Listening Leads to Change: Making myEDD Logins Easier

Published: December 15, 2025

A Small Hurdle, Big Frustration

At EDD, we want Californians to be able to easily access our online services. But we started hearing from many of them this year that simply resetting their password after not logging in for several years was difficult — forcing them to contact us for assistance. In particular, they told us it was hard to remember the amount of their last unemployment benefit payment which was required for resetting a password on their own. Some simply no longer had old records or access to previous claim information.

I'm trying to log in and it’s asking for the last payment amount I received, but that was over four years ago.

EDD Customer

This small detail caused big frustration. Each month, hundreds of customers reached out through calls, chats, and social media — simply because they couldn’t recall that old payment amount.

The result: Adding more time for customers to access online services while adding more calls to EDD’s contact center.

Listening Through the Voice of the Customer

Fortunately, we’ve been developing a comprehensive Voice of the Customer (VoC) program at EDD that collects feedback from multiple channels, including calls, emails, chat, social media, and surveys.

We’ve partnered with Qualtrics, a leading experience management company, to centralize customer feedback, helping us to understand their preferences and experiences, both online and in person, to ensure our services meet our customers’ needs.

By listening to customers, we can make data-driven improvements that enhance access, efficiency, and satisfaction, and confirm that our changes are making a difference.

Turning Feedback into Action

The VoC program revealed that asking for the “last payment amount” was a common barrier to customers using a convenient self-serve option for resetting passwords. Acting on this insight, we simplified the process and updated the system by asking customers to provide information they had more readily available to couple with our other identity verification features. Now, customers will enter the ZIP Code from the mailing address used for their last unemployment claim so they can access their myEDD accounts more easily, without needing to call.

Impact: Faster access for customers, reduced call volume, and a smoother online experience.

We’ve seen a 58% drop in calls to get help with resetting a password in the three weeks since this enhancement launched, in comparison to the same weeks in 2024. On average, that’s 900 fewer calls per week as more customers easily self-serve allowing us more time to help customers over the phone when they need us most. 

This is a tangible example of how listening to customers helps us deliver services that are accessible, secure, and easy to use. We are working to enhance the overall EDD customer experience and collecting and acting on customer input is a very valuable part of our modernization effort.

Before: To reset a myEDD password, customers had to enter the last payment amount they received on their unemployment claim.

After: Customers enter the ZIP Code from the mailing address used for their last unemployment claim.

What’s Next

We’ll continue to monitor VoC feedback to see how this change impacts call volumes and customer experiences. Every insight helps us:

• Prioritize service improvements.
• Design services that meet customer expectations.
• Move even closer to a more customer-centered EDD.

We hear you. And we’re making changes that truly make a difference.