USO Surveys Identify Top Priorities for Troops and Military Families

Arlington, VA (PRWEB) September 04, 2013

This week, the USO launches the fifth annual TellUSO Sound Off Survey conducted among troops and their families. TellUSO focuses on capturing awareness, use, satisfaction and derived value of approximately 16 different USO programs and services. The survey, conducted by a third party vendor, highlights areas of success, which the USO will strive to maintain or even improve upon. Results from the survey help the USO set priorities and find possible areas for improvement.

“How do best-in-class organizations know that they are satisfying their customers and achieving their mission? They ask. This is why the USO conducts the TellUSO Sound Off Survey every year – to receive candid feedback on how well our Centers, programs and events support our troops and their families,” said John I. Pray, Jr., USO Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff. “The TellUSO Sound Off Survey is an invaluable tool – it gives us a snapshot of where we are today and where we may be headed in the future.”

To take a closer look at those programs and services supporting wounded, ill and injured troops and their families, the USO engaged the same third party vendor to conduct the USO Listens survey May 2012 through March 2013. The results of this survey help the USO answer the questions: Are we doing the right thing for our wounded, ill and injured troops, their families, and caregivers? And, are we doing those things right? Across all programs combined, 96% of those surveyed were satisfied and 97% were likely to recommend the program to others.

Highlights of 2012 TellUSO results and 2013 USO Listens results include:

•     USO “goodness” continues to grow, with the USO Value Score increasing from 93% to 94% as compared to last year. USO Value score has increased each of the three years since a baseline was established in 2009. The following percentage of troops agree with these five USO Value components:

o    The USO helps to ease my separation from family and friends: 93%
o    The USO boosts the morale of troops: 98%
o    The USO lets me know that my country supports me: 95%
o    The USO provides me with the things that help me feel normal in a less than normal environment: 94%

•     Troops and families are satisfied and value USO programs and services:

o    Value their experience at USO Centers: 83%
o    Are Very Satisfied with the USO: 87%
o    Totally Agree that they would recommend the USO to friends and family: 89%

•     Across all programs combined, 96% were satisfied and 97% likely to recommend the program to others.
•     The Trevor Romain partnership (With You All the Way!) is seen as more valuable than in the past; Extremely Valuable up from 53% to 72%, 2011 to 2012. Awareness is also up. 4% of Active Duty believes this program to be the Most Important one the USO delivers, up from 2% in 2011.
•     Among family members, most used services include USO Centers, free phone calls and photo books.
•     Among active duty troops, most used services include USO Centers, free phone calls and the United Through Reading’s Military Program.

Methodology

USO engages TARP Worldwide to execute the research (http://www.tarp.com). TARP worked closely with USO staff to design the original questionnaire and continues to work with key individuals to update it each year. The study is programmed into an online survey and made available for participation at http://www.telluso.org. The 2013 TellUSO is open to military and their dependents September 3rd through October 1st.

The TellUSO survey is just one of the many ways USO collects and uses data to adapt to the changing needs of troops and their families. The USO has the scope, scale, presence and reach unlike any other organization in the world. Knowledge from the Tell USO survey plus millions of face-to-face encounters in our centers informs our decisions about how to make a real difference in the lives of troops and their families. With more than 72 years of delivering on our promise, the USO has earned the trust of troops and military families everywhere.

For more information about the 2012 TellUSO or 2013 USO Listens surveys, please contact Gayle Fishel at gfishel(at)uso(dot)org.

About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, jcpenney, Jeep, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe’s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.