Online tool provides 'voice' for installation customers

By Gabrielle KuholskiJuly 31, 2014

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

When it comes to providing feedback on services provided by various organizations throughout the Department of Defense, the Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, system allows customers to voice their feedback.

ICE is a Web-based tool that collects feedback through online comment cards designed to improve customer service by allowing managers to monitor the satisfaction levels of services provided through reports and customers' comments.

"The main purpose of the ICE system is to determine the customer satisfaction with the level of services provided within a location or organization," said Alexandra Smith, garrison ICE program manager.

According to Smith, ICE benefits include:

• Allows DoD customers to quickly and easily provide feedback to site managers

• Gives leadership timely data on service quality

• Allows managers to benchmark the performance of their service providers against other organizations

• Encourages communication across organizations by comparing best practices to increase performance results

• Saves money.

Customers can access comment cards through Fort Huachuca's ICE site, https://ice.disa.mil/index.cfm?fa=siteec67528a9660bedcd2577f598f477ff9fd4990b7bfed341af0c16fc0a8dbbbe5e5917f255dc9af9332fe2ef6fc9393a45176a93b544a683a7d530290b74061absite_id=277ec67528a9660bedcd2577f598f477ff9fd4990b7bfed341af0c16fc0a8dbbbe5e5917f255dc9af9332fe2ef6fc9393a45176a93b544a683a7d530290b74061abdep=DoD. Smart phone users will find Quick Response, QR codes, provided and displayed at customer service areas as another option.

The system provides a standardized comment card with five questions. They rate facility appearance, employee staff attitude, timeliness of service, hours of service and whether or not the product or service met their needs. The sixth question asks if the customer was satisfied with the overall experience.

"The comment card also offers customers an area to make comments and recommendations for improvement," Smith explained.

She added that ICE is not just for complaints. Customers are encouraged to provide comments on all types of customer service.

"If there was a positive experience or someone went out of their way to provide exceptional customer service, we [ask] our customers to document this with an ICE comment," Smith continued. "Also if the customer has a process improvement initiative or recommendation, we encourage our customers to use ICE for this."

Once comment cards are submitted, service providers and managers are required to respond to ICE customer comments within three business days of submission when the customer has requested a response and five business days for comments that do not include response.

Smith explained that Plans, Analysis and Integration personnel conduct an analysis of all comments and provide a daily executive summary to all senior leaders highlighting areas of concern and trends. If the comment is not handled to the customer's satisfaction, he or she has the option to address to garrison managers.

This year customer comments not only increased in submission but in positive feedback during the fiscal year. Smith attributed the success to the implemented Customer Service Excellence Process Improvement Program, which focuses on increasing the volume of customer feedback and overall customer satisfaction of garrison services and programs.

She pointed out that from garrison ICE data, customer comment submissions increased from 1,587 in FY13, to 2,583 in FY14 year-to-date-June, and overall customer satisfaction increased from 85 percent to 95 percent during the same period. The rise in customer comments is nearly 1,000 in eight months of the fiscal year.

ICE extends to non-garrison agencies as well. Other agencies using the system include Defense Finance and Accounting; Logistics Readiness Center; Dental Activity; Medical Command; Veterinary Services; and Army and Air Force Exchange Service. For more information about ICE, call 520.533.9263.