Improving Service: The Need for Call Centers for Complaints about Public Service and Parliamentary Representatives

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Michael Ray

“A good example is better than a good precept.” – Dwight L Moody (1837-1899) American evangelist and publisher.

It would be a good idea to install two call centres for the filing of complaints about bad service.

While there is poor customer service within the public service, there is equally bad or even worse service between constituents and their parliamentary representatives.

Several complaints abound concerning the lack of responses to telephone calls, and written as well as electronic correspondence sent to constituency representatives.

As part of their duty of their duty to serve, parliamentary representatives of constituencies are expected to respond to the concerns of their constituents.

In order to effect change to what currently exists, it may be a good idea to first install a call centre to collate and manage complaints about the lack of responses from Members of Parliament who fail to adequately respond to their constituents.

The words spoken by Jesus many years ago are still instructive.

He advised to “first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye”.

It is always beneficial for leaders to set good examples for others to follow.

Eventually, change will happen.