FEEDBACK:   Thoughts on Emanuel Nine and customer service

Gun violence is a public health menace

To the editor:

As we approach the anniversary of the deaths of the Emanuel Nine two years ago, we should pause to take stock of where we are in terms of the public health menace of gun violence. Instead of moving forward with modest positive changes that would make us all safer, our legislature has failed to move bills on background checks, extension of the delay period and strengthening of the “infrastructure” that would improve the reporting systems.

Instead, gun rights advocates and the gun lobby, which has money to invest in promoting their interests, have made gains in a number of ways that are not in the public interest.

Anyone wishing to learn more about gun violence prevention should go to the new website for ARM-in-ARM where updated and reliable information is available. Get on the ARM-in-ARM mailing list and help this start up organization move the citizen participation in an encouraging direction, which would pay tribute to those who died and who were bereaved on that sad day two years ago.

— Judy Hines, Charleston, S.C.

Customer service is multifaceted

To the editor:

Yes, I agree there is a poor customer service epidemic. But Customer Service is multifaceted. It included all types of interaction from a simple appropriate greeting to saying ‘Thank you for choosing to shop with’ us rather than “you saved $2 with us today”(yes but I spent $289).

Training should include appropriate social courtesies and interaction, product knowledge training, listening skills, negotiating skills, and problem solving and perhaps “anger Management”. And hiring and paying better for people who come with those skills is important as well. The HUMAN resource can be the best asset of a company, above product, facility and price point. And another variable is that there may be a labor shortage that forces companies to hire from a pool of people without Customer Services skills (either train these or get rid of them if untrainable. Their skills may be better utilized in a different kind of job…)

Truth is customer service is pretty high on everyone’s list. And each person must choose where they shop based many factors. If it is high on your list to be able to return anything anytime anywhere without a receipt(not really a fair customer service policy to stores) then find those stores and shop them…… but don’t put that in “expected customer service” category.

— Glenda Nemes, Charleston, S.C.  To read her full comment, click here and scroll to the bottom.

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