Over the past million years as an appliance tech, I have dealt with several customers with a different game plan than 95 per cent of the people I normally deal with. The BBB deals with customers who have complaints against a business. What happens when normal people with unreal expectations disagree with or reject the diagnosis of the techs they have contracted to serve their needs? This is taking "the customer is always right" to the wrong level. Maybe the better way to phrase the expression would be, "Just because you don't agree it doesn't mean they are not giving you a truthful explanation (doesn't mean they aren't really looking out for your highest interest). Sorry, I'm venting, but I have always done my best for customers. I have substantial training and have always given the customers the best I have to offer as compromises — and if I don't know I'll look for other info if they do not agree with my diagnosis. Everything depends on perspective. It's not that they are challenging me regarding my diagnosis. Really, they are accusing me of stealing their hard-earned cash because what they think is obviously more important than what a trained tech knows. Where can I go to find the support I need for dealing with people who obviously know more than I do?
Bouquets, I think, to those out there who have championed and funded the cause for Chum and Champ, however here I am a human being abandoned by my husband without so much as a dime after nearly four decades of marriage and for the first time in my entire life forced to live well below the poverty line wishing I were 65 so I could collect OAP and the GIS. Now I am about to lose my home because I don't have the finances to fight him in court. I sure wish I had a champion — ineedachampion@gmail.com.
Thousands of dollars and hours of worry have produced a solution to the Chum and Champ affair, an incident that could possibly have been prevented. This affair brings to mind another public outcry over the killing of the sledge dogs. If our pets did not offer us companionship or loyalty or security or profit would we be concerned with them. Tens of thousands of animals are tortured maimed and killed annually by our use of the leg-hold trap and other devices yet most of us animal lovers are not really concerned and fail completely to take any action when these poor animals suffer horrible lingering torture until death to benefit someone financially. Are most of us animal lovers really animal lovers or only when we obtain physical, mental or other benefit from them?
A beautiful pink bouquet of flowers to Kim W. at Thrifty's floral department! She was super nice while going out of her way to make us just the right arrangement for our Pink Shirt Day assembly at Courtenay Elementary.
A huge thank you to Keisja Cox for coming to perform at the Pink Shirt Day assembly. Your positive message was well received. Courtenay Elementary fully enjoyed your songs and message about W.I.T.S.
From the Matous family with thanks. Steve, Sue, William and Iain would like to acknowledge and thank the Comox Valley for the outpouring of love and support for their son Nicholas, in the aftermath of his recent accident. We are humbled and grateful for your response in this very difficult time. However, we feel hopeful for a positive outcome as Nick begins his recovery. A message from Nick: "I want everyone to know I am dealing with my situation and have already started the rehab therapy. I am feeling fine about my injury and am feeling positive about the future. I want to thank everyone for their support. I look forward to seeing you all soon." We would like to thank the Emergency staff, doctors and nurses at St. Joseph's Hospital. To our colleagues and friends, thank you for your kindness and support, we know that such generous support will be there for us should we need it. A special acknowledgement to the students and staff at Highland and Vanier for all their words of encouragement.
A huge beef to an unfeeling and insensitive person at the Comox Valley SPCA. Our son, who survived a massive accident five years ago that left him partially paralyzed, has been trying so very hard to rebuild his life one painful step at a time. One of the hardest things to do is to overcome your fears and the social stigma of having to deal with a visible disability and to get back into a "normal" type of life where you socialize and interact with your peers, and society in general once more. Now that he can drive again (after five long years of rehab) he plucked up the courage to start getting "out there" and to do volunteer work with something he loves, animals. I can't believe that in this day and age of awareness and political correctness he was told by an incredibly insensitive person there that she saw him "shuffle in there," and that if she had known that he had a disability she wouldn't even have let him come in for an interview, as the volunteers need to be able to lift heavy weight! Shame and shame again to the person there and to the SPCA's policies that made our son feel totally diminished and embarrassed, with that tactless comment, and then to reject him so out of hand. Shuffle in there indeed, what an insult and not what we expect from an organization that relies on the generosity and goodwill of the community.
• • •
Do you have somebody to praise or something you have to get off your chest? Have your say by submitting to editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com. You can also get a written submission to 765 McPhee Ave., Courtenay, B.C. V9N 2Z7 or fax to 250-338-5568. If you wish to talk to the editor, phone Mark Allan at 250-338-7816, 2309.