I wish to comment on your Dec. 13 article about disservice.

People fail to realize that you get what you pay for. We all decide that we have to save money, so we go to discount stores. In order for discount stores to save money, to pass those savings on to us, they must hire fewer people, untrained people, and people who are making $4.25 an hour.

Let’s face it, if you are on your feet for eight hours a day making $4.25 an hour, how much enthusiasm can you have for your job?

Gone are the days of the small shops independently owned and operated by your friends and neighbors. You could go into those places and be greeted and served by those friends and neighbors. But Americans don’t want to pay for service any more. They expect it but they sure don’t want to pay for it.

Step into a specialty shop some time. See what kind of service you get in there, as opposed to what you get in a big, impersonal department store.

I’m not saying all the clerks in big department stores are rude and don’t want to serve you. But, let’s face it, they are busy, they are overworked and underpaid. Every once in a while, you can find a gem among them. But those are few.

Remember, you do get what you pay for. And if it means paying a couple of extra dollars for an item to get the service, then you’ve really gotten what you’ve paid for. Kathie Fiessinger Coeur d’Alene

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