DeCA gets highest mark yet for customer service

  • Published
  • By Kevin L. Robinson
  • Defense Commissary Agency Public Affairs
FORT LEE, Va. --  Helpful employees, quality meat and convenient hours topped the list of what commissary customers enjoy about their stores, according to the 2010 Commissary Customer Service Survey. Nearly 21,000 shoppers rated the Defense Commissary Agency with an overall 4.68 score on a scale of 1 to 5, a slight increase from last year's previous all-time high of 4.67.

"We must be on target with our delivery of this valued benefit, when our customers respond like this," said Thomas E. Milks, acting DeCA director and chief executive officer. "DeCA continues to receive higher marks in all areas. But I particularly enjoy the complimentary feedback our employees are receiving. They work hard every day in our stores. This is high praise coming from the greatest customers in the world."

DeCA conducted this year's survey over a 10-day period, beginning July 6, at its commissaries worldwide. Customers answered 14 questions about commissary performance in surveys distributed during their morning, midday and evening shopping trips, allowing DeCA to capture responses from all their shoppers. The questions focused on areas such as savings and prices; product quality, selection and availability; store hours; employee customer service; décor and appearance; and the checkout process. Commissary analysts crunched the results by store, zone and region to produce reports on trends, year-to-year comparisons and patron demographics. This information gives the agency a better idea of who is shopping and what they think of their benefit.

The 2010 score is based on 20,945 responses using a five-point rating scale, ranging from 1, "very poor," to 5, "very good." The response rate was 87.3 percent. The overall tally is a weighted average of 14-items: low prices/overall savings; well stocked; convenient hours; cleanliness; produce quality/selection; meat quality/selection; deli quality/selection; bakery quality/selection; other food items selection (dry goods, frozen foods and); store layout; checkout waiting time; attractive displays; courteous, employees; and overall satisfaction.

The top three items receiving the highest ratings were repeats from last year: "courteous, friendly and helpful employees" at 4.82, "overall satisfaction" at 4.78, and "meat quality and selection" at 4.73. The highest item increases from last year's survey were "cleanliness" with 0.9 percent, "well stocked, full shelves" with 0.7 percent and "store layout" with 0.4 percent.

"The score generated in this survey is a measure of our ability to deliver the commissary benefit, and we include it in our strategic plan," said Barry White, an operations research analyst at DeCA headquarters. "After all, giving the best service possible to our patrons is at the core of what we do as an agency."

From its inception in 1991, DeCA has surveyed its customers. First, the agency used an Air Force system known as the Customer Service and Evaluation System. This survey measured customer service based on a 100-point rating scale. In 2000, the system was converted to a five-point scale, modified to fit DeCA's needs and renamed the Commissary Customer Service Survey.

"This survey is our annual report card from customers," Mr. Milks said. "With these results, we can track our performance and make the adjustments that make the commissary benefit even better."