New survey provides more frequent feedback to help commissaries better serve their patrons

Photo By Rick Brink | A commissary completes her transaction at the Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Commissary. Thanks to a new customer survey known as ForeSee, commissary patrons worldwide will now be able to easily share their opinions more by accessing the website at the bottom of their sales receipt. (DeCA photo: Rick Brink)  

FORT LEE, VA, UNITED STATES

07.18.2019

Courtesy Story

Defense Commissary Agency

By Keith Desbois,
DeCA public affairs specialist

FORT LEE, Va. – Commissary shoppers worldwide can easily share their opinions more often as the Defense Commissary Agency rolls out “ForeSee,” a customer experience survey tool.

On July 21, ForeSee replaces the SurveyMonkey receipt survey at all commissaries. This follows a month-long test that began with a soft roll out at the Fort Lee, Virginia, and Fort Meade, Maryland, stores, and ended with 35 stores implementing the survey.

Through ForeSee, DeCA will access more frequent customer feedback and promptly identify areas to improve the shopping experience, said retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, DOD special assistant for commissary operations.

“ForeSee is a robust survey tool that’s used by NEXCOM and many other commercial retailers to gain real time customer feedback,” said Bianchi, who is also CEO of the Navy Exchange. “DeCA is committed to delivering a premiere customer experience in every store and this is a powerful tool to help us do that.”

Customers can access the purchaser receipt survey using the link, https://mydeca.me/receipt, printed at the bottom of the receipt. They have seven days from their purchase date to log on and complete it.

The advantages of using the new survey platform include real-time viewing of survey results and the delivery of automated reports that will help the agency identify key drivers of customer satisfaction, said Mary Michael, chief of the agency’s business analytics team. “Foresee converts our customers’ ‘voice’ into actionable insights to improve customer satisfaction,” she said.

Karl Crosson, the agency’s statistician, added: “Another benefit is that it allows us to compare the performance between commissaries and the commercial grocers that use ForeSee.”

The new customer experience purchaser survey is the first of a trio of patron feedback instruments the agency will use. In the future, the ForeSee platform is expected to also roll out targeted surveys on social media as well as commissaries.com.

“Instead of snapping a chalk line once a year, as we do with our annual Commissary Customer Service Survey, we’re going to be able to get feedback on a daily basis and the store managers will be able to act on it,” Bianchi said. “We’ll be able to see it. It will be useable data. I am excited about that because that will allow us to transform more quickly while adapting to feedback that we're getting from our customers.”
-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

• Date Taken: 07.18.2019
• Date Posted: 07.18.2019 16:10
• Story ID: 332026
• Location: FORT LEE, VA, US