126 Years of Family Serving Family – Charles Wells, Offutt Air Force Base
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 126 years of family serving family
Charles Wells’ official job title is senior hardlines associate at Offutt Air Force Base, but he’s a jack-of-all-trades with a can-do attitude who can do just about everything in the store.
Charles Wells loves the challenge and variety of doing different things every day to improve the customer experience, something he’s been doing at the Offutt Air Force Base Exchange for 25 years.
“I just really enjoy being part of the team and helping wherever they need me,” Wells said. “I stock outdoor living and seasonal merchandise, help at the Firearms Counter and Power Zone, build furniture, bicycles, grills, gondolas and whatever else they want me to build or fix. I will occasionally run a cash register when they need help.”
Wells loves the challenge and variety of doing different things every day to improve the customer experience, something he’s been doing at Offutt for 25 years.
“I never know what I’m going to do from one day to the next, but I know I’m going to help customers,” he said. “It’s just fun.”
He’s also the forklift trainer and builds most of the store’s displays, so Wells has a broad understanding of all sorts of merchandise, which allows him to better inform customers on specific products. “My priority is making sure customers find what they’re looking for,” he said.
Wells was a military spouse, and when his wife retired from the Air Force, they settled in the Offutt area.
“The Exchange takes pride in the military and in military spouses,” he said.
Wells also loves working with a great team. When he came in one morning in 2018, the waterline in Military Clothing had frozen and the whole area was flooded.
“Everyone was mopping and cleaning, including the general manager; he was getting wet just like everyone else ,” he said. “It was neat seeing everybody hustling to get it cleaned up, to see everyone pitch in. We’re all good people; we do what we have to do to keep the doors open and keep the customers happy.”
