Allied Telesis @ Yokota Rocks/Sucks

Just to keep everyone abreast as to what is going on up at Misawa with AAFES Verizon offering, here are some Q&A’s answered by what I believe is the base commander.  If I mistook the document, please contact me so that I can positively confirm where this came from.

3. Q: Why are we paying for Verizon phone and internet services when they are clearly not providing us the services they guaranteed?

A: AAFES and Verizon have both been working hard with their heavy hitters to try to get to the bottom of the problems. They have started making changes and you should start seeing a little bit better service. Verizon is working with customers individually to provide credit back. Verizon and AAFES understand that and we hope that is to our community shortly so we can say something. Bring your bill to Verizon customer services and tell them when you were not able to utilize their services and they will credit your account accordingly.

4. Q: How much longer do we have to put up with Verizon before we can go back to Softbank or another provider?

A: Verizon has fixed several equipment failures and that has stopped numerous customer complaints. They are very aware of the past couple of months and they have some good news coming down the pipe. More issues should be resolved in the near future. Extreme growing pains but they did find equipment failiures that brought don customer complaints and imprioved service.

5. Q: Where/how can I file a complaint against Verizon beyond Misawa Air Base and AAFES?

A: We would like to have the opportunity to address your Verizon complaints locally, but if you would like to elevate the issue, you can contact Brett McCormick at McCormickB@AAFES.com with any questions or concerns that you may have. A part of our job at AAFES is to address your concerns but we do understand that you may want to take it beyond the local service.

6. Q: When I went into Verizon customer services, the representative told me if I did not pay my entire bill, it would reflect on my credit score. Is there any truth to this?

A: That was not an appropriate response to give you. You can dispute your bill with Verizon and they will credit your account accordingly. We will make sure to elevate this to Verizon so they are giving the customers the right information.

…continued…

17. Q: In April we had no Verizon service in May we had limited service. Why are we expected to pay for service we are not receiving?

A: AAFES has been working these issues with Verizon. Some of their solutions are long term fixes, and some of the solutions are going into effect with the service members PCSing in. The plan is to put in a bigger pipe to alleviate some of the slowdowns with service.

You can find the original document here:  Open Line Questions – 26 June 09

Good luck Misawa.  Our thoughts are with you.

With little fanfare, on July 17’th our petition to AAFES in effort to obtain better pricing and services for Yokota reached an the very significant milestone of 100 signatures.  While for many this may not seem like a very significant number it is a considerable blow to the ever present AAFES company line that everything is going smoothly at Yokota.  In comparison to other bases, this roll out has gone relatively smoothly, however alarming issues still continue to be present such as the continued over pricing of services rendered by an AAFES managed contractor.  Now this is not necessarily new news considering the website AAFESSUCKS.com has been around for years and hosts a great deal of messages complaining about this same very topic though about different AAFES services.

The one thing that still bothers me are officials who continue to deny that there is anything wrong with services being rendered here or any base because the base populace has not spoken up and provided the negative feedback.  I honestly can not blame anyone for not voicing their unhappiness as it seems that no matter how much you speak up and point out where the problems are, the AAFES machine continues to spew its PR story about how it really is there to help and support you, “The Best Customers In The World” and without them MWR wouldn’t be able to cut us discounts in a whole range of services.  Furthermore can not blame folks as the stigma of being branded a rabble rouser within the AAFES community and the local command makes it a difficult wall to decide to climb for anyone.

For clarification sake, I am certainly not anti-AAFES.  Most of my shopping occurs within their hallowed halls and I even purchase goods that I know I can get cheaper elsewhere because I either need it right now or the price difference of a few dollars here or there isn’t worth me waiting for the shipment to arrive.  I am all for the money going back to support MWR activities though I am dead set against using the word “dividend” as that would imply that I am a share holder in this pseudo-company to which I am certainly not treated as a shareholder.  My only issue surfaces as AAFES contracts service and spins a tale of how “X” service will be best for the community and how it will be the same cost or cheaper for the community after the new service comes online and the services spread to other installations and leverage the AAFES political power machine to force out other service providers who do not fall under the AAFES umbrella thus eliminating competition.

Not many folks remember as far back as 2005 when Yokota had 2 internet service providers Americable Japan and JENS (now Softbank).  JENS was an AAFES contractor and had very poor service and very high prices in comparison to the competitor Americable Japan who was contracted to the base.  At that time, Americable had just started providing high-speed internet via Yokota’s cable plant.  Though there were customers on both sides who felt that their service was the best, the competition between the companies drove prices lower and services higher, up until Americable Japan was given the boot and Softbank took over providing internet service to the base as we waited for Allied Telesis to start services.

Sadly, since Americable Japan has left the base, the lack of competition has kept Yokota’s customers locked into a single contractor who has not provided the best price nor at times the best service, though I am seeing a marked refreshing change in the current contractor’s customer service department as stated in my previous posting.  Though I know that things will not change for us at Yokota because of the current climate that AAFES has much of the Air Force positioned in especially in this time of low funds availability it is my hope some day the DoD starts to run its retail industries more openly and allow for competition across the board and not when it is convenient for the theoretically bottom line.  Time will only tell.

As always, Allied Telesis Yokota customer support representatives make up for much.  About a week ago, I had three separate customer support issues that ranged all available services.  I reached a technician fairly quickly through their phone support service and resolved all three issues within 15 minutes.  Though my situation was fairly simple to resolve, it was handled very professionally and even openly honest when it came to certain shortcomings or errors.  No promises were made that couldn’t be met and things that needed follow up, were indeed followed up on within 48 hours.  This was a very refreshing experience and it just goes to show me how much things have changed from when Allied Telesis first came to Yokota.  While I am still not 100% satisfied with the cost-2-service ratio, their customer support does make up for quite a bit.

Please take a moment and let us know how your overall customer support experience.

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AAFES continues to suffer from nose bleeds in all aspects of their Personal Information Services grand plan.  From Allied Telesis Yokota to Verizon Misawa (see below for July 18th Stars & Stripes article) and Korea, AAFES has yet to roll out any personal information service effectively and without severe difficulty. 

Verizon customers on base still face slow service

By T.D. Flack, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, July 18, 2009

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Verizon Internet users at Misawa won’t see a promised increase in bandwidth — meaning faster service — for months, according to AAFES officials.

In a statement posted on the Misawa Air Base Web site last week, Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials reported that "significant progress has been made toward resolving the remaining service issues" with Verizon’s telephone and Internet product for customers living on base.

AAFES has said it’s working with the contractor to fix the primary issue, which is a bandwidth that will provide reliable and quick Internet service.

According to last week’s statement, "increased capability should be available in the next few months," and Verizon "continues to fine-tune its network topology to increase operational efficiency."

The number of customer complaints filed with Verizon indicates many Misawa residents have reported dissatisfaction with the service since Verizon assumed the contract on March 30, promising up to a 400 percent increase in speed over the previous contractor.

Larry Marshall, an AAFES spokesman in Dallas, said Verizon reported 140 unresolved customer complaints on June 5. He said that number represented 5 percent of Verizon’s 2,800 Misawa customers.

Customers such as Rebecca Pate have said their service still can be annoyingly slow, and they often suffer complete outages. Pate said she and others have complained that they can’t stay in touch with their deployed loved ones, work on their online college classes or pay their bills through online banks.

Marshall said via e-mail Thursday that he was unable to arrange interviews for this story.

According to the online update, Verizon has streamlined its customer service process and is trying to resolve customer complaints "within three days."

Verizon officials have declined to comment on the customer complaints.

 

However against what would arguably would be better judgment, an AAFES contractor has somehow weaseled language into the NDAA for FY2010 that will block MWR organizations and/or installation commanders from providing competing services to AAFES backed contractors.

House Resolution 2647 NDAA FY 2010

SEC. 652. LIMITATION ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ENTITIES OFFERING

PERSONAL INFORMATION SERVICES TO MEMBERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

(a) IMPOSITION OF LIMITATION.—Subchapter III of chapter 147 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2492 the following new section:

‘‘§ 2492a. Limitation on Department of Defense entities competing with private sector in offering personal information services

‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding section 2492 of this title, the Secretary of Defense may not authorize a Department of Defense entity to offer or provide personal information services using Department resources, personnel, or equipment, or compete for contracts to provide such personal information services, if users will be charged a fee for the personal information services to recover the cost incurred to provide the services or to earn a profit.

‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply if the Secretary of Defense determines that—

‘‘(1) a private sector vendor is not available to provide the personal information services at specific locations; or

‘‘(2) the interests of the user population would be best served by allowing the Government to provide such services. ‘

‘(c) PERSONAL INFORMATION SERVICES DEFINED.— In this section, the term ‘personal information services’ means the provision of Internet, telephone, or television services to consumers.’’.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after section 2492 the following new item:

‘‘2492a. Limitation on Department of Defense entities competing with private sector in offering personal information services.’’.

(c) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS.—Section 2492a of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), does not affect the validity or terms of any contract for the provision of personal information services entered into before the date of the enactment of this Act.

Essentially this legal mumbo-jumbo allows AAFES to continue the monopoly on services in the realm of Personal Information Services.  However, even as this language has been inserted into the draft, AAFES is still determining if it should continue to press on with its little experiment of Resilian Communication and its failing contracts.  One could argue that AAFES is hedging its bets by not objecting to the inserted language in an effort to keep the division operational.  As we all know, it is hard to shut a bad program down once it becomes law. 

I urge all of our readers to contact your respective State representatives and urge them to remove this language from the forthcoming NDAA.  It limits competition and the ability for the government to obtain good competitive services for the families on each installation.  Hard to have Morale when you are fighting with your AAFES umbrella personal information services company.

We recently were contacted by a party who indicated that a former AAFES employee, the same AAFES employee responsible for the local oversight of the Yokota Allied Telesis contract rollout, has recently had a change of jobs.  According to our contact, the former AAFES official is now working for Allied Telesis to help smooth the way for Allied Telesis to begin operations at other US Military installations.

Should anyone be able to confirm this story, please contact us at webmaster@alliedtelesissucks.org