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31st Force Support Squadron won’t settle for being best
Posted 8/17/2012 Updated 8/17/2012
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by Staff Sgt. Ryan Whitney
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
8/17/2012 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- After being named best force support squadron in the Air Force, one might think the 31st FSS would just maintain their award-winning customer service standard, but the FSS at Aviano has something else in mind: improving on the best.
After claiming 2011 Air Force's Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Award this May, the 31st FSS members have only renewed their dedication and commitment to improving on the best customer service and support for Team Aviano.
"Our FSS team is operating in a culture where helping customers isn't an inconvenience, it's our job," said Lt. Col. Tyler Schaff, 31st FSS commander. "Providing Aviano with award-winning customer service is what we strive for, and we are all dedicated to reaching that culture throughout the squadron and besting our achievements from last year."
The squadron's path to success began more than a year ago, when the leadership implemented a squadron-wide initiative to better serve Team Aviano Airmen and families. According to Schaff, this encompassed a shift in the culture and focus for the entire organization.
One of the key changes was implementing standardized customer service hours. This initiative provides patrons with continuity throughout FSS customer service facilities such as home fuels and the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Yet the standardized hours are only part of the formula that makes the FSS successful, according to Schaff. Another important factor in improving the quality of service is working with customers and receiving feedback.
"As in the case of most customer oriented services, 'silence is golden' is the general rule of thumb," said Schaff. "The problem with this at FSS is that it makes it harder to determine which programs people like and which ones are a waste of our manpower."
To help solve this issue, the 31st FSS has aggressively sought feedback from its customers in multiple formats, including digital, face to face, and through questionnaires located at various services across base.
"The force support squadron has worked tirelessly to improve service at Aviano and ensure our Airmen and families receive the highest level of support," said Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist, 31st Fighter Wing commander. "Customer service is a tough business since you can never declare a final victory. I think it is important that we, as a community, recognize their hard work and dedication."
The changes which have improved service for the base, have also posed significant challenges for the force support squadron.
"The force support field is different from many fields in that our wartime mission is completely different from what we do day to day at Aviano," said Schaff. "Finding time to make sure everyone is fully capable of deploying while supporting these hours has been a unique challenge that the squadron has really stepped up and tackled on all levels."
In order to keep their Airmen prepared, the 31st FSS has developed a strategic rotation that allows them to switch personnel to different sections and minimally man those sections based off the average number of customers seen during certain times. This ensures every Airman is fully qualified before deploying, while still maintaining the squadron's standard customer service hours.
"The force support team has definitely stepped up to the challenge to provide award-winning customer service to Team Aviano," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Craver, 31st FW command chief. "They do their part by viewing interaction with a customer as an opportunity to make someone else's life a little better. As customers, we must remember to do our part and ensure we are prepared when visiting customer service agencies. If we don't provide the information needed, it not only affects the service the FSS team can provide to us, but it delays everyone in line behind us."
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