Supply Tech Ettiquette

[armyvern]

No guys. I just do my job. There are more like me out there!! There are...I have met them.

 

[riggermade]

There is good and bad in every trade

One point to bring up is that there is a reason that when a unit has a kit issue there us normally a NCO sent along to accompany the troops and ensure their behaviour

 

[Timmy!]

Piper.. did you call on a Friday? I know a few clothing stores that are closed that day. Or did you call after hours? Just an idea.

 

[armyvern]

Piper.. did you call on a Friday? I know a few clothing stores that are closed that day. Or did you call after hours? Just an idea.

It's a moot point. Closed (ie on Fridays) or not, an actual person has answered the phone and their rudeness is not acceptable.

They may be closed, but they are still at work and getting paid for it, and the phones are always in business...a fact that this location obviously needs to learn.

 

[gaspasser]

For the last few days, I've been in and out of supply almost on a daily basis picking up kit that was ordered for overseas.  I must say that there has been a big change in the attitudes of the Supply techs over the last many years.  "No, you're not entitled to" has been replaced with "Can do" attitudes.  The Cpls and Ptes at the "pointy end" counter/desks take alot of {nonsense} from alot of people for no reason and I give them all Kudos for their patience and "coolness".  They have been polite and courteous and redirect my inquiries with a smile. 
From the looks of it, they are now teaching Customer Service on Sup Tech 3's, or taking customer service thru the improvement office, either/or, it's nice to see happy smiling faces in a {tough}  job. 
Keep up the good work, from one loggie to another. 

{ } =replaced unkind words!


The following has been a paid advertisement for CFSAL.  Any close relativeity to comedy should be readily ignored.
The following advertisement was by no means a suck up job to The Librarian or any other Supply Tech. 

 

[mover1]

if I stay log, keep your eyes open for me to head the branch....things will change across the board, I promise. 

Let me be the first to say. Your idea sucks, it lacks and thought and although it looks real good on paper to all your other officer friends it won't work at all.
If you want an honest opinion on how to change things for the better just go ask Cpl ________. She will tell it like it is.  ;D

Editied by me cause I forgot to post smiley to show that this was a light hearted post so the intended recipient of said joke didn't take it out of context and go into ruffled feathers mode

 

[riggermade]

Sooooooooooooo;

They got back to me and for some reason, they were not any more polite or less surly, but they were quite helpful. I had to cancel and re-make 2 appointments over the course of a few days (deadlines keep changing for school, etc etc). I don't know why this happens, sometimes they're helpful and sometimes their not. It's odd. Oh well, if I stay log, keep your eyes open for me to head the branch....things will change across the board, I promise. 

Maybe part of the problem is you cancelling and resheduling...they do have a job to do and when you cancel that is an appointment that could have gone to someone else...It is a two way street and meeting timings and being courteous can go a long way

 

[armyvern]

I know. Hence my comments re: their being very helpful in that situation. But, they are rude from the first second they pick up the phone. Trust me, I'm not one to rag on people for no reason. However, I am also a student who lives a fair distance away so I do kind of need some understanding in that situation. I try but I can't help that my schedule keeps changing. Which I do get, just grudgingly. The Librarian and I have already discussed this via PM, she knows of some of the people/problems regarding my little situation. And I'm the one whose dealt with them recently. They can be helpful, but they act like its a favour they are doing you instead of it being their job. Admin and supply troops exist to provide support to all CF members regardless of rank or TI.

Yes, that's why we exist all right...and Cpl ______ will be the first one to tell you that. Glad to hear that you got your sit sorted out. Regarding your timings and appt changes though, yes it happens. It happens 20 or 30 times a day for that Cpl working the counter each and every time someone calls in to change their appt. You are not their only customer, and trust me, especially in a place like your ASU, they are dealing with this sit constantly...and are constantly trying to rearrange everyone else's appointments around everyone's constantly changing appointments. Try placing yourselves in their shoes just for a bit.  Being rude on the phone is one thing, and is not acceptable; and I've agreed with you on that matter.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. I won't dignify that with a response. So proposing to 'clean up' a complaint-ridden trade(s) is a bad idea? Why, 'cause it would put some people's protected sphere's of laziness or outright lack of caring into trouble? Worried?

A complaint ridden trade?? What are you on about here?? The Tac Vest?? The CTS kit?? Please elaborate as the kit being chosen and diseminated through the system was not chosen by Supply Techs, nor was it trialled by them. Nor are the scales of entitlement decided by us. I fear you seek to correct the wrong people here. We just get to hand it out.

Sorry, but I'm not going to back you up on this statement as it infers that this is the norm. That's not the case. But indeed, feel free to correct those that need it, as I and many Sup Suprs do.

While you're at it, feel free to fix the real problem with entitlements. Scales...so that all soldiers are entitled to required kit. Those scales after all, are decided at the top of the food chain...and that way Cpl _________ working the counter who gets shit on when she says "no you're not entitled" wouldn't be. You'll have to be dealing with and liaising with every environment, every Env CWO, every Dress Committee, every trade advisor to accomplish this. Have fun with that. But really, that's the only thing that's going to fix the complaints about the Suppies at Clothing having to say "no", and the perhaps begin to change that poor attitude that some of them develop after time because they are the ones (Cpl ______ is) who happen to work on the firing line putting up with the bitching at them about every one else's decisions.

And there you have it, from someone who used to be one of those Cpls....seeing the real world down here below.

 

[aesop081]

Locked.......this is just going to descend into the same tired old crap

army.ca staff

 

[aesop081]

Reopenned by popular demand....keep the personal stuff out, thanks

army.ca staff

 

[armyvern]

Piper,

If you actually believe that it is a complaint ridden-trade (and now the RMS trade too) of their own making based upon your own very limited experience; then by all means...continue with your comments...

I'll move on to more realistic ideas. Don't worry, Cpl ______ knows what the problems are with saying saying "no" etc ... and they aren't us. Attitudes are our problem though, and it seems this thread has all of a sudden given me one. I wonder why. Must go ask the Cpl.

 

[mover1]

Thanks PIPER

I guess my bad attempt at humour started a small bun fight. 

 

[armyvern]

I know, limited experience. But limited experience with a never ending trail of admin issues that I'm fairly sure aren't of my doing. I generally keep to myself here at school and only ever regularily contact ASU London for tuititon money and the associated claims. I apologise for the off-base comments. I'm going back to my corner now.

You should read my initial response again though. As I pointed out "that never-ending trail of admin (or Supply saying no) issues" are not of your doing...but neither are they of Cpl _________'s doing in the overwhelming majority of instances.

Your complaints are misdirected, so you will not solve anything when you are the boss by directing change at the lowest level. The lowest level will still have to enforce the policies and standards, set out by the highest level, which are causing the problems at the bottom. Fix the problems (I pointed them out in the first response) and the rest will follow. The change needs to be "led" at the higher level, and when that change is led...the lower level will follow.

 

[orange.paint]

I went into clothing stores Friday afternoon as we had a admin afternoon on course.My zipper had busted off my jacket and I needed to get it exchanged.I went in and had zero problems,as my kit was washed and dried during lunchtime.Within 2 minutes I was all sorted out.Prior to getting served I was talking to a member working there who was a warrant in the Arty prior.Very friendly personable guy.When I was getting served a young guy came in with all his kit rotten dirty.

The ex combat arms warrant told him he couldn't get it exchanged because it was too dirty.Seriously It looked like it just came from the field.He explained they had all the kit he needed however until is was washed he couldn't exchange it.The young guy got pissy and said "well I'm going on course sunday!" the Mcpl (still being friendly)said "well as I said if it was laundered it wouldn't be a problem."

The kid rolled his eyes and left.

Suddenly this kid expected the common rule of washing kit prior to return would be overturned because he was going on course.

He was in civilian clothing,so my thought would be he had time to clean the kit,just chose not to.

Etiquette goes both ways.
Common sense does as well.

 

[armyvern]

RCAC_011,

Not an uncommon story for Clothing Stores.

The exceptions we make to this are for troops out in the field. If their Adm runners need to bring something in to exchange, it's not a problem if it's dirty (we do understand the troop is out in the field and needs his kit exchanged now). You'd be surprised the number though who think we are their laundry service, or who just couldn't be bothered because they are 'going to exchange it anyway.'

But there's also another lesson in your story...wait til the last minute before you depart on course to do your exchanges...then don't blame us when we don't have your size (which may happen to be the most popular one in NATO) in stock etc.

Next time you're in, tell John I says "HI!!"

Edit: darn typo!!

 

[Drif10]

The whole 'scale of issue' thing is something that really gets a burr under my saddle. I'm in a unit where I get those 'grab your gear, get on the plane, you got an hour'. Being located in Trenton with the planes, we're usually first response when there's a fast ball.

Our OC has tried (actually, several OC's have tried) to straighten out the scale of issue for us. I end up in the Artic with gear I got issued back in 90 on literally an hour's notice, and is in about as good of shape as you would expect for 17 year old gear. Can't exchange it, no entitlement. :

So if the scale of issue is MOC driven, then something's not on here. Sure as hell don't sound like it's mission driven, does it?

 

[riggermade]

The whole 'scale of issue' thing is something that really gets a burr under my saddle. I'm in a unit where I get those 'grab your gear, get on the plane, you got an hour'. Being located in Trenton with the planes, we're usually first response when there's a fast ball.

Our OC has tried (actually, several OC's have tried) to straighten out the scale of issue for us. I end up in the Artic with gear I got issued back in 90 on literally an hour's notice, and is in about as good of shape as you would expect for 17 year old gear. Can't exchange it, no entitlement. :

So if the scale of issue is MOC driven, then something's not on here. Sure as hell don't sound like it's mission driven, does it?

And what does this have to do with Supply Tech Ettiquette?  It is not supply techs who set the scale of issue although they have to abide by it and issue what you are entitled to.

 

[armyvern]

The whole 'scale of issue' thing is something that really gets a burr under my saddle. I'm in a unit where I get those 'grab your gear, get on the plane, you got an hour'. Being located in Trenton with the planes, we're usually first response when there's a fast ball.

Our OC has tried (actually, several OC's have tried) to straighten out the scale of issue for us. I end up in the Artic with gear I got issued back in 90 on literally an hour's notice, and is in about as good of shape as you would expect for 17 year old gear. Can't exchange it, no entitlement. :

So if the scale of issue is MOC driven, then something's not on here. Sure as hell don't sound like it's mission driven, does it?

Hmmm,

This sounds very interesting being that I spent six years posted to the very place that you are bitching about.

Besides being trade related scales of issue ... there are also OP related scales, task related scales, saftey equipment related scales ... etc etc.

For example, if one were tasked to Op Athena ... they have a sub scale of eqpt/clothing specific to that mission (or any other mission).

There is also a scale for members of DART, pers tasked to Alert etc etc. There is no scale specific to those tasked to Op Boxtop as everyone should already have their winter kit issued to them. If you've got winter kit that's 17 years old, that's because you failed to exchange it long ago. You see, the Air Force bases (ie Trenton) had gortex cadpat to issue out to ALL pers posted in Air Ops positions long before the Army did. Ask any Army guy on this site ... all the threads are out there "How come I can't get any gortex, but all the blue types have it already?"

If you're talking CasEvac, there's a scale for them too. If you're talking B25 flying-north-of-60 kit, there's a scale for that kit too.

There's something wrong with your story.

If you are indeed tasked into a position (ie you've got an official position number either on a message or via CFTPO) that requires specialized kit ... there's a scale for it and the entitlement does indeed exist.

It seems to me though that you are talking about deploying north-of-60 with old winter kit on an hours notice ... and my question to you therefore would be ... what old kit? Certainly not gortex as you were eligble to exchange your old stuff for gortex in the fall of 2004 in Trenton when the rest of the base switched out to gortex. Or are you one of the ones who just procrastinates and didn't do so, figuring 'what the heck will I ever need that for', and are now torqued because you got an hours notice and clothing didn't have the kit you needed to exchange in-house right now?? Seems to me, that after being entitled for 3 years ... waiting until an hour before it was actually required -- wouldn't make it either a clothing stores or scale problem. That would make it the indivduals problem.

Footwear?? What?? Exactly what kit are you talking about, because something isn't sitting right with your post?

 

[Gramps]

I have run across a similar problem in Trenton with regards to the scale of issue. We had one of our Pte that was not being given her full issue. I went to get a few items for myself and asked to see our scale of issue for our unit, they gave me a copy of it and once we confronted them with it the Pte got her kit issued. Since then I have had no problems with any of the Supply Techs in Trenton and have received nothing but good and courteous treatment by their staff.

 

[armyvern]

I have run across a similar problem in Trenton with regards to the scale of issue. We had one of our Pte that was not being given her full issue. I went to get a few items for myself and asked to see our scale of issue for our unit, they gave me a copy of it and once we confronted them with it the Pte got her kit issued. Since then I have had no problems with any of the Supply Techs in Trenton and have received nothing but good and courteous treatment by their staff.

Seems to be a regular occurance with Ptes. Not just at Trenton.

Always seems to get sorted out too when they come in with a supervisor etc who can actually answer the questions that we also asked the Pte (who couldn't answer them). Ie "what's your UIC?", "what are your secondary duty taskings?" And, in your case, if she's a fellow Tfc Tech ... her answers to questions would have been quite important in which kit she would be getting.

The answers to those, and more, questions determines which scales of entitlement we are going to be issuing you kit from. Sadly, our ESP capabilities are not always working ... so we can't give them kit when they can't tell us who, what, where etc. And, I'd wager that was exactly the case in your Pte's case -- it certainly wasn't because she was "only a Pte" -- and you weren't. (Also seems to be the case that we get supervisors calling us saying "you failed to issue so&so this, but they are entitled to it!!" whereby we explain to the supervisor, "yes ... true, but we also told so&so that we currently had no stock of that item and that it was due-in next week ... apparently they failed to pass that tidbit on to you.")

It's just so much easier when those Ptes arrive at Clothing Stores with their sponsors like they did in the old days, because those sponsors can answer those pertinent questions that would allow situations like this to be avoided. Easier still when actual supervisors who can answer those questions actually call clothing stores to book their incoming pers a kitting up appointment like they did in the old days. That seems to have fallen by the wayside as well.

Short story:

Look after your pers. Give them the sponsor that they should have. Ensure their sponsor actually takes them around during in-clearance to answer those questions that the Pte does not yet have the answer to. And, if you're the supervisor and have incoming pers -- for gawd's sake, call clothing and book the kit-up appointment for them ... ensuring that you point out what, where, when, secondary duties etc.

After 19 years -- my ESP still doesn't work. I'll be darned if I expected it to work for the Pte/Cpl working the front counter either.