt Service are higher than 100 due to rounding. VSRs Rating on Customer Interaction in 2002 Study Courtesy and Professionalism Willingness to Help Prompt Service Excellent 40% 37% 39% Very Good 41% 39% 37% Good 15% 16% 17% Fair 2% 4% 4% Poor 1% 3% 2% Very Poor 1% 1% 1% Figure 13 on the next page shows a comparison of VSR ratings for 2002 and 2004 within each category of question.

Figure 13 VSRs Rated Excellent, Very Good, or Good in 2004 Study Courtesy and Professionalism Willingness to Help Prompt Service C&P 92% 75% 97% Education 87% 73% 98% Loan Guaranty 91% 84% 98% VR&E 85% 67% 95% General 87% 80% 97% Miscellaneous 92% 81% 97% VSRs Rated Excellent, Very Good, or Good in 2002 Study Courtesy and Professionalism Willingness to Help Prompt Service C&P 99% 97% 97% Education 93% 85% 89% Loan Guaranty 97% 94% 97% VR&E 100% 94% 100% General 97% 94% 95% Miscellaneous 94% 89% 90% Given the nature of the study, it's not possible to determine the reason for the differences in ratings among the different categories. But there is a significant decline in the 2004 study in courtesy and professionalism, and willingness to help from the 2002 study. Perhaps the declines can be partially attributed to the improvement in the blocked-call and abandoned-call rates (take the next call as quickly as possible). Figure 14 on the next page shows a partial list of the jargon being used by VSRs in responding to questions on the telephone and what could have been said instead. Although this jargon is probably understood by most VBA employees and simplifies communication between them, the general customer calling us does not understand this jargon. Many of our customers are older, some less educated, and some too shy or embarrassed to ask what these words or phrases mean. If we're going to use this jargon on the telephone, then it is up to us to explain it.

Figure 14 Jargon Used by VSRs on Telephone Calls Jargon What Could Have Been Said Convalescent pay Temporary 100 percent rating while unable to work because of treatment (surgery, cast, etc.) for service-connected disability Considered incompetent Unable to handle own affairs due to disability Plug-in information needed Provide the information requested on the form Appoint a fiduciary or conservator Appoint someone to handle his affairs for him Administer the funds Take care of his funds Paragraph 29 Temporary 100 percent rate because of hospitalization over 21 days for a service-connected disability Hang on Please hold Torte claim Lawsuit against VA because of injury due to negligence while being treated by VA 1151 claim Claim for compensation for injury or disease as a result of treatment by VA Give due process Give you 60 days to provide information showing we should not take the action we plan to take Letter of service Letter from the service department giving information about length of time in service, lost time, etc.

Figure 15 gives a partial list of closings being used by VSRs to end telephone calls. Some closings are unprofessional, are slang terms, and are too curt, while others project a lack of interest. Figure 15 Phrases/Words Used by VSRs to End/Close Telephone Calls Yeah Yep All righty All righty, then OK, honey Uh-huh OK Ummmmmmmm OK, then All right All right, then No problem You bet You betcha That's it Sure Bye now That should do it Saying nothing (but disconnecting the call) Note: Mystery callers said thank you or good-bye on each telephone call. The correct way to end/close a call is to ask, "Is there anything else I can help you with today," wait for the caller to respond, thank the caller for telephoning, and then say good-bye (we should always wait for the caller to disconnect before we disconnect).

Suggestions for Improvement C&P Service recently wrote a briefing paper on Public Contact Team Training Initiatives. That paper outlined our recommendations for improving the quality of telephone service. The following recommendations are key to improving telephone quality: · establish a monthly training requirement for the Public Contact Team employees to include human relations and customer service · monitor compliance with the required quality control program for telephone interviews · continue to develop training tools for quality improvement · support continued development of the on-line Veterans Benefits Reference System · consider the use of "scripting" for parts of the telephone interviews, such as openings, summaries, and closings · establish an on-going process to develop "Questions and Answers" to assist VSRs in answering telephone inquiries · develop national measures for telephone quality that can be applied to directors' performance standards

Appendix A Mystery Caller Questions Compensation and Pension My husband/brother is receiving 50 percent service-connected disability. Our/his daughter turned 18 and will be starting college this fall. Can he still receive benefits for her? (if not offered: is there something he needs to fill out?) Compensation/Pension Question 1 (CP 1) My husband/brother-in-law is 100 percent disabled and we/they just separated. Can I/my sister still receive part of his VA check? (other information: children grown and on their own; wife not working) CP 2 My dad is receiving a veteran's pension. He fell, and my mom had to put him in a nursing home. Can he get any additional benefits? CP 3 My mother is drawing widow's benefits of about $200 per month. She has had a stroke and is no longer able to handle her affairs. Can I be listed as her guardian? CP 4 My son served in Vietnam, and he just died of lung cancer. I have custody of his 10-year old daughter. Are there any benefits for my granddaughter? CP 5 My mother is getting a check from VA for her diabetes, and she had to have her leg amputated last month at a private hospital. Can she get additional benefits? CP 6 My husband and I/my sister and her husband have gotten a divorce. Am I/is she entitled to any of his benefits? CP 7 My husband and I/my sister and her husband divorced last year. We/they have a 4-year-old daughter. Is she entitled to any of his disability check? CP 8 My brother is a Korean War veteran. He was in a car accident and is now unable to work. He has never received anything from VA. Since he can't work, is he eligible for anything from VA? CP 9 My husband/brother is receiving VA benefits. Our son/my nephew will turn 18 next month, and he is totally disabled due to cerebral palsy. Can we/they continue to receive benefits for him? CP 10

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions Compensation and Pension - Continued My wife (or husband)/sister injured her knee in the service and gets a monthly check from VA for the injury. She just had surgery on her knee. She can't go back to work for 2 months. Can she (he) get additional benefits while she can't work? CP 11 My mom has been having back problems. She thinks this may be related to a back injury she had while she was a nurse in WW II. Are there any benefits she can get? CP 12 29 My sister is poor and pretty much disconnected from the family. I just found out that she went to the VA hospital in ________ for emergency medical care. While she was there she fell out of her bed and broke her arm. What can she do about this? She has never received anything other than medical care from the VA. CP 13 I have a durable power of attorney for my mother. Can I send this in and start getting her VA check in my name? Is there a form I need to fill out, or can I just send a letter from the doctor? CP 14 My brother received a letter yesterday stating that his pension benefits were denied. What if he doesn't agree with that finding? CP 15 My wife (husband)/sister was a nurse in Vietnam. She died last week of lung cancer. She never received anything from VA, but my friend said she should have gotten a check. Can I get her check? CP 16 My sister was killed while serving on active duty in Bosnia. Is my mother entitled to any VA benefits? CP 17 My mother was receiving DIC (I'll have to search for the old claim number) from her first husband who was killed in WW II. These benefits stopped when she married my father who was not a veteran. My father died last month. Can she get her DIC restarted? CP 18

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions Education My sister just got out of the service and wants to go back to college. How does she go about getting her VA education benefits started? Education Question 1 (ED 1) My sister just got out of the service and wants to use her education benefits. How long does she have to use them? ED 2 My son just got out of the service and wants to get some education or training so he can get a good job. What types of education programs can be used for the GI Bill? ED 3 My brother is attending school and drawing education benefits. The VA office at the school is advertising for a work-study position that will pay him for part-time work. Is he eligible for this program? (if offers to send a form: can he get the form at the VA office at school?) ED 4 My dad was killed in a training accident while on active duty just before Desert Storm. Does the VA offer any benefits for me to go to college? ED 5 My brother was killed while on active duty in the Army. His wife is now going to school getting education benefits from the VA. How many years does she have to use these benefits? ED 6 I have a question about education benefits. My husband/brother was told he can use his VA education benefits to pay for his certification test to become a licensed plumber. Is that true? ED 7 I can't ever get through on the number given us to call for education benefits. Is 888-442-4551 the only number for enrollment information? ED 8

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions Loan Guaranty My husband/brother got out of the Navy 5 years ago and is going to buy a house. How can we/he get a VA-guaranteed home loan? Loan Guaranty Question 1 (LGY 1) I bought a house about 10 years ago using my VA benefit. I am now in the process of buying a new house and can't find the paper VA sent me that said I was eligible for a VA home loan. Can you send me another copy? LGY 2 I'm calling for my neighbor. Can he use his VA home loan more than once? LGY 3 I saw in the paper that VA is going to be selling homes it got through foreclosure. Do I need to be a military veteran in order to purchase one of these homes? LGY 4 Is there an expiration date for VA home loan benefits? LGY 5 I/we sold a house about 10 years ago. I believe the buyer who assumed our loan on our former home has refinanced the loan. How can I find out if I/my husband can get my/his home loan benefit restored? LGY 6 My son is currently on active duty. Can he apply for a VA home loan before he leaves the service? LGY 7 My sister is a widow of a veteran. Is she eligible for a VA home loan? LGY 8 I left the service about 4 years ago and now want to start my own business. Am I eligible for any type of business loan through the VA? LGY 9 My husband/wife and I are thinking about purchasing a home with a VA home loan. Do we need to live in the home? LGY 10

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment My son hurt his back while he was in the service. I think he is receiving disability benefits for this, but he needs help. He can't do construction work like he used to do before he went in the service. Can you help? Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Question 1 (VRE 1) When my son came out of the service, he went back to school for a while but dropped out because he had a good job driving trucks and just didn't have time for it. But his service-connected back condition is getting worse, and he is about to lose his job. He has just been notified that his service-connected back condition has been increased to 40 percent. The letter he received talked about the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. What is the difference between that and the GI Bill? VRE 2 My husband just started going to college using the Voc Rehab program, and I was just wondering how long he has to use this program? VRE 3 My sister's husband is 100 percent disabled because of an injury he received when he was in the Army. Is she eligible for any education benefits? (doesn't have claim number) VRE 4

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions General I have a few questions about veterans' cemeteries. My father served in the Korean War. Does the State of _______ have any veterans' cemeteries? Where are they located? Can family members be buried there? General Question 1 (G 1) My sister would only like to speak to someone about a very female-related issue. Can you give me that number and the office I would be talking to? G 2 My father is a Vietnam veteran and would like to have a health exam because of exposure to Agent Orange. Who should he contact? G 3 My father is a WW II veteran who gets a monthly check from VA. Can he go to the VA for his prescriptions? (no other details are known; get what information you will need to have to get a full answer) G 4 My husband was discharged from the Army last month. Can he get free dental care from the VA? G 5 My sister's husband served in Vietnam, and their youngest child (age 15) has spina bifida. Is there anything VA can do for them? G 6 My brother is being discharged in 2 weeks from the Marine Corps. Are there any veterans' preferences for State or Federal jobs? G 7 My father served in Vietnam in 1961 and 1962. Is there a way he can find out if he was exposed to Agent Orange? G 8 My grandfather served in the Merchant Marines during WW II and was injured. Is he entitled to any benefits? G 9 My husband/father was in Vietnam with the Army, and he is having some psychiatric problems. Can the VA help him? G 10 My father was in Vietnam. For a time, he was getting the Agent Orange Newsletter, but it stopped when we moved. Can I get the latest copy of the newsletter? G 11 Can you tell me where on the VA web site I can find the current compensation rates? G 12

Appendix A - Continued Mystery Caller Questions Miscellaneous My grandfather is a Korean War veteran who was injured in Korea. When he dies, is he eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery? Miscellaneous Question 1 (M1) My husband and I plan to be traveling in Europe later this year. My husband receives a disability check from VA for diabetes and his high-blood pressure. If he needs emergency medical treatment while we are in Europe, will the VA reimburse us? M 2 My husband is a Gulf War veteran and plans to open his own business. Can the VA loan program help me in any way? M 3 My husband and I are retiring next year and plan to move to (Waco and Houston, say Florida; all else, say Texas). Are there any tax breaks for veterans in this state? M 4 My aunt was a transport pilot during WW II. I think she was part of a group called the WASPs. She died in December 2001. Can we obtain a government headstone for her gravesite? M 5 My husband/father served in the National Guard from the late sixties until 1986. He has had a bad back for years, but now it's so bad he can't work. Can he get any help from VA? M 6 I am trying to locate my father/brother (James Smith), who I haven't seen in over 20 years. I am pretty sure that he was a veteran who served in Vietnam. Can VA help me locate him? I would like to write to him. (provide name only; no other information available) M 7 How can I get a copy of my DD 214? (separation from active duty) M 8

Final Editorial and Suggestions It seems the V.A., in responding to callers, have outlined a half a dozen categories; have a feel for which categories (based on the survey) need more help desk tools, and just haven't addressed the issues. The survey addressed, besides informative content, the opening greeting, the closing statement and prompt service, professionalism and attitude, eg, discouraging or rude. With an Intranet, surely the V.A. must have access to today, there is no reason the PCT staff could not have a task window for each category open, ready to see the correct (and complete) answers to FAQ. Many, like under education, or buriel (B) could be short notes, eg, 48 months, free marker, etc. How about this, for as plain as the nose on our face? A complete FAQ for a staffer-in-training and an expert version with more short notes and complicated issues. Phone Nos. Cheat Sheets You name it, updated weekly based upon the needs found by the VSRs -- not waiting until hundreds of veterans have been misinformed. See next page for resume of Frank Picchione. Frank served American Honda Motor Company for the past twenty years and on site with his own desk spear-headings some three dozen business application projects, and steering committee for Office Automation and doing just these kinds of things from 1985 to 1992 as an integral part of the tech support help desk. See Figure Hyper-Text Links for an absurd list of survey elements: phone response, greetings, closings and other silly/bozo stuff that is unprofessional for management -- forget the staffers! If I can do this on a Sunday, in a few hours, can you imagine what this disabled vet could do as a (GS-15 and) project leader* for a month or two! * Anything less, GS-15, would be insulting and undermine my objectives.

Who is Frank Picchione? Answer: Specialist Sixth Class U.S. Army -- Nov, 1966 - April, 1977 RESUME 1967 (6 months) Replacement Depot, 2nd Armor Division, Ft Hood, Texas Legal Clerk SP4/E-4 1968 (18 months) 697th Engineer Company, HHC, 44th Engineer Group (Thailand) Company Clerk SP5/E-5 1969 (6 months) HHC, 538th Engineer Battalion (Thailand) Personnel Specialist SP5/E-5 1970 (18 months) Overseas Replacement Center, Ft Lewis, Washington Assistant Team Leader SGT/E-5 1972 (6 months) HHC, 9th Infantry Division, Ft Lewis, Washington Computer Programmer SP5/E-5 1972 (60 months) HHC, USARPAC, Ft Shafter, Honolulu, Hawaii Computer Programmer/Systems Analyst (Payroll) SP6/E-6 1978 (6 months) U.S. Army National Guard, Honolulu, Hawaii Finance Specialist (Payroll) SP6/E-6 1977-Present Self-Employed, Specializing in Financial Applications Payroll, Tax, Finance,Customer Service Systems

Significant positions began at the first assignment after clerk school at Ft Hood, Texas and working at a transient depot. I also was an officer candidate in early 1967 at Ft Sill, Oklahoma to be an artillery officer. I resigned from OCS after six weeks.

At Ft Hood, my primary duties were the preparation of legal documents for the JAG office in court martialling soldiers that did not report for duty or reported late. As the company clerk, first for headquarters company of the 44th Engineer Group, the parent organization of the entire complement of army engineer units assigned to Thailand, including two full engineer battalions, the 538th and the 809th, I have extensive knowledge of and access to After Action Reports, including the TDY of line platoon members of the pipeline unit to which I became their company clerk right up to deactivation in 1969. I transferred to the headquarters of the 538th in Satahip and finished my first enlistment in a 2-man personnel department for the battalion.

I was married to a local national, Thai, the end of 1968 and filed for command sponsorship benefits for the primary purpose of financial aid in transportation back to CONUS at discharge in Oakland, California. I had a brief break in service where I attended computer school and graduating to become a computer programmer. After relocating from my hometown in Massachusetts and a brief residence in Miami, Florida, I reenlisted in the army under a program that I would retain my rank.

My initial assignment was to Ft Lewis, Washington where my Thai wife and I left Miami for and orders for the Overseas Replacement Center. This assignment is very significant in knowledge base as to what occurs when personnel reassigned for overseas duty goes through. I was assigned a shift assistant leader and given supervisorary "stripes" as a sergeant versus my personnel specialist rank of specialist, a differentiation in the army ranks for authority. We processed between 300 and 500 soldiers a day destine for primarily Vietnam. Like me, back in 1968, we had soldiers with orders for Thailand that were shipped out along with the bulk of the transients for Vietnam. Once and a while we would get a soldier with orders for Korea and for whatever reason, a soldier from a losing command that directed the soldier to process through us for Alaska. Normally, such personnel would be sent directly from SEA-TAC (Seattle/Tacoma International Airport.) These activities were during 1970 to 1972 when we, the Center, was deactivated as the war was "whining down" and the traditional transient site for army personnel was left to Oakland Army Base in California where I transient through in January, 1968 when the Vietnam War was building up.

It is much easier for me to think of these events in these terms, like a resume, as they unfolded in my life than specific details that are aided my both pictures and documents such as the pay voucher/stub submitted in support of my claim. Later, when I get into specific legal precedence that reflect VBA policy and decisions, you will see why this is important.

In fact, it is probably a good point to break from the cronological resume to refer to Board decisions that acknowledged what should be obvious. That is, the Vietnam War was building up after a couple of tough war years of 1965 and 1966 in both 1967 and 1968. 1968 turned out to be a major war year where the Communist attempted a major offensive infamously referred to as the "Tet Offensive (of 1968)" which is the Vietnamese new year.

By "Tet," I was already in-country, based in Korat, Thailand. We didn't know what happened in Vietnam, but were immediately put on alert and ready to move out. This alert was like nothing else I had ever experienced as I was just getting settled into my new position and enjoying the lifestyle when we were told to "get our gear," issued are M-16 weapons and loaded into "deuce'n half" trucks; ready for flights to Vietnam. We threw anything loose into our hootch lockers; not knowing whether we would return or not. We were all nervous and what must have been less than two hours of sitting on those trucks, engines running, were "called (stand) down."

It's amazing what you remember when combined with total fear. Throwing things into my locker, I quickly went to my foot-locker to find pictures of my high school sweetheart - almost like you see in the movies where you want something dear to your heart. We never experienced such an event again, and life in Thailand became rather straightforward and routine. General Westmoreland came to Korat to visit us and tell us what a great (support) job we were doing and how important our mission was. Again, in those days, "Westmoreland" was like a movie star to us soldiers and we were all squinting to get a view of him.

With the Overseas Replacement Center deactivated at Ft Lewis, Washington, we were given the opportunity to scramble for reassignments on our own. I landed in a special assignment for the 9th Infantry Division where I became a one-man show to supply "Hometown Recruiters" with literature about the Pacific Northwest. That didn't last very long as I was able to learn more about the Division Data Center and finally get into the MOS which I trained for in my break in service, computer programmer.

As the Division lead computer programmer, based upon rank as a Specialist Fifth Class, I took on responsibilities of reorganizing the office file cabinets based upon my prior company clerk and personnel experiences. My supervisor, an E-7, was grateful to my contributions and before I was reassigned to headquarters/USARPAC at Ft Shafter (Honolulu,) Hawaii, he had me boarded for E-6. I forgot to mention, my (E-7) supervisor at the Overseas Replacement Center, seeing that I was becoming a "career soldier," sent me to the NCO Academy (on base) to complete the course that was important for future promotions to E-6 and E-7. I excelled at the Academy as the cadre gave me high points for military leadership - especially in light that the average military service of academy cadets was over 7 years and I had only 4 years.

Boarded; on the list for E-6 promotion, my wife and I went to Hawaii where I ultimately was assigned to MISO (the Management Information Systems Office;) with original orders for military intelligence (MHDS - Military Handling Data Systems unit) in a concrete bunker on the other side of Ft Shafter (across the highway that divided the base.) While in Hawaii, I reenlisted for the coveted $10,000 bonus and the army allowed me to go on a special command program very similar to TDY to college, to complete my bachelors degree in business. I continued with graduate study with another major opportunity to study; majoring in systems management science at the remote campus of the University of Southern California; achieving a 4.0 gpa in all studies.

I chose to leave the army with knowledge that I was on the E-7 promotion list. The Vietnam War was over. It was a bad time for the country with a bad (military) image. I remember the most important issue to me being "surviving" in D.C., my next assignment was to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Medical Research Institute, and not knowing how we would possibly have enough money for renting off base, etc.

But, during my stay in Hawaii (things that I stated in my elaboration of my supporting statement of October 17, 2005) my Thai wife and I had our first opportunity to go back to her home and visit her family after some six years in the United States. I had researched Space-A benefits and going by the air force terminal at Hickam AFB, talk with air force personnel familiar with the "in's and out's" of going Space-A. I believe we went on a four week leave and of course, thru Ton Son Nhut Airbase outside of Saigon. Getting there was not the issue to me. It was the return. After all, even though, I had just reenlisted in the army; I had to consider the expense of a return flight if we could not get on board a return flight out of Bangkok.

I was right. Listening to the (air force) terminal staff, we went out to the airport in Bangkok the week before the scheduled flight(s) and signed up to depart (with no real plans to depart.) It worked. Our names were not called to board and I went up to the counter and asked the clerk where we were in the stand-by list for next week flight. He told me "No. 1" and I acted stupid to inquire what that meant and a few "Oh yeahs" went back to my wife to announce the happy news. You see, the higher you are on the list, the less chance you were of getting taken off in the various stops along the route back to Hawaii. I knew they would not bump us in Vietnam, on the return, because of my wife's status as a dependent and would never have boarded us without knowledge of space thru Vietnam. The next stop was the Phillipines and Clark AFB where they did attempt to bump every Space-A traveler including us. But, while boarding people, they began to call off the names of other Space-A people that I knew boarded with us in Bangkok; knowing our status as the highest (Space-A,) I immediately approached the counter at the terminal to tell the supervisor that that list, I/we should be first on it (for boarding.) They confirmed that and we proceeded to the plane, with a big relief. The Phillipines was the only problem we had as there were many Navy personnel returning from their assignments in the war zone.

Again, "selective memory" is an interesting phenomena and in my case, I believe due to the stresses of life, e.g., nervousness and happy to be with a loved one, going home; home to Thailand. I remember, on the flight to Thailand from Hawaii; landing in Vietnam and pointing out where we were to my wife and her expression, ie, wanting to leave asap.

I didn't feel like a "general" or someone in authority and recall that I was happy that I was going to SEA an E-4 rather than an E-3 (PFC.) At least, as an E-4, I felt that I wouldn't be "pushed around" too much. When I became an E-5, and took on the responsibility of a wife, again, I felt intimidated my the "military machine" and was a little relieved when I was able to have my application for command sponsorship approved; insure my new wife's transportation home, to the United States.

These are not necessarily recollections, but analysis of normal emotions and re-thinking in a cronological manner the events using everything available to me. I am not a candidate for the United States Supreme Court and making admissions as to what I placed on a resume in affiliation with a university group; the purpose of it, i.e., to impress, or otherwise - and, that (admittedly) was only a couple of decades ago!

The laws should have changed long before President Clinton insured the change in law at the end of his tenure in office. All that is important is they (the law) did. The VA has specific responsibility and duties to assist claimants and not to circumvent legistlated law nor common law precedences. We are a country of laws and the VA employees have been duly noted as incompetent in "dispensing advice" and administering claims. I do not plan to be ignored nor denied because of such blatant incompetence.

Whoever made the statement that the V.A. has conscientious decision makers, hasn't read the "analysis of decision" that I received on my claim; that ignored (well-grounded) evidence submitted, lack of response to same in a timely manner where same was not considered adequate response to substantiate claim communications. May be (benefit of the doubt; reasonable, plausible) the VARO/Reno is an exception, like St. Peterburg. All I know, since VCAA/2000, Statue Provisions as such of 5107, VARO/Reno is not following the law nor common law in legal precedence cases before VBA.

It comes as little surprise, and I am biding my time with moderation and patience and documenting my claim to present to those that can institute reform, whether just locally in the State of Nevada, or assist other veteran advocates that are more interested in helping veterans than their position in a VSO. In any case, consider this "Chapter 1" with "Chapter 2" to follow.