Editorial: Customer service a priority

John Jack called people asking for help, but he wasn't getting too far.

The trash along the roadside near his Rachel Place home, had gotten to be a bit too much.

So he called the county. He talked with DOT. To make a long story short, he wasn't getting any help.

Now, we realize not every company or government agency can do everything. But they can help find ways to solve the problem.

Photographs in The Clayton News-Star suggested that the problem was big enough to warrant someone's attention and draw some action.

It shouldn't take a call from a news reporter asking questions for public agencies to do the right thing - even if that right thing may be a bit outside their normal job description.

That's the definition of good customer service and it's what engenders support and praise from the people a company serves.

First-rate customer service is a key factor in generating loyal customers.

So, the government doesn't need loyal customers you say? So they will get their money anyway, right?

Yes and no.

The government does need loyal customers. Just ask any politician who is seeking votes in May or November. And, those loyal, happy customers can be great advocates when the time comes to dole our money in Raleigh to all the little agencies cast about throughout the state.

But above all the self-serving reasons for providing sound customer service, there's the old-fashioned notion that it's just the right thing to do.

If someone calls with a complaint, government agencies - be they municipal, county or state - should look for reasons to help the complainant, not stand behind all the reasons why something can't be done.

The worst of the problem along Cole Road was resolved shortly after the newspaper inquired about the situation. That doesn't stop the next idiot from dumping his trash in the same spot. Hopefully, the rest of the site can be cleaned up too and steps taken to prevent furhter abuses.