Secret to good customer service is no 'Mystery' at the BX

  • Published
  • By Michele Ware
  • Army & Air Force Exchange Service
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Operating more than 3,100 facilities in more than 35 countries and 49 states requires the Army & Air Force Exchange Service to employ a variety of methods to track and improve customer service.

AAFES' customer service department, for example, is engaged in an ongoing dialog with more than 11.5 million authorized military shoppers. In fact, AAFES' customer comment program receives an average of 17,836 comments via telephone, mail and internet each year. In addition to this direct communication, AAFES also proactively surveys some 40,000 authorized customers each year through its Customer Service Index program.

The final tool in AAFES' customer service arsenal enlists authorized shoppers who, as they go about their normal shopping activities, function as Mystery Shoppers to confirm good service and shed light on issues in need of correction. For taking the time to fill out three sets of surveys concerning their shopping experiences, AAFES Mystery Shoppers receive a $30 gift certificate.

"An automated program identifies authorized exchange customers who are willing to tell us about their experiences at the Memorial Lake Shopping Complex, Burger King, Ranger Camp Shoppette and other local exchange facilities," said the Eglin AFB BX's General Manager Myra Moore. "Worldwide, we currently have 487 active Mystery Shoppers monitoring exchange facilities at 139 Air Force, Army and Marine installations across the globe."

Becoming a Mystery Shopper is a twofold process. Completing the online registration at www.aafes.com is the first step; the second step is being "invited" to be an active Mystery Shopper. Every six months, a computer program randomly selects, from the registrant data base, a representative sample of shoppers at each installation to determine who will be a Mystery Shopper. 

"The customer comment, Customer Service Index and Mystery Shopper programs allow AAFES to monitor customer service on a local level," said Moore. "All three efforts offer snapshots in time of daily store operations, providing valuable feedback to AAFES' military and civilian leadership."

Additional details concerning the Mystery Shopper program as well as information on how to provide feedback directly to AAFES are available under the "Become a Mystery Shopper" and "Contact Us" links at www.aafes.com.