Customers have a voice through ICE

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Sheila deVera
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  When the Office of the Secretary of Defense directed Resource Management Decision 703 - a culmination of a Department of Defense-wide comprehensive effort to increase efficiencies, reduce overhead costs, and eliminate redundant functions - the Interactive Customer Evaluation customer service officer position fund was eliminated in November 2010.

However, since it was considered a "broken glass" and tied to an Army best practice, Barbara Ringland, Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century chief, said she pitched the program to the Pacific Air Force.

"I had to justify why PACAF should [keep] the position, and I was thrilled when they agreed to fund it," she said.

When hiring for the CSO position, Ringland said she was seeking someone with an engaging and captivating personality along with the ability to communicate well.

"You can teach anyone the technical aspects to operate a program, but communicating well is a critical component since the CSO has interaction with a diverse audience. This job is tied more to a personality," said Ringland.

In July 2012, Ringland began interviewing for the CSO position, and Tamera Randolph was hired the following month.

"Consequently, the best practice we carried over has been successful without a full-time CSO and I anticipate even more success now that we have a full-time CSO on board," said the AFSO-21 chief.

Ringland said Randolph possessed all of the critical skill sets required for an effective CSO. Her enthusiasm about the job and commitment to advocating for customers was what the program was looking for.

"I am confident she will continuously strive to do her utmost to take care of customers and service providers," Ringland added.

Randolph actively engaged with the entire JBER community through involvement with the Joint Family Action Plan, Community Action Council and focus groups to identify and address the quality of life for constituent group such as family readiness groups, the Mayor's Council, single service members and others.

"As CSO, I want to positively contribute to achievement of the installations mission's, by facilitating service and satisfaction for JBER's internal and external customers," Randolph said.

The Alaska resident is responsible to more than 300 service providers and ensures site managers respond to customer comments within the three-day designated response time on JBER.

"The ICE system is the primary resource for achieving CSO goals, and I want JBER's awareness, comfort and use of ICE to increase," Randolph said.

The ICE system is often considered a complaint system, but it's an evaluation system to provide comments about what is working, ideas on what could work better and questions people might have that they couldn't get the answers to, added
Randolph.

"Customer satisfaction is something we can provide, increase and support without a lot of extra money," Randolph said. "When people are more satisfied, the morale is up; the community is a better place, because customers are not frustrated with things that could be handled."

JBER is currently ranked 27 out of the 767 Department of Defense installations using ICE to assess customer satisfaction, placing the base in the top 4 percent.