MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- “Finance is often something people dread,” admits Senior Airman Bryan Chappell, a financial service technician assigned to the 6th Comptroller Squadron (CPTS).
From determining the availability of funds to processing the dispersing of payments and performing audits, Airmen assigned to the 6th CPTS recognize the importance of their role in serving the military community.
“To succeed in the world of finance you definitely need to have attention to detail, especially working with pay,” said Staff Sgt. Uniqua Miles, a 6th CPTS travel team supervisor. “You have to be customer service oriented and able to put customers at ease by demonstrating sensitivity towards each unique situation.”
For Chappell, his passion for helping others and dedication to his team is what has driven him to successfully ensure customers are taken care of.
“To me, this job is extremely self-rewarding,” said Chappell. “My favorite part about my job is anytime that I am able to sit down with a member to help explain or straighten out their finances.”
Though handling customers with frustrations can be a difficult obstacle, for Chappell, finding ways to resolve issues for these individuals makes the challenge worthwhile.
“When I make a tedious process smooth and easy for a member to follow and understand, I know I gave them a huge sense of relief,” said Chappell. “In turn, helping others provides me with a lot of personal satisfaction.”
More than in-person service, Chappell and the finance team are actively looking for more efficient and progressive ways to serve the MacDill community’s financial needs.
Most recently, Chappell has headed up an initiative to create a new customer service-based website.
“The idea behind the website was to give members a user-friendly portal to find all relevant information to anything they could possibly need from our office,” said Chappell. “With this platform information is only a click or scroll away. I attempted to make it impossible to get lost in the website, keeping everything accessible on the same page.”
Chappell added that he plans to include written and video instructions on how to fill out different forms for the finance office that would allow members to get the information they need and ultimately save them from having to make unnecessary appointments.
More than delivering incredible customer service; Chappell continues to excel professionally by taking college courses, designing new automation to file financial reports, and maintaining a positive role in his community as the treasurer for the American Society of Military Comptrollers Tampa Bay Chapter.
Miles, Chappell’s supervisor, highlighted that he has hit the ground running since arriving at MacDill AFB nearly a year ago. His dedication even earned him a below-the-zone promotion to the rank of senior airman.
“There is just something different about Chappell,” said Miles. “He has a different drive, a different work ethic, a determination to not only get things done, and get them done effectively, but to innovate change where he sees it. He will continue to be an asset to any team he works on.”
Chappell and members of the 6th CPTS are committed to changing the stigma of ‘dreading’ financial help and will continue to keep a watchful eye on Team MacDill’s financial data to ensure funds are being utilized responsibly and efficiently.