Action Line: Contacting the MPF

  • Published
  • By Col. William K. Lewis
  • 48th Fighter Wing vice commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  

COMPLAINT:

I have recently tried to contact the military personnel flight located in Bldg 977 via telephone after 1400 to confirm my final out-processing date and time. I have never been able to get hold of anyone. I was recently informed that they stop answering their phones after 1400.

How is this good customer service? They don't open on time, are closed for training or stop assisting customers. What happened to the 0730-1630 work day? It can't be due to deployments because all emergency services on this base are more deployed than the MPF personnel are and are still able to operate 24/7.

This has been a concern for some time and would like to know if the leadership is aware of what the MPF is doing.

RESPONSE

The Career Development Section's customer service is available to answer calls from 0730 to 1500 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 0930 to 1500 on Wednesdays. These hours were designed to allow a better opportunity to service RAFL's mid and swing shift workers, while still enabling processing/transaction time for our Personnel professionals.

The hours for the entire MPS were carefully considered and have been vetted with the Force Support Squadron and Mission Support Group Commanders. Please understand customer service hours and duty hours are two separate things. When the doors are closed, our Personnel experts are actively engaged in back-shop customer preparation, lengthy after-hours work both weekdays and weekends, and often, forgotten but nevertheless important, training. Our customer service hours allow our staff time to process PCS orders and other pertinent documents. Additionally, our set hours correspond with the Central Time Zone, a key element for better communication with the Air Force Personnel Center...something that helps us provide you with better service.

Additionally, the Personnel career field has been vastly changing over the last three years, capped by a large decrease in authorized manning due to Program Budget Decision 720, while, at the same time, a significant increase in personnel programs and deployments.

FSS leadership keeps a close eye on customer service hours to ensure they are designed to best serve their customers, whether that's face-to-face or behind the scenes.

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The Action Line is your direct link to the commander for complaints, suggestions or comments. It's not intended to replace the chain of command. When normal command agency channels haven't been able to resolve your concerns, call 226-2324, e-mail Action.Line@lakenheath.af.mil , send through distribution (48 FW/PA), mail (48FW/PA, Unit 5210 Box 215 APO AE 09461-0215) or hand carry your Action Line to the public affairs office (Building 1063).

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