European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Friday August 22,1986 letter complaints about cafes service answered Over the Pas several months Here have been numerous letters complaining about products and serv ices Hal an.1 available or not available through cafes. One Point made by cafes was thai the Organiza Tion is made up of Many people working id provide what we Consumers wan. Like any organization the size of cafes. Many controls Are necessary to ensure that a profit is realized and returned to our military communities. This Means Hal the management Ai All Levels must be on top of All activities and ensure that everything possible is done to provide the services and products desired. This also Means that once problems arc identified the upward flow of information to the highest level of management is initiated to promptly Correct the prob Lem without delay. Proper amounts of products timing of seasonal items and the speedy procurement of items that have sold out Are  a profitable retail business. Within cafes Europe this also works to reduce complaints and frustrations since Many feel they have limited Choice in shopping Mere Are some specific examples where the cafes system has broken Down around mid april the Sun began to Shine Here at graft Woehr. With the warm weather came a Rush for rear View Mirror glue. The garage manager ordered but on the next delivery Here was no glue must not have been any in warehouse. Again the next week no glue. The Neif week there was a German Holiday on monday so for some reason no delivery was made. Maybe we will have some next  i checked several local filling stations in the area Tor the glue but it was not Avii Abl there either. Both the garage and Woodland sell rechargeable a cell batteries. Believe it or not some people Don t know the difference my wife. These batteries need to be charged before they can be used. Having thrown away the receipt for the batteries i decided to go the extra step and buy a Charger t went to the garage the Mai Exchange and the audio shop and to my Surprise not Only were there no chargers for Sale Bill All the manag ers believed that the others sold them. Now As i was looking for the Battery Charger. 1 noticed that our audio shop had gotten five Epson com Puter printers. At a great Price of 1249, i had to Stop and Check this out. Clearly written on the Box was a statement that the printers needed a Cartridge especially designed Tor the computer thai it was to be use with. I inquired about the Cartridge needed to connect the Printer with my Apple he. To seems the buyer did i know this so the printers came without any cartridges and what s worse u that i was told that they were not on the audio shop s order Sheet so they could t be ordered through the audio shop. So  have five White elephants Silling on the shelf until such Lime As someone determines How the Cartridge can be ordered. Much has been written about the takeover of Mesa and special club retail outlets. Regardless of the reason for the takeover we have been assured by cafes that we will suffer no loss of service let s examine How the system has supported the conver Sion of Tower sport shop to cafes. With Spring and summer comes softball baseball Golf and Tennis. At the beginning of april Only the equipment that was left from last year was available. I was told by the manager that he expected cafes procured items within four to six weeks. As of this writing that delivery has not been made. Now we have Tonnu rackets no Tennis Balti no Golf balls six to seven Catcher s mitts three sets of Lynx Irons the same assorted Golf shoes and Golf tees. However we do have a Good Supply of ski equipment Bowling balls weigh raining equip ment some camping gear and jogging suits. Now i would like to Tell you what i have done be sides write this letter. I have spoken to the outlet Man agers t have completed cafes comment cards for which 1 have not received a reply and i have called Thea Afes Public relations department twice. In these examples More than one system has broken Down. I guess whal bothers me the most is the general Altitude of those at cafes that this is Busi inns As  you see i Don t need special attention nor do 1 need a lot of excuse. All i want is for some one to care and provide action May i suggest thai he cafes install a hot line that will allow complaints and requests to be handled at a level where immediate action can be taken. Cafes my problem is this i can t write any More letters As my Printer is tin its last leg my wife s Tennis balls Are about Flat 1 have blisters on my hand from playing Golf without a Golf Glove and i m out of Golf balls. I d like to get a few out of the Lake i hit Ihm into but Youdon t sell Ball retrievers. I d sneak out there at night but i Don t like driving my car without a rear View Mirror. I can t charge the batteries i got for my underwater Flash Light and beside you Don t sell a mask and snorkel. So make my Day and a lot of other people at  and get us some service. Chief warrant officer Tommy t.  Germany editor s note master Sal. Bruce e. Olels Dorf customer relations specialist. Public affairs of fice he cafes Europe replies you be got our attention As Well a that of Tomt lode Graten Wocher Exchange manager. You also raised several valid Points and i will undress them in the order of your Tetter. Mirror glue our warehouse was out of Stock for about two weeks due to unusual High demand. The item in now in Slock at both our Clessen wire Boose and the Craven Wother Auto purls Storr. Our filling stations lire authorised to Slock emergency Type Auto motive items Only. The adhesive is locked and old tall cafes Aulo parts stores and garages. Battery Charger any facility which Sells rechargeable batteries should also carry chargers since the l a Riei can t be lined even the first time without charging. Be assured the word s Pone out to our store managers to make sure they re practising what we preach. The cafes audio Center in bldg. 623 Atrah Knoehr does Hock the Battery Charger and has Only occasionally experienced a Stockage problem wit thai item. O Epson Printer Epson dome writer printers ire sold with the interface adapter which is included in the Tell Price. During initial distribution our wire House failed to ship the adapter Wilh the Printer. Unfortunately the adapter in t locked or Sld separately. Once we realized the error stores Hocking the Printer were advised to Contact the warehouse so the needed adapter could be provided to the customer. Sport store oar selection of merchandise it the Cifen Woeber sport store Lias been changing rapid. Feel t Cheek at the store now would reveal a Rood selection of Ball gloves and bats. We have also received several deliveries of Tennis balls Golf balls and Glove As Well As Tome retriever. It s been a Challenge wit the unseasonably warm weather to get enough Golf gloves and balls to meet the demand. Coif clubs tag and accessories should be in Stock now As Well. Calling Munich my associate mrs. Karen Coop or mar us and 1 both remember your Call to the head quarters about Stockage of items at the Grafe Woehr sport store. We asked our sports buyer to phone Yon directly to dismiss the Nutter in Delft jetting specifics with which to address the problem. Sorry it appears we dropped the Ball. Bottom line what i m trying to highlight is that management Mutt to you re so of Early pointed it continue to show concern Over All aspects of store operations. The retail business is vibrant and dynamic necessitating changes Wilh the times. Our manag ers Are charged with keeping abreast of changes to meet the needs of our highly diversified customer base. Customer feedback to Vita to that Effort. Or Twede encourages you to Contact him it 09641 3391 when Ever you have questions about cafes merchandise or service in the Crafin Wocher area. By communal Catiis your special interests or. Plede and his staff Wolfl have valuable information they can use to make those decisions which can Only serve you better. I appreciate your taking the time to be part of the solution. Mark Dollar conversion for la explained Well it s rent paying time again and Between trip to Andrews Federal credit Union to withdraw some additional funds i decided to write to see if i and All the other department of the army civilians in Europe could get a plausible answer As to Why the High con version rate is being used to determine payment of la allowances As i write this letter the official Rale of Exchange in Germany is 2.16 Marks to the Dollar. However my latest leave and earnings statement shows that the government is using 2. To Marks to the Dollar which has been in effect since feb. 23,1986. Prior to Hal Jan. 1 of a. 22 the rate of is change used was 2.60 Marks to the Dollar. At no Lime in 1986 has the official rate of Exchange in Germany been above 2.44 Marks which occurred on Jan. 3. Although the following will take up a lot of space 1wish to illustrate my balance Sheet which will apply to All Days. In varying degree and probably to military personnel As Well during january my costs were 5363.08 do 2.44-$ 11 la payments totalled $346.09 do 2.60-$ 1 deficit of 22.77. During february my costs were $466.34 do 2.j9-$i la payments totalled $346,08 do 2.60-sd deficit of 1120.26. During March my costs were 1494.68 do 2.19=11 la payments totalled 1354.34 do 2.60 pan Flotd 2.iolpartmd deficit jmoj4, during april my costs were $468.79 do 2.32-s i la payments totalled $362.60 do 2.50=$l deficits 106.16. As you can see from the above for the first four months of 1986, my costs exceed my current payments by $389.56. At this rate 1 will incur out of pocket expenses of Over ,100 during 19b6. In the nine years that i have been Here in Germany my la has never equated my payments nor have. I expected it to since every change in the do to Dollar ratio can t be done on a Day to Day basis. However inset Iris to me that in this Case no or Tittle action has been taken to at least keep the figures in the Ballpark As in the past. We Days As Well As the service members have Bee sent o Europe to fulfil a Mission we came Here expecting to do a Job for which we were promised pay and allowances which in most cases would be close Lour actual costs. We have lived up to our contractual obligations. Is it too much to ask that the government live up to its William d. Matthew Frank Art editor s note Elizabeth Reid civilian personnel division Deputy chief of staff personnel. He Usa eur replies the writer Alks Why the High conversion rate is being used to determine payment of la allowances. La conversion Rales Are not adjusted monthly. They Are adjusted periodically when the Dollar fluctuates Mare than 5 percent for a sustained period. But year Only two adjustments were made. As of april this year two adjustments had been made feb. 27 to 2 to and april 6 to 2.24. The leave and earnings statement does not show  rate. If Boi Rerer by your calculations you be Lieve the conversion rate is More than the current rate of2.24, recommend you Contact your co to a Jyure that you were included in the april � adjustment. Second tie writer asks whether it is too much for the government to live tip to its obligation to pay for Hunters costs. The la is designed to cover substantially All of the average employee s Cost for rent heat Light fuel Gas electric and water every employee will not Havel costs reimbursed. Use of the average Dally conversion rate is the most fair and equitable Means to determine the annual con version rate for the annual reconciliation. In the an Nual reconciliation the employee s actual expenses Are converted to dollars. The Dollar costs up to the department of state maximum for that quarters group Are compared id Whit Ibe employee was actually paid. Employees Are reimbursed for any underpayment and payroll collects any overpayment. Employees having questions con Tion should Contact the technical co. Raring la adm Nistra services office of to bar pen pals i in i e a no it ind i Oum ship Taam Foa weft to n to run. 1i7hq pita to Marti Tom Wood i in Lay it a i. Pop Pirimi mum nil in Pill from Ottov comr i i in 19 Yok. Bwndm3.  it Loocin any two Minh. Pm Fml i wow with to her Pond with Ovri it Oft Mil count Tuk 1 Mold. By Tobutt i Rik a. Flu jul. 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