Exchange Senior Enlisted Advisor visits Goodfellow

  • Published
  • By Lisa J. Neidinger
  • Army and Air Force Exchange Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The senior enlisted advisor for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service visited here Aug. 10-11 and met with customers, employees and wing leadership to address Exchange-related issues.

During his visit, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm also got a first-hand look at the Exchange services and facilities offered here, and spoke about plans for improvements.

The Exchange is a joint military command with a retail mission that is two-fold: providing quality products services and food to service members, their families, Reserve and Guard members, plus military retirees, while generating earnings to supplement Air Force Services programs as well as Army Morale Welfare and Recreation activities.

Helm is one of 72 active duty service members assigned to the Exchange to carry out this mission along with more than 43,000 civilian associates world-wide.

"Part of my job as the senior enlisted advisor is to visit bases throughout the world and find out what the Exchange can do to better to serve its customers and fix existing problems," Helm said.

He said their goal is to be the number one choice for retail shopping since the money shoppers spend at the Exchange is money that goes back to support our troops.

For every dollar earned, 67 cents comes back to the military community from the MWR dividend. Last year this return totaled more than $360,000 for non-appropriated funds program at Goodfellow.

"So shopping at the Exchange is a win-win," Helm said. "You get great products at a great price and your spent money comes back to the installation through the dividend."

During question and answer sessions with Exchange customers here, Helm announced future improvements Goodfellow patrons will soon see at the Exchange and at the Express based on their feedback.

One immediate change that has been implemented is expanded hours for the Express, formerly called the Shopette. The Express is now open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and Helm said they will soon open at 6 a.m. during the week to accommodate people's morning PT schedule.

Helm also spoke to patrons about providing more food choices. He said although this is a change that can't happen overnight, one step in the right direction that could make an immediate impact is getting more mobile food vendors stationed at the fire school and in the student quad area. The choices won't be limited to just hamburger vendors either. Other mobile food vendor options they are looking into include barbecue, German sausages and even Mexican food.

"Once we get the ones that work, then we can rotate them around to the different areas to mix it up for you," Helm said.

In the near future, Helm said Redbox® movie rental stations will be seen around the wing. Planned locations include inside the Express, and outside the Exchange, gas station and the student quad area. As these boxes come on board, the video rental section in the Express will be replaced by a larger snack avenue, which will offer additional snack foods and a new smoothie/milk shake machine.

To help in the Exchange's effort to be the number retail shop for service members, Helm said there needs to be variety, and the first area he's targeted is apparel. Helm said there will soon be more selection at the Exchange that's geared for each age group. But, if a shopper doesn't see what he needs or wants in store, he said there are ways to get it there. Shoppers can talk to any manager to have it shipped at no additional cost, or they can go online to the Exchange website at www.shopmyexchange.com, which boasts more than 16 million items.

Helm said the Exchange is always looking for ideas and recommendations for improvement and want to hear what their customers have to say. Stop by customer service at the front of the store or go to www.shopmyexchange.com/CustomerService/Feedback.aspx.

(Airman 1st Class Jessica Keith, 17th Training Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.)