May-Jun 2010.indd - Commissaries.com

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Ord Community Commissary, Calif., makes the Family Fun Fitness Festival a day to remember with a twomile run-walk, which started at noon at the store, May 15. The first 225 finishers earned medals. U.S. Army photo: Phillip “Hiro” Chang DeCA, base activities team up for sales, health events Family Fun Fitness Festival Kevin L. Robinson Office of Communication S tore Director Cynthia Six, Parris Island Commissary, S.C., has a thing for losing, and it was celebrated all over the Marine Corps recruit depot recently. “When I received the e-mail about the ‘Family Fun Fitness Festival,’ I hit the ground running,” she said. “In December, I contacted the installation exchange, gym, physical fitness directors, naval hospital dietitian and anyone who would listen to me.” Six’s gung-ho hustle resulted in a depotwide series of weightchallenge events, inspired by NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” that military communities’ facilities is began in January and continued worth the trip,” said then DeCA into National Physical Fitness Director and CEO Philip E. Month in May. Sakowitz Jr. Six’s fitness splash was part Preparations for the festival of a tidal wave of activity across began in November 2009. With the military resale community May being National Physical as commissaries, exchanges, Fitness Month and commissaries and morale, welfare and already scheduled to conduct the recreation activities worldwide first of two came together for the Family worldwide case Fun Fitness Festival in May, lot sales during touted as one of the largest that time, the partnership efforts in resale idea was to history. maximize the The festival was designed ability of all to combine commissary case installation lot sales, exchange sidewalk military resale sales, MWR fitness events, components to demos, music, free nutritious offer customers Cynthia Six food samples, prize giveaways, C. Brad McMinn a bonanza of discount coupon offers, health savings and and wellness, outreach, and health and wellness information, children’s programs. said C. Brad McMinn, chief of The event was “a wonderful the perishables division for DeCA’s opportunity for commissaries, sales directorate. exchanges, MWR services and “This entire effort is about our industry partners to show our customers why visiting their partnership,” McMinn said.� 12 decavision 2010�Vol. 19, No. 3
H ave getsmart Customer service Patrons’ needs shape work As a DeCA employee gets ready for work and quickly “checks the look” in the mirror, it doesn’t matter if he or she wears a manager’s blazer, a cashier’s smock, a meatcutter’s apron or a down vest for working in a cooler. According to DeCA Acting Director and CEO Thomas E. Milks, they all have at least one thing in common: an intense focus on customer service. “To effectively focus on our customers, we must continue to develop an understanding that customer needs shape most of the work we do – every day,” said Milks. Milks said DeCA employees continually ask themselves the questions: “Who are we really working for?” and “Who is our customer?” a look at how some store directors around the world make customer service a priority: What are you doing to enhance customer service? Store Director Rose Castro, Atsugi Commissary, Japan: We all provide a vital service to our customers, but to ensure that they not only need to come back but want to come back to the commissary, I make it my personal crusade to make each and every one of my patrons feel special and important. It is impossible for me to learn and remember all of them by name, but I try. Rose Castro I have been with the commissary for more than two decades, and not to sound immodest, but I have “In answering these two salient questions, we strive to achieve customer satisfaction through the use of our informed and dedicated employees,” he said. “The understanding of these questions allows DeCA to expand its customer base while focusing on customer awareness, expectations of specifi c sales and exceeding service expectations.” Milks added that last year’s worldwide customer service training continues to pay huge dividends by “unifying best practices that exceed customer expectations and strengthen customer ties.” The following comments from selected store directors provide insight into front-line customer service and support philosophies and practices.� Store directors talk customer service: ‘It’s all about attitude’ Nga Van Sant, store associate, at Portsmouth Commissary, Va., helps a customer make a meat selection. U.S. Navy photo: Bill Black learned a lot during this time and have a pretty good grasp of what a customer wants. The many years I spent as the customer service manager at Orote Commissary, Guam, imbued me with the fundamental principles and knowledge that have become the cornerstone of how I interact with people, both employees and customers. I do nothing novel or revolutionary, and in its simplest terms, I merely follow the golden rule – treat others as I would like to be treated. It’s all about attitude – positive attitude – always. And, when I’m with a customer, I make that customer feel as if he or she is the most important person to me. I listen to them, no matter how trivial or inconsequential it may seem, for if it’s important to them, it’s important to me. Each customer is different and is treated as an individual. My feelings are sincere, and my customers know this. � 13
Page 1 and 2: deca decavision vision ‘The commi
Page 3 and 4: fromthetop ‘Thanks for the memori
Page 5 and 6: coverstory New commissary replaces
Page 7 and 8: Support clerk Nadide Yilmaz, Ankara
Page 9 and 10: Fairchild Commissary, Wash., savore
Page 11: outreachpros Commissary Awareness M
Page 15 and 16: Store Director Kevin Kegler, Wiesba
Page 17 and 18: develop talent within the store and
Page 19 and 20: Karl Weisel and Darline Goyea U.S.
Page 21 and 22: Phillip Gregg, store associate at F
Page 23 and 24: Timothy Rider Fort Monmouth public
Page 25 and 26: Sunita Sharma DeCA photo: Sam Trese
Page 27 and 28: assured me that it was easy. She su
Page 29 and 30: to every patron. She exhibited a be
Page 31 and 32: formula. I discovered that my commi
Page 33 and 34: Commissary lifesaver Store associat
Page 35 and 36: Robert Culbreth Langley Commissary,
Page 37 and 38: obituaries MELANIE ELLIS, Peterson
Page 39 and 40: BRENDA MOODY, JB San Antonio (Rando
Page 41 and 42: �SAVINGS OASIS: San Diego Commiss
Page 43 and 44: �SALVAGED DRAGONS: Ord Community
Page 45 and 46: New York Apple Marzetti Display DeC
Page 47 and 48: Produce honor Nancy O’Nell DeCA W

May-Jun 2010.indd - Commissaries.com

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