on this page
Our research
We conduct research to improve the products, services and programs we deliver.
Our research includes asking customers, businesses, community groups and health professionals questions about what's working well and where we can improve. We may do this using surveys, discussion groups or interviews.
Research may also include conducting data analysis to improve service delivery.
We use several different research methods to help us learn and understand how you use our products and services and to improve our service delivery. This can include any of the following:
- speaking with you directly (telephone or face to face), for example in an interview or research focus group
- sending you a survey
- analysing data through service and product testing, trials or evaluations, for example testing different versions of the same message. This is why you may get a letter or a SMS which is different to someone else.
All research aligns with our Privacy Policy. Read more about your right to privacy and our Privacy Policy.
Why we contact you
We may contact you directly or a research company may do this on our behalf to talk to you about:
- your satisfaction with our services
- feedback on current processes
- new processes or services
- our information materials
- our delivery of government programs.
You might be asked to participate through any of the following:
- phone surveys
- online surveys
- discussion groups
- individual interviews.
Why we use research companies
We use trusted, independent research companies to do research on our behalf. We understand you may be more comfortable giving your honest opinion about us to someone who’s not one of our staff.
Research companies often use their own internal databases and processes to recruit people most relevant to the research topic. These can be people who access our services and members of the public. In some cases we provide your contact details to the research company for recruitment purposes.
Research companies could invite you to participate in our research by any of the following:
- calling you
- emailing upcoming research options
- emailing you an invitation.
What to know about your participation
You might be contacted and invited to share your feedback during these times:
- 9:00 am to 8:30 pm during the week
- 9 am to 5 pm on the weekend.
If you’re contacted about taking part in research activities you can say no. You can agree to help with one research project and say no to another.
If you don’t want Services Australia to contact you about taking part in our research activities, you can take yourself off our research list. To do this, call the Services Australia Feedback and Complaints Line. Please note, you still may be contacted by a research company as they use their own internal databases or processes to recruit people for research activities.
Our research isn’t the same as telemarketing. You can register your details on the Do Not Call Register to stop telemarketers calling you. The Do Not Call Register doesn’t cover our research activities.
Read more on the Do Not Call Register website.
How we protect your privacy
Services Australia and the research companies we use are bound by confidentiality and privacy laws. Our contracts with research companies contain legally binding provisions to protect your privacy.
We only give contracted research companies the details they need to contact you when they need it for their research.
Your information stays confidential and is:
- not used for any purpose except for the specific research activity
- not given to anyone else
- destroyed or returned to us when the research is over.
If you are contacted for research or a customer satisfaction survey, there are things you will never be asked. You will never be asked to provide your:
- Customer Reference Number
- Medicare card number
- Date of birth
- Residential or postal address
- Bank details
- Sign in details for myGov or any other online account
- Provider or Prescriber number.
If you’re asked to provide any of this information, you may be talking to a scammer. If this happens, we recommend you hang up.
We have information to help protect you against scams and identity theft. Read more about your right to privacy and our Privacy Policy.
Your rights
If you’re contacted for a research project, you have the right to:
- ask the company’s name, phone number and name of the interviewer
- ask the interviewer to call you back at a more convenient time
- contact us to check the research is genuine before you answer any questions
- say no to answering some or all of the questions
- end the interview at any time.
If you have any concerns about the research, call the Services Australia Feedback and Complaints Line, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
If you’re deaf, have hearing loss or speech disability you can use the National Relay Service. Register with the National Relay Service on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website.