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Comptroller Squadron focusing on customer service

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Tracy Watkins
  • 375th Comptroller Squadron commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  As the commander of the Comptroller Squadron there are plenty of occasions to hear from our customers and while I wish I could say all the feedback is wonderful, sadly it is not. Being in the customer service business is a tricky endeavor; you have to realize that the customer dictates your requirements and their expectations are what drive our actions.

In finance we've seen our share of negative press; on Oct. 4, 2010 the Air Force Times cover contained the caption "Big Pay Snafu" with an article written titled "Deployment pay foul-ups" where the article tells you to check your pay stubs if you've been deployed over the last three years. On Oct. 18, the Air Force Times again ran an article negatively highlighting finance as it published "BAH blunders" describing how Airmen were over or under paid thousands of dollars. I don't disagree with the articles; there are times when we make mistakes and overpayments and underpayments occur far too often. What is important to know though is we all work extremely hard to provide all of our customers Showcase Customer Service.

The finance office has been undergoing a transformational process change since 2008 as the Air Force Financial Services Center stood-up and took control of all travel pay and military pay entitlement processing. We've instituted eFinance as a method of transmitting vouchers to the center, we continue to add capability to the Defense Travel System and have implemented a new accounting system. All of this is about providing ownership to the traveler as we move from paper, over-the-counter transactions to automated processing. Long gone are the days when you come into finance and your voucher is computed, audited, and paid while you wait. I'll bet over half the readership can't even remember when vouchers were computed and paid in the local finance office.

What does all of this mean for finance customer service? We must take a proactive partnering approach in ensuring pay and entitlements are paid correctly and timely.
It should go without saying that the 375th Comptroller Squadron is fully dedicated to providing showcase customer service to every single member. To assist with the evolution of better customer service, we've chartered a squadron Culture of Excellence team responsible for training peers, subordinates, and supervisors on all aspects of customer service. Our empowered Airmen are leading the charge to make sure we give you the best finance customer service experience possible. This team is working to fully train on the proper way to answer a phone, respond to e-mail, and how to provide the absolute best customer service possible. Robert E. Farrell wrote a book titled "Give 'em the Pickle" and talks about providing the customer an experience so great they want to come back. As an organization, we'll focus on the first part but our true measure of success will be when our customers walk out of our finance lobby happy and don't have to return either in person or virtually.

You as the customer must also take an active part in this process. First, I ask that you become a demanding customer. When you file a voucher and it doesn't pay in 10 business days or when you send an e-mail and we don't answer it, tell your chain of command. You, your supervisor, First Sergeant, or Superintendent, can and should be contacting our office with these issues as they come up. If we don't know problems exist, then they simply can't be fixed. Second and most important--know your pay. You should be reviewing your monthly Leave and Earnings Statement for accuracy each and every month. File your TDY vouchers within five-days of return from your trip, and if you don't think you are being paid correctly, come see us! When you PCS, file your voucher immediately and make sure your entitlements are updated. If you've returned from a deployment and your entitlements don't stop, let us know.

If we commit to a partnership in customer service, I'm confident we can meet all of your needs and prevent any future financial disasters. We have a long way to go to work the kinks out of all or our automated finance systems and until we get there we will continue to have pay problems. Please realize that the Proud Professionals of the 375th Comptroller Squadron are committed to preventing them when we can and quickly fixing those that have occurred. If you have a lingering problem please don't hesitate to contact me at tracy.watkins@scott.af.mil.