{"id":29679,"date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/customs-security-and-screening-services\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T11:14:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T16:14:27","slug":"customs-security-and-screening-services","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/our-solutions\/customer-experience\/y2019\/customs-security-and-screening-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Customs Security and Screening Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This customer experience profile is from 2019. To view this year\u2019s profile, click here<\/a>.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Any traveler who has returned bleary-eyed from an international trip, only to see a long, snaking line of passport-clutching people at customs, understands the importance of a good experience. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In fiscal 2018, more than 413 million visitors or returning residents passed through customs, where agents did the screening to prevent potentially dangerous people and materials from entering the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distinct from the Transportation Security Administration, which screens passengers before they board flights, the CBP screens people entering the United States to prevent potentially dangerous people and materials from coming into the country. The CBP\u2019s screening counters and booths are the first point of contact for most people returning home or arriving for a visit, whether by airplane, boat or car, truck or trailer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A majority of the people who responded to a traveler satisfaction survey conducted by CBP on the screening process expressed overall satisfaction, particularly commending the officers at checkpoints. Many travelers also had positive things to say about CBP programs, particularly those that expedite entry into the U.S., such as Global Entry, which provides faster security screening for low-risk passengers. The agency also benefits from these programs by being able to focus screening and inspection efforts on potentially higher-risk inspection issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, however, the agency had to deal with the five-week partial government shutdown that ran from December 2018 to January 2019, when many CBP employees were unable to work. The shutdown contributed to a backlog in applications for Global Entry that persists months later since, along with the shutdown, the agency had a record number of applications for Global Entry in 2018 and the first half of 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agency\u2019s website got mixed reviews. In customer surveys conducted by CBP, 55% of CBP website visitors rated it \u201cabove average\u201d or \u201coutstanding.\u201d Many users reported having trouble completing their intended task, often because they found the content difficult to understand. We experienced a similar challenge during our own analysis of selected CBP web pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Service Overview<\/strong>
Key Services for Customs Security and Screening<\/p>\n\n\n\n