Friday, April 18, 2008

Customer service system smooth as ICE

The Army has come a long way in its more than 200 years of service and in its customer service. When Soldiers used to stand around ‘the post’ and commiserate, now they, their family members and the Army community can just click a keyboard’s buttons to voice their opinions.

The DoD’s ICE program, Interactive Customer Evaluation, is an electronic tool used to accept users of all entities on a post and their questions, comments and suggestions for a better quality of life.

Through the system, Kathleen Newell, Fort Belvoir’s new ICE site manager, said, “We seem to get more praise than complaints. At Belvoir, people are truly happy.”

“The Army is very proactive and uses ICE as a major customer feedback tool. Army-wide, and at Belvoir, the system is very important. The Army, right now, is very focused on the customer,” said Donna Landon, the outgoing ICE site manager.

For customers, the process is easy. People can go to http://www.belvoir.army.mil. On the left of that page is a link to ICE, which then takes customers into a variety of choices. They can make suggestions or comments about anything from communications and information technology to dining and recreation.

Complete, electronically generated comment cards then are sent to facilities’ service provider managers. “If the person who used ICE provided a name, phone number or e-mail address, a response from the managers is encouraged within three days,” Newell said.

However, customers certainly can make anonymous comments or suggestions.

Landon stressed the anonymous option is completely anonymous. “Other than what’s written in the comment, there is absolutely no way we can identify an anonymous submitter,” she said, adding she wants as many people as possible to use the system. 

One of the most recent ICE comments received was a compliment for thorough and efficient help from an MWR employee. “That gets sent up, through his or her chain of command. Quite possibly, the good comments about an employee are used in job promotion and evaluation processes,” Newell said.

Another example was a recent excessive backup at Tulley Gate one morning rush hour. “By the time everyone got in to their desks and got settled, almost immediately, DES knew people had concerns, because they flocked to the ICE system,” Landon said. “That’s the best thing about the program: it provides instant feedback about something working or not working. It brings attention to issues that are important to people. And, it gives directors and service providers a chance for a quick turnaround.

Landon said the program’s been in service at Belvoir for five years. Since May 2003, the ICE system has received 11,386 responses. Since January of this year, 449 Belvoir customers have used the system. Belvoir has 186 service providers who can respond to the comment system. 

Landon said the bulk of comments relate to MWR - but, that’s an entity on post that is more ‘out there’ than other facilities and has more front-line, customer-service facilities, such as the day care centers, MWR restaurants, sports and recreation events, etc.

The Directorate of Human Resources also gets a lot of the comments, because ID cards and other Soldiers’ needs fall under DHR, according to Landon.

The system does have its limitations, though. For instance, someone suggested building a new pool. “Big things like that are just not fundable,” Newell said. “Something that grand is completely not doable and logical or too unreasonable … but, we do read them all,” she said.

Newell said the system does have repeat users. Additionally, the entire demographic of the post - family members, Soldiers, civilians, retirees - all know of and use the ICE system.

“We want to know positive and negative comments,” Newell said.

“It doesn’t make sense to put money into a program that isn’t working correctly,” Landon said. “That’s when adjustments are made.”

Newell said, “We just hope the program keeps growing and growing, like it has been since we started it at Belvoir.”

“We want people to use the site regarding how we’re doing on any issue, post-wide,” Newell said.

“We want customers to be happy in all regards and the ICE program is a way of letting us know how we’re doing,” Newell said.