Letter of the Day | Customer service or disservice?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing with reference to the lack of customer service. It seems that there is a mindset embedded in many customer interactions that says, “We don’t need you, you need us.”

You feel it everywhere, in the dismissive responses, the lack of urgency, the poor communication, the endless waiting, and the attitude customers sometimes receive simply for asking questions or expecting basic standards.

Poor customer service in this country genuinely needs to be studied. It is 2026. We have mastered social media trends, aesthetic posts, and dancing TikToks, yet many basic systems that affect people’s daily lives still feel frustratingly outdated.

I often hear small business owners complain that customers expect more from them than from larger businesses. However, the issue is not limited to small businesses, it seems embedded in the wider culture of how service is delivered.

It is the patty shop employee repeatedly announcing that they need to clean the bathroom while customers are still using it. It is the bank keeping you waiting for hours only to then tell you that you need a justice of the Peace to sign documents just to access a replacement card for your own money. It is the vending machine that takes your money and the response focuses more on why you did not report it immediately than on how the matter will be resolved.

As a Jamaican, one of the things that embarrasses me most when I travel is seeing how differently customer service is approached in other countries. Your chips are cold and they replace them immediately or offer complimentary chips. Delays are communicated clearly. There are systems, timelines, and accountability processes in place.

It is not that Jamaicans are bad people, because we are not. We are some of the warmest, funniest, most resilient and resourceful people anywhere in the world. So why can’t we do better when it comes to how we conduct business and treat customers?

Too often, customers are made to feel as though they are inconveniencing businesses simply by expecting basic standards such as communication, efficiency, accountability, and respect. Even worse, when people complain, there is often a chorus of others ready to tell them that they are the problem rather than acknowledging the issue itself.

Good customer service is not about perfection. Mistakes happen and systems fail everywhere. The difference is in how businesses respond when they do. 

FRUSTRATED CUSTOMER