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The Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s most senior enlisted service member visited Fort Leavenworth Jan. 9 and 10 to find better ways to serve customers.
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry D. Helm also had some tips for Soldiers about how they can better utilize the Post Exchange and www.shopmyexchange.com.
“My job is to visit facilities, talk to our customers and help them understand policies,” he said. “I try to look at it from the standpoint of an active duty person — How can we make our experience better for Soldiers?”
While talking to the local Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers group, Helm listened to issues regarding uniform availability and ordering items overseas.
Helm said Soldiers have to plan in advance if they know they’re going to need a dress uniform and haven’t worn one in awhile. Soldiers should try on the uniform a few weeks in advance, Helm said, and then if the store doesn’t carry the right item they can order it with plenty of time to spare.
Helm also talked about ordering items online. Vendors sometimes ship the item directly from the company’s own warehouse, and can’t always ship to an APO or overseas address.
“If that vendor only uses UPS or FedEx, they need a physical address,” he said. “We hold vendors accountable to the time the customer receives the product.”
He said there are a few things Soldiers and families can do when ordering online:
- Look for a bar that states the vendor won’t ship the item directly.
- If the item won’t ship directly, check the nearest exchange store. If it’s not in the store, find out if the item can be ordered from another nearby exchange store. For example, Helm said it’s likely that if Fort Leavenworth’s exchange doesn’t carry a particular item, Fort Riley’s does.
- Soldiers who are overseas or deployed can utilize commercial shipping services, such as www.shipitapo.com or www.apobox.com that do send to APO addresses.
Helm also talked about the Military Star credit card, which offers a 10 percent interest rate to cardholders. The card has a $600 limit, which is ideal for young service members so they don’t get over their heads into debt, he said.
“The card has a low interest rate to allow the young Soldier an opportunity to build up credit,” he said.
Janet Neu, store manager for the Fort Leavenworth exchange, said one thing customers often don’t know is that all AAFES exchange stores do price matching. If customers find an item, such as a television set, for a cheaper price elsewhere, the exchange will match it.
“We want you to price match,” she said. “If it’s cheaper somewhere else, we’ll sell it to you cheaper.”
Neu also said the store on post recently became a cellphone hot spot, so that customers can use barcode apps on smart phones to compare prices in other stores.
About 67 cents of every dollar spent at the exchange goes back to Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s most senior enlisted service member visited Fort Leavenworth Jan. 9 and 10 to find better ways to serve customers.
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry D. Helm also had some tips for Soldiers about how they can better utilize the Post Exchange and www.shopmyexchange.com.
“My job is to visit facilities, talk to our customers and help them understand policies,” he said. “I try to look at it from the standpoint of an active duty person — How can we make our experience better for Soldiers?”
While talking to the local Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers group, Helm listened to issues regarding uniform availability and ordering items overseas.
Helm said Soldiers have to plan in advance if they know they’re going to need a dress uniform and haven’t worn one in awhile. Soldiers should try on the uniform a few weeks in advance, Helm said, and then if the store doesn’t carry the right item they can order it with plenty of time to spare.
Helm also talked about ordering items online. Vendors sometimes ship the item directly from the company’s own warehouse, and can’t always ship to an APO or overseas address.
“If that vendor only uses UPS or FedEx, they need a physical address,” he said. “We hold vendors accountable to the time the customer receives the product.”
He said there are a few things Soldiers and families can do when ordering online:
- Look for a bar that states the vendor won’t ship the item directly.
- If the item won’t ship directly, check the nearest exchange store. If it’s not in the store, find out if the item can be ordered from another nearby exchange store. For example, Helm said it’s likely that if Fort Leavenworth’s exchange doesn’t carry a particular item, Fort Riley’s does.
- Soldiers who are overseas or deployed can utilize commercial shipping services, such as www.shipitapo.com or www.apobox.com that do send to APO addresses.
Helm also talked about the Military Star credit card, which offers a 10 percent interest rate to cardholders. The card has a $600 limit, which is ideal for young service members so they don’t get over their heads into debt, he said.
“The card has a low interest rate to allow the young Soldier an opportunity to build up credit,” he said.
Janet Neu, store manager for the Fort Leavenworth exchange, said one thing customers often don’t know is that all AAFES exchange stores do price matching. If customers find an item, such as a television set, for a cheaper price elsewhere, the exchange will match it.
“We want you to price match,” she said. “If it’s cheaper somewhere else, we’ll sell it to you cheaper.”
Neu also said the store on post recently became a cellphone hot spot, so that customers can use barcode apps on smart phones to compare prices in other stores.
About 67 cents of every dollar spent at the exchange goes back to Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.
