Customer service to consumer advocate

Hello! My name is Samuel Martin and I am running for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 7. Oracle, San Manuel, Mammoth, Florence, Apache Junction, Payson, Globe, Show Low, Snowflake, Flagstaff, Williams - I want to represent you!

I am a customer service pro with 20+ years of experience in technology, logistics, and healthcare; most recently, tech support for Microsoft Office 365 for Business, and overnight dispatch supervisor for Agero roadside assistance. In this work, I’ve heard from people all over the world and I’ve solved problems in half a dozen different industries. I regard the role of legislator as similar to roles I’ve filled successfully in the past - what that means for you is that, if elected, I’ll be listening to you and working together with government agencies to help you from day one. 

In my time at the service desk I have talked to many people and heard many many stories. Here are a few of the stories that make me passionate about consumer advocacy:

I remember having to tell customers calling the cell phone company about their bills that the power company would let the bill go for a month, but not the cell phone company.

I remember people calling for help accessing their email accounts, which had been hacked. For these people it wasn’t just an email, this was their family, this was their friends, this was all their correspondence for 20 years, and it had been stolen by criminals who would go on to target those same loved ones. I had to tell them my billion dollar corporation wouldn’t lift a finger to help.

I remember listening to a widow cry on the phone because she was on a fixed income but her prescription costs kept going up, and up, and up.

There were a lot of times in the past, as a customer service agent, when I could only watch and listen. Many times I’ve heard people call for help with problems that originate with abusive economic practices that I am powerless to change from a seat in a call center. What that means for me as a consumer advocate is that, after what I’ve seen, big business can’t hide anything from me. With a seat in the state house I can do a lot more than just listen.

Although consumer advocacy is close to my heart, in terms of meeting the current political moment, I don’t think that’s how. Right now, the economy has become so completely unbalanced and cruel that things like “tax the rich” and “healthcare for all” are no longer campaign issues but moral necessities. Politics has become so deranged and bigoted that “Abolish DHS” and “Trans rights” aren’t talking points, they’re moral imperatives. These things are moral imperatives and everybody knows it; and when politicians talk like this stuff is up for debate, or negotiable, people can hear it. I’ll write more about these topics separately, but this is my point of view. 

I hope I can count on your support now and in November!

Samuel Martin

@Sam

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I am a customer service pro with 20+ years of experience in technology, logistics, and healthcare; most recently tech support for Microsoft Office 365 for Business and overnight dispatch supervisor for Agero roadside assistance. Current candidate for Arizona House of Representatives in District 7

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