Exchange Post

28 Pages·2016·8.65 MB·English

The
Exchange Post
Vol. 66, No. 10 October 2016
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GOING TO — U
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EXTREMES E
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TO SERVE THOSE
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Serving Troops Where No Other Retailer Dares, page 14
WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR/CEO | Tom Shull WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR/CEO | Tom Shull
The Essential Exchange Story We Need to Tell
❛Show your Exchange
pride each and every
day. Share your journey,
tell our story and join
me in letting the world
know the Exchange is
like no other.❜
Director/CEO Tom Shull visits with associates at Exchanges in Southwest Asia. Serving
in contingency locations sets the Exchange apart from other retailers.
ith a mission to serve Soldiers, ly members. Commercial retailers do the coming weeks, our teammates are
Airmen and their families not have such a high entry require- loading mobile field exchanges to sup-
wherever they go, the Exchange ment, making the Exchange the orig- port U.S. deployments to Belize and
Our customers have unique needs
iWs unique. As a member of the inal “Members Only” club. the Dominican Republic.
Exchange team, you play an impor- As a part of the Department of
tant role in supporting our nation’s Defense, the Exchange doesn’t have
As a result of the unique needs
military readiness. Your story of private shareholders who require a
of our customers, the Exchange has
service, support and sacrifice is one diversion of “profits” into their pock-
operated in subzero Greenland, on
you should proudly share with cus- ets. Our shareholders are those who
mountaintops in Afghanistan and
tomers, friends and family. serve. As a result, 100 percent of
even near the hottest city in the
When discussing the Exchange, Exchange earnings serve Soldiers,
world. (Go to page 14 to learn more
I’m surprised to learn there are peo- Airmen, and their families.
about our extreme Exchanges). No
ple who mistakenly believe we are In 2015, our earnings were $402
matter how desolate, dangerous or
contractors or employees of a com- million. $237 million was distribut-
difficult the location, Exchange asso-
mercial business. In these conversa- ed to critical quality-of-life programs
c❛iIante ys osaulurt ed samialyrt liyn atnedr saetc utipo shnosp,.
tions, it is important to clarify that such as child development centers,
let those you come in
while the Exchange relies on best- youth programs and more. The re-
in-class business practices to deliv- contact with know the maining $165 million is used to build
er support in all 50 states and more Exchange is more than a and renovate existing stores and pur-
than 30 countries, it is actually a part chase new equipment to improve the
Exchange has unique capabilities place to shop.❜
of the Department of Defense. shopping experience. Again, 100 per-
cent of Exchange earnings support
Family Serving Family
Soldiers, Airmen and their families.
This structure provides unique This year is no exception. In 2016,
capabilities to serve those who have the Exchange served more than 30,000
raised their right hand to swear to U.S. and NATO troops in Anakonda Our earnings distribution is con-
support and defend the Constitution 16 in Poland, NATO’s largest exercise sistent with our mantra of “Family
of the United States, and their fami- since the Berlin Wall came down. In Serving Family” and reflects who
|
2 EXCHANGE POST October 2016
WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR/CEO | Tom Shull
A Soldier finds his favorite snack at Anakonda 16, Poland. A wounded warrior visits the Wounded Heroes Service Center at
Kleber Kaserne, Germany.
we are. More than 85 percent of our warfighters, feed their children and every day. Share your journey,
Exchange associates share a connec- nutritious school lunches below cost tell our story and join me in letting
More than a place to shop
tion with the military. and contribute hundreds of millions the world know the Exchange is like
of dollars toward quality-of-life pro- no other.
grams to make our military commu- Army Strong.
In your daily interactions, let Show your pride
nities great places to live and work. Air Force Strong.
those you come in contact with know
Exchange Strong.
the Exchange is more than a place to
One team, one fight!
shop. Together, we go to war, outfit Show your Exchange pride each
The school lunch program provides 3 million meals to military chil- The Exchange supported troops and first responders battling the
dren overseas including these students at Netzaberg Elementary largest wildfires seen in Washington State in 2015.
School, Germany.
|
October 2016 EXCHANGE POST 3
WORDS FROM THE EVP/COO | Dave Nelson
COO Dave Nelson's First Exchange Post Interview
It is Always About our Associates
What is your philosophy on leadership
and motivating associates?
When it comes to motivating as-
sociates, I’ve always admired the
Southwest Airlines approach to busi-
I think it is essential you under-
ness: have fun and make money.
stand people and circumstances re-
Their employees come across as be-
quire you to adjust your leader-
ship style to best fit the situation. ❛inVga hliugihnlyg m, eotnivgaatgedin agn,d a enngda ged.

Successful leaders recognize it is encouraging our associates
more about the needs of your associ- to share their ideas and
ates, customers and the organization
creating an environment
than it is about yourself. In my mind, creating the best work environment.
they want to work in are
good leadership is the ability to get We own it and we determine the cul-
essential to our success.❜ What are your top priorities?
people to work for you because they ture of our company.
want to.
I want my teammates to know they
can trust me to support them and Our senior leaders have developed
We have formal initiatives, such as
be their advocate. I want them to be excellent overarching strategic pri-
the awards program, flexible sched-
comfortable and have fun at work and orities supported by outstanding di-
uling, tuition assistance and contin-
I want them engaged. rectorate-based initiatives to help
uous professional development pro-
My responsibility is to ensure our us achieve our goals. They touch ev-
grams to recognize and motivate
people have the resources they need ery important facet of our mission.
our associates. We need to fully uti-
to meet the objective and are on Our 2015 financial results certain-
lize them. At the same time, I think
track. We have tremendous talent at ly validated that our strategies were
the biggest opportunity is to improve
the Exchange who often have the best on target with record-breaking earn-
the associate experience. We invest
ideas, so I need to get out of their way ings and dividends. While we will see
tremendous resources for improving
and allow them to run with it. tactical changes going forward, our
customer loyalty. What are you do-
focus will continue to be on the stra-
ing to improve associate loyalty? We
tegic priorities. The operators under-
all understand our associates play
stand their role is program execu-
a critical role in how our customers
tion, and they are truly fantastic at it.
perceive us in terms of their experi-
The good news is we are prepared
ences. Organizations are at their best
for the challenges ahead. We are
when its associates enjoy what they
making investments in our technol-
do. Valuing, engaging and encour-
ogy, logistics, e-com, retail, food and
aging our associates to share their
services businesses, to name a few.
ideas and creating an environment
We successfully launched our Ship
they want to work in are essential to
from Store platform, expanded our
our success. Associates throughout
online offerings; we are preparing for
the company play a critical role in
the all-important omni-channel/mo-
bile experience; and we are looking
COO Dave Nelson presents his coin to as-
forward to the approval of the vet-
sociate Lamorty Kirkpatrick Jr., during his
erans online shopping benefit. And
visit to Fort Hamilton. See more coin pre-
| sentations on page 18. we continue to make investments in
4 EXCHANGE POST October 2016
WORDS FROM THE EVP/COO | Dave Nelson EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use
CyberSecurity
Awareness
our most important resource, our as- be loyal to, proud of and 100 per-
sociates. We have online training for cent dedicated to. Think about it: our
Month
everyone and developed leadership purpose is to take care of past and
programs for middle management present troops and their families. It
By Rebecca Burkheart
and senior executives. I’m most excit- doesn’t get any better than that, un-
ed about the leadership training be- less you actually serve in the military.
ing developed for our junior manag- It is obvious to me the quality of
Do you expect any challenges as you n partnership with
ers. They are clearly our future. our associates is the other difference
take over the position of EVP/COO and the Department of
maker. They are resilient, unafraid
how do you plan to overcome them? Homeland Security, the
of challenges and passionate about
their purpose. There is no better ex- IExchange IT security
team encourages all
ample to support this belief than our
I expect there to be many chal- associates to become
deployment mission. We have associ-
lenges. We lost an extremely valuable cyber aware.
ates volunteer to deploy to the most
teammate with Mike Howard's re- One popular type of scam is
dangerous parts of the world, work-
tirement. He definitely left the com- email phishing. Like fishing, bait is
ing in the harshest of conditions.
pany better than he found it. In ad- thrown out… it looks good, but con-
We have directorates that devel-
dition, during the past three to five tains a hook and line to reel you in.
op remarkable strategies to support
years, we have lost many other ex- Once you click the link or open an at-
this highly complicated mission. You
ceptional associates throughout the tachment, cyber crooks could gain
will not find anyone else outside of
company. Within the DoD, we are access to your personal information
the Exchange who can develop and
feeling the effects of a declining cus- or maybe even find a way into the
execute business plans like our team
tomer base, budget cuts and chang- Exchange computer system.
does to make us successful in these
ing policies, which impacts how busi- One tip for safe surfing is before
locations. And, you will not find a sin-
n❛Oesus ris p counrdpuocsteed i.s to take care you click, hover your mouse over
gle competitor with associates who
of past and present troops the link to be sure the URL links to a
are more dedicated to their custom-
and their families. It doesn’t ers and their mission. Our mission legitimate site
Find more tips and information
get any better than that.❜ and associates clearly provide us
Are there any other thoughts you by signing up for the DHS’s Stop.
with a competitive edge. TM
would like to share? Think.Connect. newsletter.
Externally, the competition has
I’ve been fortunate to have a few
never been fiercer, customers have
assignments in headquarters and
never had as many choices and never
many in the field. It has given me a
have they been more informed about
keen understanding and apprecia-
their options.
tion of how everyone contributes and
In spite of these challenges, there The Exchange Post goes
their importance to our mission. It
is no doubt we will take the company fully digital January 2017.
really is a team sport. I hope every-
to the next level because of the qual-
one understands we are not only in Read the Exchange Post from your
What do you see as the greatest
ity of our associates.
the retail, food and services business, computer, smartphone or tablet.
strength of the Exchange and how do
we are in the people business.
you plan to leverage that strength?
Retirees only: to receive the
It is always about our associates,
Exchange Post in your personal
customers and business partners.
email inbox each month, send
I am so very proud of them, our ac-
It begins with our mission and your name and email address to
complishments and our mission. You
ends with our people. Having a mis- [email protected].
should be, too.
sion such as ours is a tremendous
motivator. It is a mission we should
|
October 2016 EXCHANGE POST 5
EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use
Using Metrics to Improve Customer Service
By Julie Leenders
nyone who has phoned a 1-800- creased training on that concept. director of credit operations. “They
number knows the importance Long waits at particular times during can get real-time feedback on where
of friendly, timely assistance from the the day could mean that management they’re excelling and even where they
aAgent at the other end of the phone. hTahse u nndeewrs tsayffsetde fmor tdhoate sshnif’tt. can improve.”
Customer Contact Center associates just benefit customers and Like cashiers and other Exchange
are the “voice” of the company. associates, Customer Contact Center
management; it’s helping
Last year, the Customer Contact associates receive performance re-
Contact Center associates.
Center and e-commerce call centers views based on their accomplish-
merged, creating a single hub to serve ments. Now, associates have standard
military customers. The team quickly metrics to define expectations and
found opportunities to streamline and The best part of the new metrics, measure achievements.
ensure superior customer service by according to James, is that it puts all “We’re even seeing associates use
introducing “Managing by Metrics.” of the supervisors on the same page. the information for friendly competi-
Now, the Customer Contact Center “Instead of each floor supervisor tion,” said James.
relies on detailed analytics to improve using a different method to evaluate In just the first few months since
the speed, quality and efficiency of performance, they all utilize the same the program began, Customer Contact
calls by tracking performance in areas metrics, which means more consis- Center associates have already in-
like wait time, calls transferred and tency and clearer expectations for as- creased their “available time” by 28
many others. sociates, and that means better ser- percent. That’s not just another num-
“Before, we looked at a few basic vice for the customer.” ber – that translates to shorter wait
measurements,” said Kimberly James, The new system doesn’t just ben- times and faster resolutions for those
Call Center Manager. “Now we have 15 efit customers and management; it’s who call in. No matter how you mea-
detailed metrics.” helping Contact Center associates. sure it, the Customer Contact Center
If the metrics show a particular “Associates are telling us they like is making great strides in providing
type of call is being transferred a lot, to see how they are doing on an indi- a best-in-class service experience for
managers know they may need in- vidual basis,” said Charlotte Stadler, field associates and customers.
Average # Exchange Credit E-commerce Total
of calls Program
Per day 3,500 1,150 4,650 Customer Service Week is
Black Friday 9,015 9,363 18,378 October 3-7. The Contact Center
recognizes associates during this
Cyber Monday 7,087 8,427 15,514
week with special events and fun
Monthly (normal) 103,346 33,748 137,094
theme days throughout the week.
December (holiday) 142,899 108,714 251,613
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6 EXCHANGE POST October 2016
EXCHANGE NEWS | Family Serving Family
SHARE YOUR STORY
Associates Share Their Stories of What Family Serving Family Means to Them
Proudly Serving the Military Community
By Steve Smith
Joe, Nancy and Ereneo Copada
oe Copada, his wife, Nancy and father, ing family “means so many things to inside the warehouse. Hearing the
Ereneo, exemplify the Exchange me with our daughter in the Navy tops of cans exploding in the night
Sophia Henvill
phrase “family serving family.” serving in San Diego. I also have because of the heat was a neat treat.”
JThe Copadas have served America's the opportunity to deploy and work
troops and their families for more closely with the military. Being able
HR Tech Sophia Henvill at Travis
than 90 years combined. to support the troops with open-
AFB, Calif., recalled the camaraderie
For 30 years, Ereneo, worked in ing of facilities and seeing the joy in
and “lifelong friendships” she devel-
what was then known as the “data their faces when they get to shop at
oped as a deployed associate. Before
processing” department. Joe worked AAFES again brings a feeling of home
Jerry Carroll working at the Exchange, she served
in maintenance and retail for more to Soldiers here in contingency.”
in Operation Desert Storm and today
than 30 years and retired in 2011.
is in the Army Reserves.
Today, his wife, Nancy, is a general
Jerry Carroll has similar experi- “I’m with the Exchange today
manager in the Middle East.
ences being deployed to Southwest because I love what we stand for,”
“As my father, who always talk-
Asia and the Middle East. Henvill said. “I still reflect back on
ed about AAFES, I am proud to have
“The camaraderie was much the first time I saw the AAFES sign
helped military families world-
tighter then,” said Carroll, who has on the front of that large olive-green
wide,” said Joe, “You get the satisfac-
tion of serving the military families since transferred back from Kuwait tSeenet y ionu trh seto mryi dind lteh eo fE txhceh adnegsee rPto.”s t by
and learning the love that families to Japan’s Misawa AB. “We were still sending your family serving family ex-
share.” fresh off of 9/11 and wanted to do perience to [email protected].
something for our country."
To Nancy, general manager for
“The men slept in plywood rooms
Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan, family serv-
Nancy Copada receives an award from Jerry Carroll, left, wrote about the family- Army Reservist Sophia Henvill served in
Director/CEO Tom Shull. like camaraderie he experienced when Operation Desert Storm and now works
deployed to the Middle East. with the Exchange at Travis AFB.
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October 2016 EXCHANGE POST 7
EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use
Exchange Provides Free Olympic
Coverage for Troops Worldwide
ervice members worldwide including the Defense Media Activity, program, the NBC team will engage in
watched NBC Olympics’ stream- Defense Information Systems Agency, future projects, including the Winter
ing coverage of the 2016 Rio the Exchange and DHI Telecom (an Olympics in 2018. The Exchange con-
SOlympics from their desktops and Exchange Internet, mobile and IPTV tinues to find new solutions to im-
personal devices due to Comcast provider), swung into action to devel- prove the quality of life for Soldiers,
NBCUniversal’s partnership with op the technical solution. Airmen and their families.
the Exchange and U.S. cable, satel- ExImcphreassnedg ewi tOh tlhyem respulitcs oCf tohev erage by the Numbers
lite and telecom providers. This ben-
efit was provided at no cost to those
who are serving in the U.S. military
or are retired military members.
“We’re excited to partner with
Comcast NBCUniversal to deliv-
er the Olympics to service members
14 million 22%
and their families, wherever they are
called to serve,” said Tom Shull, direc-
minutes of streaming content were viewed of streamers came from outside the U.S.
tor/CEO of the Exchange. by military viewers, twice that of average
“Few events unify the world like viewers.
the Olympic Games, and it is only fit-
ting that we make them accessi-
ble for those who chose to serve our
country,” said Carol Eggert, briga-
dier general (retired) and vice pres-
ident of military and veteran affairs
at Comcast. “We are thankful to the
Army & Air Force Exchange Service 54% 72,000
for working with us to deliver the ex-
citement of the Olympics to the mil- of those who streamed live coverage were viewers streamed at least one live Olympic
under the age of 35. event. Watch bronze medalist 2nd Lt. Sam
itary community, no matter where
Kendricks as he pauses during his pole vault
they are located.”
attempt upon hearing the national anthem.
When Comcast NBCUniversal of-
fered the service, a collaborative team,
Tell Your Customers to Take the Challenge
October 12 - November 11, 2016
Customers can support their ser- es or have them download the
vice branch of choice for a chance to MapMyFitness app.
win an Under Armour or Exchange More information can be found
gift card. Starting October 12, tell in the BeFit section of the Exchange
your customers to go to www. WK 41/ October 7 Tabloid.
MapMyFitness.com/challenges/aaf-
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8 EXCHANGE POST October 2016
EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use
Transforming the Omni-Channel Shopping EThxe Gpermeerrshieiem Anrmcy eDepot
onths of preparation and hard The Giessen distribution center tion centers are all expanding online
work are paying off as the currently supports delivery of mer- fulfillment capabilities to improve
Exchange transforms its omni-chan- chandise to numerous agencies and the customer experience as the net-
nMel shopping experience. Exchange facilities in Europe, Iraq, all work is reconfigured to support the
The transformation involves re- of Southwest Asia and U.S. AFRICOM Exchange online shopping site. Some
location of the Exchange distribu- (Africa Command) contingency sites. of those improvements include:
tion center in Giessen, Germany to Relocating to GAD allows the Exchange • Mechanizing eCommerce order
the Germersheim Army Depot (GAD), to join forces with the Army Material fulfillment from a manual process
Germany. The Exchange serves the mil- Command and DeCA currently at GAD, • Improving speed to customer
itary across the world, and whether it’s while reducing the Exchange footprint with same day pick, pack and ship
Soldiers and Airmen at the most aus- from 1.2 million square feet at Giessen • Consolidating eCommerce prod-
tere locations in Iraq or Afghanistan, to 420,000 at GAD. ucts to a specific area within the
family members back home or depen- The relocation to GAD supports DC that limits associate travel for
dent children receiving healthy meals these goals: the majority of items ordered
at school feeding programs overseas, • Business-to-business (B2B) • Moving merchandise closer to the
disruptions or changes to those chan- eCommerce shipping for Europe customer reduces transportation
nels must be mitigated. • Pick/pack/ship same day shipping cost and improves profitability
As forces relocate in Germany, • More efficient fulfillment The Exchange team is leaning for-
we’re moving our distribution center • Outbound synergies with other ward to transform the omni-chan-
to better support them. That is why DoD entities nel processes, while reducing costs.
the relocation of the Exchange distri- Also, the logistics team is im- Stay tuned as more changes are still
bution center for Giessen to GAD is an proving processes at other distribu- to come.
important, but daunting task. tion centers. Our CONUS distribu-
Exchange Logistics Fleet Wins Top Honors
he Exchange Logistics fleet took
top honors at the 2016 Great
American Truck Show in Dallas.
BTradley Wacks (pictured right) won
first place in the Working Combo
class with his red 2011 Freightliner.
Charles Compton (left) took sec-
ond place in the Working Combo
with his 2014 White Freightliner.
|
October 2016 EXCHANGE POST 9
EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use EXCHANGE NEWS | News You Can Use
Customer Service: These Associates Rock!
David Wiley Gloria Parker Sandra Hervey
Central Region/ Eastern Region/ HQ/Customer
Fort Leonard Fort Meade, Md. Contact Center
Wood, Mo.
❛ ❛ ❛
I am thoroughly She greets A caller wanted
impressed all customers everyone to
with David’s with a friendly know that Sandra
professionalism. smile, answering was exceptional,
He turned a possible stressful any questions. She has a outstanding and patient
❜
situation into a positive visit. superb knowledge of taking when helping process his first
care of customers.❜ online order.❜
Holynd Elliott Ki-hun Kim Suzi Pizzolato
Western Region/ Overseas Region/ Overseas Region/
Kwajalein Atoll Yongsan, Korea. Vicenza, Italy
❛ ❛ ❛
She treats her I cannot thank Susi has an
customers like you enough for outstanding
family and attacks all your help attitude, is very
and amazing
every issue with professional
kindness. We
a smile and a positive attitude.❜ and exceeded
left the store feeling really happy ❜
my expectations.
with the service we received! ❜
See their entire customer comments!
Check out who won Thanks Awards and celebrated anniversaries!
Recognizing the Front Lines: Calling Out Top Associates
– Dave Nelson, chief operating officer.
“You made a daily difference in the lives of our customers, providing a reason for our military service members
Eaansdt tehreni rR feagmioilnies to sCheonpt wraitlh R uesg iino nthis compeWtiteisvtee wrno rRldeg.”i on Overseas/Pacific Ove Rresaeda sa/bEouurto thpeem!
Melody Bruhn, Robert Tharp, Nichelle Cody, Jessica Wenzel, Susi Davisson,
Lackland Cannon Camp KMCC
HTraenvsaco Om'D AeFllB, main AShFaBn mnaoinn Csltaorrek, AHFyBe Koch, ZYoamukai E Hxapsrhesims oto, mAmaiand setoor Meazzillo,
store
Fort Fort
Julie Fuentes-McVey, Terri Hill, Jessica Bellotte, Chong-hui Kim, Herbert Turban,
Fort Gordon Popeyes Hood T.J. Mills Food Court Huachuca Greenly Hall Camp Zama Taco Bell Vicenza Burger King
Fort Campbell Camp
Fort Gordon Services Services JB Elmendorf Services Humphreys bike shop Grafenwoehr Vending
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10 EXCHANGE POST October 2016