Free voice mail provider struggling to survive

Robert DeVet — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 17:04:34 +0000

Lack of support puts service for homeless people in jeopardy

KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – A small non-profit group that provides a vital service for people living in poverty, homeless people, women in violent relationships, and many others, is struggling to survive.

The death of customer service

Bruce Wark — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:15:32 +0000

Anyone who has seen Arthur Penn’s 1970 film “Little Big Man,” is sure to remember Chief Dan George’s performance as the weary but wise, Old Lodge Skins, leader of the Cheyenne tribe called The Human Beings. “The Human Beings, my son -- they believe everything is alive, not only man and animals, but also water, earth, stone, and also the things from them,” Old Lodge Skins tells the film's hero, Jack Crabb, played by Dustin Hoffman. “But the White Man -- they believe everything is dead -- stone, earth, animals, and people, even their own people.” Penn’s film is set in the 19th century before the advent of the telephone, but anyone dialing a business number these days will appreciate Old Lodge Skins’ wisdom. To members of our modern power classes, everything is indeed dead, even their own people.

“Thank you for calling Shoppers Drug Mart,” said a pleasant female voice yesterday after I dialed my local drug store. Except this wasn’t really the voice of a living Human Being. “For pharmacy and med-ready automated prescription refill service, please press one,” the voice said politely. Med-ready automated prescription refill service? Yes, I needed my prescription refilled, but I wanted to talk to a Human Being, not dictate my medical needs to a machine. So, I stayed on the line.

“For customer service, including Post Office, press two,” the voice commanded. The “please” was now gone. I recalled how they suddenly closed the local Post Office about 15 years ago and moved it to a Sears counter several kilometres away. If you wanted to mail a package or claim a parcel, you had to get in line behind customers ordering from the Sears catalogue. People complained and the Post Office eventually migrated to the local drug store which has since joined the giant Shoppers chain, “Canada’s leading retailer of beauty products,” according to its online advertising.