As shown in figure 3, the number of complaints submitted through these  mechanisms fluctuated somewhat from October 2009 through June 2012. The volume of complaints that TSA received through each of its five main  mechanisms varied from October 2009 through June 2012. However, TSA does not have a policy requiring that customer  service representatives track these comment card submissions or report  them to one of TSA’s five centralized mechanisms for receiving  complaints if the card includes a complaint. According to TSA, the purpose of this  scorecard is for FSD management and staff to monitor operational  effectiveness of airport security checkpoints and make changes as  needed, such as to improve screening operations and customer service. Moreover, a process to systematically collect  information on air passenger complaints from all mechanisms, including  standardization of the categories of air passenger complaints to provide a  basis for comparison, would give TSA a more comprehensive picture of  the volume, nature, and extent of air passenger screening complaints and  better enable the agency to improve screening operations and customer  service. TSA Has Several Methods to Inform Air Passengers about Making Screening Complaints, but Does Not Consistently Implement Them

TSA has several methods to inform air passengers about its processes  for making screening complaints; however, as with receipt and use of  screening complaint data, it does not have an agencywide policy,  guidance, and a focal point to guide these efforts, or mechanisms to  share information on guidance and best practices among TSA airport staff  to ensure consistency in making air passengers aware of TSA processes  for submitting complaints about the screening process. TSA has developed standard signs, stickers, and customer comment  cards that can be used at airport checkpoints to inform air passengers  about how to submit feedback to the agency; however, in the absence of  agencywide policy and guidance to inform air passengers, FSDs have  discretion in how and whether to use these methods. Also, as previously  discussed, at two of six airports we contacted, customer comment cards  were displayed at the checkpoint, while at two other airports customer  comment cards were provided only to air passengers who specifically ask  for the cards or TSA contact information or who request to speak with a  screening supervisor or manager, according to TSA airport officials. The Conference Report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations  Act, 2012, directed TSA to make every effort to ensure members of the  traveling public are aware of the procedures and process for making  complaints about passenger screening. TSA officials  at four of the six airports we contacted also said that the agency could do  more to share best practices among customer service representatives for  addressing passenger complaints, including for informing air passengers  about complaint processes. An agencywide policy to inform the public about the  processes for making complaints, a focal point for developing this policy  and guiding TSA’s efforts to implement it, and mechanisms for sharing  best practices among local TSA officials could help provide TSA  reasonable assurance that these activities are being conducted in a  consistent manner across commercial airports and help local TSA officials  better inform the public by learning from one another about what practices  work well. TSA’s Complaint Resolution Processes Lack Independence, but TSA Is Taking Steps to Increase Independence

TSA’s complaint resolution processes do not fully conform to standards of  independence established to help ensure that these types of processes  are fair, impartial, and credible. Specifically, at the airport level, TSA  officials who are responsible for resolving air passenger complaints  (referred to in this report as complaint investigators) are not independent  of the TSA airport staff who are the subjects of the complaints. However, recognizing the importance of independence in the  complaint processes, TSA is developing a new process for referring air  passenger complaints directly to this office from airports and for providing  air passengers an independent avenue to make complaints about airport  checkpoint screening. Because this program has not yet been approved by the  TSA Administrator or implemented, it is too early to assess the extent to  which passenger advocates will help mitigate possible concerns about  impartiality and objectivity in the complaint processes. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve TSA’s oversight of air passenger screening complaint  processes, we recommend that the Administrator of TSA take the  following four actions, consistent with standards for internal control, to establish a consistent policy to guide agencywide efforts for receiving,  tracking, and reporting air passenger screening complaints; establish a process to systematically compile and analyze information  on air passenger screening complaints from all complaint  mechanisms; designate a focal point to develop and coordinate agencywide policy  on screening complaint processes, guide the analysis and use of the  agency’s screening complaint data, and inform the public about the  nature and extent of screening complaints; and establish agencywide policy to guide TSA’s efforts to inform air  passengers about the screening complaint processes and establish  mechanisms, particularly at the airport level, to share information on  best practices for informing air passengers about the screening  complaint processes.
Why GAO Did This Study

TSA, which screens or oversees the screening of over 650 million air passengers per year, has processes for addressing complaints about air passengers screening experience at checkpoints, but concerns have been raised about these processes. The Conference Report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, directed TSA to ensure the traveling public is aware of these processes and GAO to review TSAs policies and procedures for resolving passenger complaints. This report addresses the extent to which TSA has (1) policies and processes to guide the receipt of air passenger screening complaints and use of this information to monitor or enhance screening operations, (2) a consistent process for informing passengers about how to make complaints, and (3) complaint resolution processes that conform to independence standards. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed TSA documentation, analyzed complaint data from October 2009 through June 2012, and interviewed TSA officials from headquarters offices and six airports selected for type of security, among other things. The airport interviews are not generalizable but provide insights.

What GAO Found

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) receives thousands of air passenger screening complaints through five mechanisms, but does not have an agencywide policy or consistent processes to guide receipt and use of such information. For example, from October 2009 through June 2012, TSA received more than 39,000 screening complaints through its TSA Contact Center (TCC). However, the data from the five mechanisms do not reflect the full nature and extent of complaints because local TSA staff have discretion in implementing TSA's complaint processes, including how they receive and document complaints. For example, comment cards are used at four of the six airports GAO contacted, but TSA does not have a policy requiring that complaints submitted using the cards be tracked or reported centrally. A consistent policy to guide all TSA efforts to receive and document complaints would improve TSA's oversight of these activities and help ensure consistent implementation. TSA also uses TCC data to inform the public about air passenger screening complaints, monitor operational effectiveness of airport security checkpoints, and make changes as needed. However, TSA does not use data from its other four mechanisms, in part because the complaint categories differ, making data consolidation difficult. A process to systematically collect information from all mechanisms, including standard complaint categories, would better enable TSA to improve operations and customer service.
TSA has several methods to inform passengers about its complaint processes, but does not have an agencywide policy or mechanism to ensure consistent use of these methods among commercial airports. For example, TSA has developed standard signs, stickers, and customer comment cards that can be used at airport checkpoints to inform passengers about how to submit feedback to TSA; however, GAO found inconsistent use at the six airports it contacted. For example, two airports displayed customer comment cards at the checkpoint, while at two others the cards were provided upon request. Passengers may be reluctant to ask for such cards, however, according to TSA. TSA officials at four of the six airports also said that the agency could do more to share best practices for informing passengers about complaint processes. Policies for informing the public about complaint processes and mechanisms for sharing best practices among local TSA officials could help provide TSA reasonable assurance that these activities are being conducted consistently and help local TSA officials learn from one another about what practices work well.
TSA's complaint resolution processes do not fully conform to standards of independence to ensure that these processes are fair, impartial, and credible, but the agency is taking steps to improve independence. Specifically, TSA airport officials responsible for resolving air passenger complaints are generally in the same chain of command as TSA airport staff who are the subjects of the complaints. TSA is developing a new process that could help ensure greater independence by TSA units referring air passenger complaints directly to its Ombudsman Division and by providing passengers an independent avenue to make complaints to that division. TSA also plans to initiate a program by January 2013 in which selected TSA airport staff are to be trained as passenger advocates as a collateral duty. It is too early to assess the extent to which these initiatives will help mitigate possible concerns about independence.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that TSA, among other actions, establish (1) a consistent policy for receiving complaints, (2) a process to systematically analyze information on complaints from all mechanisms, and (3) a policy for informing passengers about the screening complaint processes and mechanisms to share best practices among airports. TSA concurred and is taking actions in response.