IMCOM Customer Service Assessment lets customers tell leaders where to focus

By Tom Saunders (IMCOM-Europe)April 8, 2010

Survey
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HEIDELBERG, Germany -- People who have taken customers surveys only to be left wondering if anyone paid attention to their feedback can rest assured if you take the Installation Management Command Customer Service Assessment that leaders in IMCOM are paying attention.

The Customer Service Assessment is an online annual survey that allows individuals to rate the performance and importance of garrison services, according to Dawn Brlecic, IMCOM-Europe Customer Management Services program manager.

In fact, customers in Europe who took the CSA last fall are helping to shape the services IMCOM-Europe leaders provide to Soldiers, families and civilians.

"IMCOM-Europe cares about continuing to provide the best service possible to Soldiers, families and civilians. By using CSA data, we can help garrison and region leadership understand how customers rated the importance and performance of services in the region and help them focus their efforts on areas rated the lowest in performance and the highest in importance. The customer, in effect, tells leadership where to focus its efforts," Brlecic explained.

The Customer Service Assessment is an annual IMCOM-wide initiative conducted by Customer Management Services. Last year's 2009 CSA survey was the second survey conducted IMCOM-wide, and the first year all 17 garrisons in Europe participated, according to Brlecic. The August 2010 CSA goal is to increase participation in an effort to better represent Europe's customer base.

Brlecic said the upcoming survey will help leadership gather information to conduct trend analysis, thereby determining if improvements have had the intended effect and identifying new areas for improvement and best practices.

The 2009 CSA Europe Region data showed that customers rated Fire/Emergency Services, Religious Services, and Administrative Services as very important and top performing while Army Family Housing, Unaccompanied Personnel Housing, and Pest Control were very important areas needing improvement. Others services requiring garrison leadership attention were Military Personnel Services, Claims, and Transportation Services.

"Customers voiced their concerns about Army Family Housing and as a direct result IMCOM-Europe leadership has organized a very specific housing survey to provide feedback on satisfaction with reconfigured quarters. Leadership will gather information about how families rate the amenities both inside the quarters and the outside living area," said Brlecic.

Other improvements come in many forms, said Brlecic, who explained that sometimes customer dissatisfaction is simply due to service providers not being properly trained to provide the service people expect. Results of the survey may identify professional development opportunities to improve overall services.

The upcoming survey will build on previous survey data and help IMCOM-Europe officials ensure they're on track in meeting customer expectations.

"It's very important that customers realize that we hear them, and we're taking action based on their feedback," said Brlecic. "The upcoming survey in August gives every customer an opportunity to tell leadership how they feel."

Related Links:

Installation Management Command-Europe Website