To the Editor:
In his March 25th editorial, Sander Schlichter '97 writes about a transaction made using his Green Card which confused him and due to our delay in resolving it, aggravated him as well. Schlichter failed to mention that prior to writing the editorial, he had reviewed the transaction, confirmed his signature on the transaction slip, and made a payment. The situation was resolved.
However, Schlichter's message has been heard.
We failed to handle the situation in a manner which made Schlichter feel like he was dealing with an organization of Dartmouth students and alumni working to build a business instead of some large bureaucratic company housed on the 40th floor of a glass building.
The Green Card did not begin with a master plan as Schlichter suggests. One day my Junior spring, I was standing in front of Dartmouth hall with friends trying to decide where to go to eat -- EBA's, Bagel Basement, perhaps a Panda luncheon special. The conversation was cut short when we reached in our pockets and found nothing but lint and a Validine card (now renamed the DASH card). Off to the cafeterias we went. Realizing that this was not a limited experience, I began to create a business which would provide students with similar access to local merchants with a debit and discount card.
I regret that in the process of growing, our relationship to Dartmouth is no longer apparent to students such as Schlichter who feel they are dealing with "those people" or the "guy who owns the place" and refer to the 26 Dartmouth students that have worked here as "brain surgeons" when our systems fail to adequately serve customers.
Other items which need clarification are 1) we have not expanded to other communities 2) although they may not be useful to Schlichter, many students appreciate the Green Card coupons and weekly discounts 3) accounts are fully refundable and can be opened or closed at anytime. Furthermore, Schlichter's suggestion that we twist arms to gain membership is directly opposite to our marketing strategy which is to inform people about the program and to encourage them to talk to friends who have participated.
Student feedback from those with complaints, like Schlichter's, to those who use the Green Card every day deserve a thanks from us for helping us to build a program which will hopefully continue to grow not only as a business but as a service to Dartmouth students.
