Base financial service hours change

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88 ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The 88th Comptroller Squadron's Financial Services Office is changing customer service lobby and phone hours to 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The change is effective Dec. 1, 2007 and means Airmen, civilian employees and retirees seeking in-person or telephone assistance with financial transactions will need to call or visit the FSO in Building 1, Area C during these hours. This reduction in hours will allow the FSO to continue providing outstanding customer service while experiencing a precipitous decline in manning. Due to the Air Force Financial Service Center initiative and Program Budget Decision 720, more than 50 percent of the Financial Service Office's authorizations will be eliminated in March 2008.

"We add value to customers by researching financial inquiries, providing professional financial advice and processing pay-affecting documents in a punctual manner" said Capt. David Mazur, Financial Services Officer. 

"A good portion of our time is spent behind the scenes processing the pay-affecting documents. This reduction in hours will allow us to better meet the demand of our customers behind the scenes. I want to reassure our customers that we will continue providing world-class customer service," he added.

The Air Force is in the midst of standing up a centralized Air Force Financial Service Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., with personnel coming from FSOs across the Air Force, Mazur said. Once the AFFSC reaches its full operational capability, the new center will focus on consolidating base-level back-shop financial operations Air Force wide. The 88th Comptroller Squadron is slated to experience Phase I of the financial services transformation in April 2008.

The development of the AFFSC at Ellsworth affects the personnel numbers and experience levels at bases including Wright-Patt. As more experienced, seasoned financial service personnel are assigned to Ellsworth, bases like Wright-Patt are receiving newer Airmen with less experience. These Airmen need behind-the-scenes on-the-job training to develop their skills, Mazur  said.

When the service center at Ellsworth begins Phase II in October 2008, a 24-hour full-service contact center manned by experienced staff will provide pay and travel service to customers via telephone, Internet, and fax. At that time, most financial services currently provided by 93 separate base-level Financial Services Offices, including Geographically Separated Units and Reserve Pay Offices will be done in one location. 

Anyone with questions may call 257-3202 during the new hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.