On two positive notes

With so many problem cases we have to handle I must continue encouraging you to "catch them doing something good". Indeed, we are still going through a highly encouraging 'positive notes' phase and, since last week the Acqua Azzurra issue took the whole column, we must feature two this week:

Please allow me to heartily congratulate the Phoenix Group, St Venera, for their excellent customer care.

The motor of my 13-year-old fridge ceased to function two weeks ago. In the afternoon I visited Phoenix Showroom and booked a new fridge. I insisted with the salesman, Mr J. Blake, if possible, to deliver it to me the earliest possible as Wednesday, March 19, was a public holiday when a fridge is indispensable to me. He informed me that the deliveries for the following day, Tuesday, March 18, were already booked and probably mine would be delivered on Thursday.

I paid cash and begged him again to help me. The company also promised to take my old fridge, for which I was compensated, besides giving me a discount on the sale. It was indeed a real bargain.

The following morning, March 18, at 9.15 a.m. the doorbell rang and to my utter delight, the new fridge was delivered to me. I am so pleased with my acquisition and I heartily wish the company to have more success in their sales for their prompt and efficient service.

Thanks a lot. (Mary Cortis)

As regular readers know, Phoenix are included in our list of suppliers who offer no-nonsense guarantees. Indeed Steve Petroni (managing director) is a stickler when it comes to service.

A compliment for excellent service

As an avid reader of your weekly column, I want to contribute my experience with a first-rate, truly professional dry cleaner. Manoel Azzopardi is the owner/director of Queen's Dry Cleaners, with a main plant in Mosta and branches throughout the island.

With little hope of ever being able to weaI encountered Mr Azzopardi's dedicated service when another dry cleaner had ruined an expensive pair of silk slacks. r them again, I took them to Queen's Dry Cleaners in Balzan.

Mr Azzopardi was in the shop that day and explained what had happened to them. Although clearly marked "do not wash", they had, indeed, been washed by the other dry cleaner. Amazingly, Mr Azzopardi was able to restore the colour, texture and shape of the slacks, which I have worn happily ever since.

I learned that Mr Azzopardi lives and breathes dry cleaning, to the extent of undertaking a course at the Dry Cleaning Institute in the United States. While he is an expert at removing difficult stains, I have found over the several years since the mishap with the silk slacks that all my clothes wear longer and look better when given to Queen's for regular dry cleaning.

I am so pleased to endorse this fine firm, the first and only endorsement I have ever written for any company.

Thank you for your interest in the consumer. You have accomplished a great deal since you have been writing it, not least of which is giving the consumer confidence that something is being done to provide good service and good products in Malta. (Jane Sandstrom)

Having spoken with Mrs Sandstrom, I can appreciate that she is a discerning lady of high expectations and I must add my compliments to Mr Azzopardi on having won her custom. However, more importantly, I believe I must compliment him on having retained it, as she wrote, "for several years".