ICE comments give customers a voice

By Jay Mann, Fort Rucker Public AffairsMarch 27, 2015

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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 27, 2015) -- Everyone has received both good and bad service while dealing with the military, but one program gives reach to community member's views on the services they receive at Fort Rucker facilities.

The Interactive Customer Evaluation program is a customer feedback program that can make a big difference to local facilities, said Janice Erdlitz, Directorate of Family, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation marketing director.

DFMWR has embraced ICE as a valuable tool in their organization, she said.

"MWR has a direct link for each of our programs and activities from the Web," said Erdlitz. "This simplifies the process of leaving an ICE comment because it takes you right to where you need to go.

"We also have computer kiosks set up at a number of our MWR activities," she said. "Those computers are set up solely for ICE submissions. At The Landing Zone and several of our special events, we have paper ice comment cards. You can submit those on site or have a manager submit them for you.

"I find ICE to be a very useful tool for both the patron and the manager of the facility," added Erdlitz. "Managers can see how patrons are rating their facilities. They can look for areas that need improvement and they can see areas that they are excelling at; however, sometimes I think patrons aren't aware that if there is an area that needs improvement, the first step really is letting the manager know first and see if they can directly fix the issue."

People can leave ICE comments on many facilities and services here. Fort Rucker's ICE feedback site is accessible from www.rucker.army.mil. Once there, visitors can select the category and then the individual office, search for an individual office, or view a list of all offices on Fort Rucker.

Online comment cards can be submitted judging employee knowledge, attitude, timeliness of service and whether the customer's needs were met.

"Quality of life is so important for our community," said Erdlitz. "Through the ICE program, you can directly relay your customer service experience, so we can recognize employees doing an outstanding job. Letting someone know that they did a great job is important. We need to recognize our staff for their service and let them know when they are taking great care of our customers.

"If you had a negative experience, your feedback allows us the opportunity to look at areas of concern and improve," said Erdlitz. "Your feedback matters.

"I don't think everyone really understands that ICE isn't just a complaint tool," she said. "It also serves a great tool to let managers know about staff members who are providing outstanding customer service. It's a great feeling as an employee to receive a positive ICE comment from a patron that you have helped. We sometimes forget how much a positive comment can affect employee morale.

"Family and MWR actually uses the ICE program to recognize employees who receive positive ICE comments," Erdlitz said. "So, next time a clerk, an instructor, a waitress or whoever goes above and beyond, take a minute and submit an ICE comment."

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