LETTER: New Protocols For Customer Service

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Dear Editor,

This Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact, that going forward, there will need to institute new and stricter health protocols to protect our people. It cannot be business as usual.
Today we are making a big thing about Health Care Workers and rightly so but let us not go overboard. Health Care workers, by the very nature of their jobs, knew what they were signing up for. They have always been exposed to contamination whether it be Covid,or just the flu. It goes with the job.
The same applies to Police and Army and to a lesser extent to Customs and Immigration. Maybe they never thought about it before but should now do so. Some may want to think of a change of occupation. The same applies to sanitation workers (garbage collectors) They are all essential and all exposed daily, not just now.
The people who are at risk and did not sign up for this risk are supermarket staff, bank staff and customer service staff in general.
Then there are our tourism workers who would interact daily with people from all over the world, not knowing what disease they have or have brought with them. What will be the protocols going forward?
We need to start this discussion.
Regards,
Dino Martin

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7 COMMENTS

  1. Once you are in the service industry you sign up for exposure. In the service industry, some people have to do the speakyspoky service, while others do the clean and suturing type of service. EVRYBADY EXPOSED unless its telemarketing, remote conferencing or robotic surgery.
    Use your commonsense and stop askng for protocols; did someone create a letter-to the-editor protocol that helped to guide you to write this letter?

  2. New protocol all employers should pay 50% of health and life insurance for their employees, this should be mandatory, this will compliment workmen comp. This is a good first step

  3. @ Please, don’t be so dismissive.
    The service industry did not sign up to be at risk! They are not essential workers .. medical staff… the police, EMT, fire department are all essential and we cannot survive without them.

    The bankers are there so we can get money, the supermarkets are there so we can get food .. however it is not essential.. the bankers can go home and tell allu use atm and suspend all other services.
    The supermarkets can close if they don’t feel safe each business owners can decide to ride it out and we will just have to use what we have.

    The people at APUA and the Phone services are there to assist but at the end of the day, they are not essential. It would be hard to be without them but they are not essential…so now that they are out there putting themselves at risk please don’t take it for granted they they are obligated to us because they are not!!
    We thank them and yes there should be protocols in place for them. Find out the difference between essential and those providing a service.

    At the end of the day we thanks all of our essential frontline workers as well as those who are in the service industry, putting themselves at risk to make us comfortable and provide some things of convenience during this time.

  4. I think Please missed the point of what is being said here. Before this pandemic, alot of things were taken for granted or were not a problem. The example is given of the tourism workers who deal direct with tourists. For instance a receptionist at a hotel, a waitress, an Immigration or Customs Officer. Prior to Covid-19, no one bothered about people being right up to your face, to people coughing or those with wet speech. This will obviously now change. Lines will now become a part of daily life with social distancing. All of this will have to be organised, implemented and managed. And there will have to be an education programme to make people understand the new world.

  5. A well written letter. This medium is so useful with the amount of suggestions and pathway to conversations/discussions for a brighter bit of Paradise we call Antigua & Barbuda. Wish our Politicians/Cronies will stop fleecing our financial resources!

  6. Banks have fail the people during this crisis. If banks want people to use their ATM machines 24/7, they must do the following;
    1) Make cash instantly available when a person deposit a cheque.
    2)Provide updates instantly when ever a transactions occurs.
    3) If a person’s account is compromised, replace the amount instantly with no question ask.
    4) Constantly educate the public on how to use these services.

  7. I work with a car rental agency based at the airport office and everyday we are faced with those issues.. Customers come and cough up and sneeze up in our faces.. While we are just a mere few inches apart… Now that is not safe..
    It’s our daily bread and we have to take the risk… We pray the situation for that changes when the time comes bk around

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