‘HOW ARE WE DOING?’ Customers can evaluate their benefit through annual Commissary Customer Service Survey starting Aug. 22

FORT LEE, Va. – Military customers worldwide will have the opportunity to evaluate their stores through the annual Commissary Customer Service Survey (CCSS) starting Aug. 22.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) survey will be available for 10 consecutive shopping days ending on or before Sept. 7, depending on the commissary’s operating schedule. Customers will be asked to take the survey at the commissary entrance area before they shop.

“The CCSS allows us to compare our patron’s perception of our stores during a fixed period of time,” said James Taylor, chief of DeCA’s store operations division. “We’re committed to being the patron’s grocery retailer of choice and this allows us to focus on improving the delivery of the benefit.”

Customers will be asked at random to participate in the survey which evaluates areas such as customer service, pricing, savings, product availability and selection, cleanliness, store layout, and produce, meat, grocery deli and bakery quality.

After agreeing to participate, customers will be presented with three options:

• Scan a QR code and take the survey on their own mobile device

• Have the store employee ask the questions and enter responses in the store’s iPad or phone

• Or personally complete the survey on the store’s iPad or phone. Commissary associates will use disinfectant wipes to sanitize the iPad and phone between uses, and provide gloves to each customer electing to use the store device. The precautions are part of the safety measures being used during the CCSS cycle to help prevent COVID-19 exposure

Last year, more than 20,000 shoppers rated the commissaries an overall 4.49, up .03 over the prior year. The score is based on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1, “Poor,” to 5, “Excellent.” Customers recognized the courteousness of commissary employees, cleanliness of stores and the ease of finding products through the stores by rating these elements the highest.

 “Analyzing the data within these surveys allows us to identify stores that patrons perceive to be our best and share their best practices,” said Brian Myrick, a management and program analyst. “It also provides us low-scoring elements and stores, allowing us to identify contributing factors and develop processes for improvement.”

In addition to the annual CCSS, DeCA also uses a receipt survey that gives commissaries real-time patron feedback throughout the year, accessible at the link provided on the bottom of every purchase receipt. 

-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.