62nd CPTS undergoes changes starting Monday Published March 7, 2008 By Tyler Hemstreet Staff writer MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- In October, Phase I of the Air Force's new centralized financial service structure kicked off with the opening of the central processing center at the Air Force Financial Service Center in Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Phase II of the transition will begin in October 2008. At this point a 24/7 full service contact center at AFFSC staffed by experts in pay and travel will become operational. Airmen will be able to access financial services around the clock via a number of ways including phone, web and fax. Locally, the 62nd Comptroller Squadron is in the midst of a 40 percent manning decrease that started in April of last year, with some personnel undergoing a permanent change of station to Ellsworth Air Force Base. The 62nd CPTS used to have five Airmen processing travel, but now there are just two. The following question and answer responses are to help McChord personnel understand local changes -- which take effect Monday -- and illustrate how everything will affect customer service here. Q: With all military pay related to travel being sent to Ellsworth, what does this mean to the customer here? A: This means there is an extra step in the process as the squadron now scans the forms and sends them to Ellsworth. However, customers can no longer come up to the customer service counter here and say 'I have a problem with my voucher, can you fix it for me?' In the past the squadron has been able to push the voucher to the top so people can get their bill paid, but it can't do that anymore. Everything now is being done at Ellsworth. That includes hostile fire pay, combat zone tax exclusion, family separation allowance and military pay entitlement vouchers. Q: What if the voucher is filled out incorrectly? A: The 62nd CPTS will be the liaison between Ellsworth and the customers here. It will work with the individual to get any issues corrected, but it does delay the process even more so than it does now if there is a mistake. It's really important customers have the document correct the first time. If it keeps going back and forth between the customer and Ellsworth, sometimes the debt can climb. The 62nd CPTS will do the quality control and scanning, but Ellsworth will do the processing and send the payment to the Federal Reserve. Q: What direct changes will customers see here at the 62nd CPTS? A: Due to the manpower shortages, the 62nd CPTS has drastically shortened the customer service window walk-in times. Starting Monday, the walk-in window will be open for one hour from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., but customers will be able to schedule an appointment to get help with their voucher. There will also be a self-help station set up in the Military Personnel Flight so customers can put everything together themselves and put their vouchers in a drop box in the MPF. Q: How can customers turn in a voucher? A: They may either follow the checklist at the self-help station and put it in the drop box in the MPF or make an appointment and sit down face-to-face with a technician and they can help review it. Q: How will the turnaround time change with the new process? A: Right now officials are unaware of the exact time, but it will likely take a little longer. The hope is that within the next year or two officials are back down to that five-day window. Q: How quickly are the vouchers here scanned and sent off? A: On a daily basis. 62nd CPTS personnel has access to a database that can tell what has been scanned, what's been sent and what's been rejected. Everything is bar coded and can be tracked. The ultimate goal is that the Airmen can check the status of the voucher themselves online. Q: Can Airmen scan their own documents in and e-mail them to 62nd CPTS so they don't have to come to Bldg. 100? A: Yes. However, the vouchers must be correctly filled out and 62nd CPTS personnel still have to print it out and re-scan it themselves to be sent to Ellsworth. Another goal is to have each squadron have access to checklists in their building so they can do it via e-mail. Q: Can customers talk to 62nd CPTS personnel other than coming to Bldg. 100? A: 62nd CPTS personnel will man the phones at 982-3945 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weekdays to address any customer service concerns.