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From the Publisher’s Desk
A lesson to learn
by Dr. Dev Anuroop Brar, MD
How many lost jobs, repossessed cars, and lost homes will it take for the citizens of this country to learn a lesson.
All of us can see how this recession is affecting our country—how families are suffering and how towns, cities, and states are cutting programs. Therefore, one would think that those who are working or who have found work in this economy would have a newfound appreciation for a paycheck. One would think that the people would learn and be grateful for their job. One would think that people would have an increased appreciation for ‘customers’. That is what one would think, and that is what would make the most sense. Is that happening?
I called the manager of a billboard company to let her know that our sign was only half lit. We had called a few months ago and the company had promised to take care of it. I suggested to the manager that because they had not kept their side of the bargain for their ‘customer’ that they should give us a discount for the time that half the side was not working. Her response—“That is not our company policy.” She has not learned her lesson. If she answered after talking to a higher up in the national company, then the company has not learned the lesson, either.
Traveling through airports should be without hassles—the security factor excluded. Everyone should understand how important we (the passengers) are for the economy because not only are we pumping money into the airports but also the airlines, hotels, and restaurants. But, do we feel, as an airport entrant, as a flier, as a ‘customer’ that we are being treated better now than a few years ago? You may have just added your voice in a resounding “NO!” We have not learned our lesson.
How many lost jobs, repossessed cars, and lost homes will it take for the citizens of this country to learn a lesson. The only way some things stop happening is if we do things differently. Are we?
When I was a student, I waited tables. Two very friendly couples from Canada were in my section. While chatting with them, I learned that the reason they came to America for a couple of weeks a year was that they wanted to feel special. They said that ‘customer’ service in America made them feel exceptional. I will go out on a limb and guess that they are not coming back as they did in 1993. That was right after a recession or at the tail end of it. And, we still have not learned our lesson.
We all are hearing how many homes are foreclosing. The reason they are foreclosing is that the banks, lenders and finance companies thought about themselves and not of the ‘customer’. If they had thought about the ‘customer’ there would be no foreclosures as only those who had the means would have received the loans. This whole crash in the housing market is because the ‘customer’ and his/her interest were not kept at the forefront. If the ‘customer’ would have been on the forefront, many people would still have jobs and we may have avoided a recession. When will we learn our lesson?
How many chances are we going to get? How many people will it take to understand that in a capitalist system the only person who needs special treatment is not the president, governor, or mayor…it is the ‘customer’! It is you and I.
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