Aircrew Roll necks
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Temporarily missing from the Joe Louis Arena
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In my career as a Supplier I have never, to my memory, set out for a day at work with the soul intention of letting someone down when they've asked for something. I actually feel pretty crap when someone comes in for something and I can't help them. I usually try offering some alternative even if they aren't scaled for that item (when I ran a clothing stores Magnums instead of out-of-stock CAB boots was a regular) if I can cover it.
I can count the number of miserable sods in my trade who I'm met in my time who would happily leave a customer with "its out-of-stock" and no alternative offered on one hand. Most Suppliers will, if treated with a bit of politeness and manners, go out of their way to help you as what goes around comes around and folk often remember a section they've done well from in the past when thinking about who to give that spare pack of biscuits to.
What you should understand though is lack of trade experience and knowing how to get things done can often be mistaken for un-helpfulness. The unit I'm at has a lot of very young SAC's who due to the tempo of the unit haven't had the opportunities to 'round robin' and learn the entire trade section by section, rather they just learn the basics in the first section they are put into from trade training and are left at that. Over my many years I've learnt how to use the system to the customers advantage, built up a well-stocked 'good numbers' book for all those hard to come by items and most importantly learnt that happy customers often have spare slabs of beer at Christmas.
Lets hear it for the REMF's
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Careful chap that hook might go rusty
I accept that manners maketh the man, however if I am entitled to something, then I don't need to be sycophantic or excessively 'nice', just give me it!!!
fair point, but why as was suggested earlier in the thread can you guys set such pathetic 'opening' hours, you are paid to work the same hours as everyone else on stn? I may misunderstand your chronic lack of manpower or some other policy but why can't you just be open from 8 til 5?
Give and take mate, you give us stuff and we take it, that after all is your job
Most Suppliers will, if treated with a bit of politeness and manners, go out of their way to help you as what goes around comes around and folk often remember a section they've done well from in the past when thinking about who to give that spare pack of biscuits to.
What you should understand though is lack of trade experience and knowing how to get things done can often be mistaken for un-helpfulness
Give and take mate, you give us stuff and we take it, that after all is your job
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: uk
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sorry to say it was a snotty SAC stacker.
in line with what others are saying about the wrong people getting the kit, we had quite a battle to get the new fangled gortex wet weather gear to wear on the line, but were constantly getting told that it wasn't available, not in stock etc. this kind of grated as you walked round camp and noticed most of the stackers wearing spangly new gortex, along with MT drivers, and even PD staff!
this coincided with the annual visit from command of all the big wigs asking if there was anything that needed sorting, how was morale etc. the gortex was mentioned, and a amazingly they tacked the subject with unusual zeal, and within a week or two, we had plenty of gortex! (and quite a few upset stackers etc.)
in line with what others are saying about the wrong people getting the kit, we had quite a battle to get the new fangled gortex wet weather gear to wear on the line, but were constantly getting told that it wasn't available, not in stock etc. this kind of grated as you walked round camp and noticed most of the stackers wearing spangly new gortex, along with MT drivers, and even PD staff!
this coincided with the annual visit from command of all the big wigs asking if there was anything that needed sorting, how was morale etc. the gortex was mentioned, and a amazingly they tacked the subject with unusual zeal, and within a week or two, we had plenty of gortex! (and quite a few upset stackers etc.)
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Too far North - hardly a RAF base that isn't these days...
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I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Still want an aircrew shirt?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAF-Aircrew-Ro...QQcmdZViewItem
Flying Suit to match Sir?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MakeTrack=true
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAF-Aircrew-Ro...QQcmdZViewItem
Flying Suit to match Sir?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MakeTrack=true
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting on the toilet of Europe.... the UK
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Just been told by stores that there are no roll necks, other than sized XL, available for the next couple of months! Is anyone else having the same problem obtaining new ones?
Incidentally, does anyone have the same ridiculous opening hours for stores as this:
Mon to Thurs 0830 to 1000; 1015 to 1145; and 1300 to 1530.
Fri 0830 to 1000; 1015 to 1145; and 1300 to 1430.
Incidentally, does anyone have the same ridiculous opening hours for stores as this:
Mon to Thurs 0830 to 1000; 1015 to 1145; and 1300 to 1530.
Fri 0830 to 1000; 1015 to 1145; and 1300 to 1430.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
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Arclite, agreed on SY stores...
Witness my attempt to procure a new nav bag (my eye was on the smaller, easier-to-open-and-reclose-whilst-airborne variety which had been issued, admittedly after some protracted negotiations, to many of my colleagues)
Please note this exchange is edited in the interests of brevity (stores and brevity, that's a laugh...)
Me: Can I please have a new Nav bag?
Storeman: Well..........why?
Me: My old one has broken and won't stay closed
S: Ok, bring it in and I will swap it.
Me: It's not on camp, and besides it's one of the older, bigger ones. Can I not get a small one as additional issue please?
S: Ooooh no, the small ones are only for observers and navs. (How many navs and obs at SY???)
Me: Ok, can I get a bigger one to replace mine then?
S: No.
Me: ??!!!???
S: The older ones have been removed from stock because they have failed a safety review and aren't allowed to be issued for carriage in ac anymore.
Me: Errr??!!! So, you won't give me a small bag cos it's for observers, and you won't give me a big one cos it's unsafe?
S: Yes.
Me: So, what do i do?
S: Bring in the broken (older, bigger, unsafe) one, and I will exchange it.
Me: FOR WHAT??!!
S: One of these (and flashes the Observer bag under my nose)
Me: well, can I not just get that now because I NEED a bag to go flying with, and then it will be on my Kit record, as will the old bag?
S: Ur, well....Um....Um....Ok then.
Best 10 minutes of my time at SY.....To55er
Witness my attempt to procure a new nav bag (my eye was on the smaller, easier-to-open-and-reclose-whilst-airborne variety which had been issued, admittedly after some protracted negotiations, to many of my colleagues)
Please note this exchange is edited in the interests of brevity (stores and brevity, that's a laugh...)
Me: Can I please have a new Nav bag?
Storeman: Well..........why?
Me: My old one has broken and won't stay closed
S: Ok, bring it in and I will swap it.
Me: It's not on camp, and besides it's one of the older, bigger ones. Can I not get a small one as additional issue please?
S: Ooooh no, the small ones are only for observers and navs. (How many navs and obs at SY???)
Me: Ok, can I get a bigger one to replace mine then?
S: No.
Me: ??!!!???
S: The older ones have been removed from stock because they have failed a safety review and aren't allowed to be issued for carriage in ac anymore.
Me: Errr??!!! So, you won't give me a small bag cos it's for observers, and you won't give me a big one cos it's unsafe?
S: Yes.
Me: So, what do i do?
S: Bring in the broken (older, bigger, unsafe) one, and I will exchange it.
Me: FOR WHAT??!!
S: One of these (and flashes the Observer bag under my nose)
Me: well, can I not just get that now because I NEED a bag to go flying with, and then it will be on my Kit record, as will the old bag?
S: Ur, well....Um....Um....Ok then.
Best 10 minutes of my time at SY.....To55er
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: on my own planet
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RAF Chivenor, 1986..."I can't let you have the last one sir (Aircrew Information Folder), someone might need it" 
I've been waiting nearly 8 months for new shirts/lj's and socks so I'm happily puttiing up with baggy (slack around the neck) shirts, holed lj's and too-small socks!
I've been waiting nearly 8 months for new shirts/lj's and socks so I'm happily puttiing up with baggy (slack around the neck) shirts, holed lj's and too-small socks!
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: England
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Still awaiting a Size 8 Cold Weather Flying Jacket 4 months since placing the order. 24 other aircrew at my Stn awaiting same item, some since Apr. Lapsed contract is the cited reason. Estimate for delivery of new stock? Not known. Apparently, this was not seen as being an important issue over the summer, because it isn't cold in the summer. Except if you depressurize at 30K....
Chaps/chapesses
Given the wonders of e-mail etc have any of you complained direct to, or asked your boss to complain to the Defence Clothing IPT with regard to shortages/poor quality clothing?
If they don't know there is a problem how can they rectify it? If everyone complained direct when there was a shortage of an item or something of lesser quality was being issued (and I agree the roll necks do sag after a couple of washes and aren't as thick or as good quality as they used to be) they might get the message.
If you have access to the Defence Directory do a search for 'clothing' and hey presto 62 potential points for complaint.
Don't expect much though only one of them is military.
Given the wonders of e-mail etc have any of you complained direct to, or asked your boss to complain to the Defence Clothing IPT with regard to shortages/poor quality clothing?
If they don't know there is a problem how can they rectify it? If everyone complained direct when there was a shortage of an item or something of lesser quality was being issued (and I agree the roll necks do sag after a couple of washes and aren't as thick or as good quality as they used to be) they might get the message.
If you have access to the Defence Directory do a search for 'clothing' and hey presto 62 potential points for complaint.
Don't expect much though only one of them is military.
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Reading,UK
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Now that Amazon can list hundreds of thousands of items, many obscure and held by "partners" and not in their own warehouse and can still get the item to you next day- and are "open" 24x7x365 from any location in the world why does a base in North Hampshire require kit orders to be in by the end of the first week of the month for delivery in the following month.
Perhaps Amazon should take on the contract.
Perhaps Amazon should take on the contract.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: in my combat underpants
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chopride - I believe you identified yourself as the throbber there. I believe your 'want' and 'need' requirements were a little far apart there.
If you needed a bag RIGHT NOW for flying but your other one was not there to exchange, yet your need for the new shiny thing was so urgent, I see a bit of a stampy foot strop at the counter. Prima donna and no doubt. I hope you got your issue handbag for the next time you need to slap someone down with it.
If you needed a bag RIGHT NOW for flying but your other one was not there to exchange, yet your need for the new shiny thing was so urgent, I see a bit of a stampy foot strop at the counter. Prima donna and no doubt. I hope you got your issue handbag for the next time you need to slap someone down with it.
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Now that Amazon can list hundreds of thousands of items, many obscure and held by "partners" and not in their own warehouse and can still get the item to you next day- and are "open" 24x7x365 from any location in the world why does a base in North Hampshire require kit orders to be in by the end of the first week of the month for delivery in the following month.
Perhaps Amazon should take on the contract.
Perhaps Amazon should take on the contract.
And there lies the difference between Commercial and Public Sector IT and procurement projects. In the private sector, if it doesn't work, no profit, you won't get paid. In the public sector, if it doesn't work, then they just shovel more money at it until it does - or doesn't.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Or do you just know how to do everyone elses job better? The same goes for everyone else who throws stones and compares what the miltary does to industry. There are some similarities, but they are few. The differences are rather critical.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: LGW
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Surely JPA must have a button you can press that makes clothing magically appear! I'm sure it would only take a mere 46 hours to do too. Right, back to my expence claim I started filling out in August.
