Customer feedback is central to improving services at Vance

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  "You are all customers of contracted services, whether you realize it or not," said Lt. Col. William Browne, chief of the 71st Flying Training Wing Quality Assurance standardization and evaluation program. 

"Capturing customer feedback is central to improving services at Vance, both for the government and for the contractor," he said. 

There are three ways to provide feedback. The first is a customer comment card available wherever the contractor, CSC Applied Technologies LLC, provides a service. 

"The comment card has several questions about the service you just received and asks you to rate the service from 1 to 5," said Maj. Paul Davis, also a member of the 71st FTW QAV office. "One is a miserable failure and 5 is outstanding service." 

The second method of feedback is the Quality Management Information System. "QMIS is a data base server that collects the same information as the comment card," Major Davis said. QMIS is available at the Air Force Portal Vance page under the "Unique to Us" tab. 

"Pilots receive a lot of instruction on using QMIS. We need to hear from the rest of the contract customers at Vance," said Major Davis. Written feedback, using either the comment card or QMIS, is the best way to get action, he said. 

The third method of providing customer feedback is by calling a quality assurance evaluator. They are government employees who monitor the service provided by the contractor, making sure the requirements of the contract are being fulfilled. And equally important, they make sure customers aren't asking for more than the contract calls for. 

For a list of QAEs, their areas of concern and contact information, go to S:\Public\CSC FA3002-08-C-0007\CSC QAP Listing. 

On both QMIS and the comment card is a check box that says you want somebody to call you. Check that if you want to be sure and get a response. Anytime you call a QAE, you'll get a response. "QAEs are very interested in customer concerns," Major Davis said. 

"What we are trying to do through generating more feedback from customers is to discover what they are seeing, what is happening, so we can improve the quality of the product as provided, and improve our ability to hold the contractor accountable," said Major Davis. 

Feedback is also needed from the service providers. QMIS is available to contract workers for providing feedback on customer expectations and behavior. "Feedback should be a two-way street to work effectively for everyone," said Major Davis.

"It is not a one-sided contract. It is a partnership," he said. "That's how we are going to achieve contract compliance as a core competency - by fully accepting the responsibilities of the partnership," Major Davis said.