More positively concluded cases

Here follow excerpts from the first letter sent to Cherubino Ltd regarding this case:

To Mrs Cherubino

In October 2005 I brought my sphygmomanometer set (blood pressure instrument) which I bought from your company, to have its pump replaced. I phoned several times since then to be told that it was not ready yet. I spoke to you personally three times.

During these last months you promised me you would phone me personally to tell me when I could call for it. Yet you have not phoned me and I am still without my sphygmomanometer.

Please can you give this matter immediate attention? (Jane Azzopardi)

Letters were exchanged and what really matters is the positive conclusion as can be seen in the following letter from a satisfied customer:

I am happy to write to you this time with a positive ending.

After my last letter, dated February 23, Mrs Cherubino phoned me to say that her company had ordered the spare part and had it transported by courier service to Malta.

In fact I called at their outlet in Gzira and collected it. When I asked for the bill Mrs Cherubino said they were giving it to me for free to make up for the hassle I had been through.

All's well that ends well. The fact that they admitted their mistake was more soothing than their generous act of giving me the part for free.

I wish to thank you for following my story. Your column gives consumers that leverage necessary to get the desired service. (Jane Azzopardi)

I thank and compliment Cherubino Ltd on having, as Ms Azzopardi confirmed, positively concluded this case in such a customer-oriented approach.

Irritable situation resolved

This case is about a pair of contact lenses which, in less than eight weeks, developed a tendency to graze. However Cathedral Opticians co-operated. Here follow some relevant excerpts from a letter sent by Marco Grech to Cathedral Opticians on behalf of his wife:

May I compliment Twanny Micallef of Cathedral Opticians for having resolved an irritable situation to one of compromise. The situation evolved around my wife's contact lenses, which in less than eight weeks, developed an abrasive effect which rendered them useless.

I contacted Cathedral Opticians and was later referred to their distributor...

After having discussed the matter with Mr Micallef he suggested that a new lens would be ordered and the expenses balanced between us, which in the circumstances seemed reasonable and all was not lost. May I thank Mr Micallef once again. (Marco Grech o.b.o. my wife Irene).

I thank and compliment Mr Micallef of Cathedral Opticians on having resolved an irritable situation.

Director understood customer's frustration

Many letters were exchanged in this drawn out case regarding a Toyota Yaris bought from Michael Debono Ltd. I do not have the space to feature them but what really matters is that it is positively concluded. Here is the 'concluding' letter sent in by a "satisfied customer":

Dear Mr Muscat Inglott,

I am writing again regarding the problem I had with Michael Debono Ltd of Notabile Road, Zebbug, regarding my Toyota Yaris. I am happy to say that the director has understood my frustration and, since customer satisfaction is his top priority, he resolved my pending case once and for all. I can now say that he has me as a satisfied customer and I would recommend his establishment to people I know. (David Tedesco)

I thank and compliment Michael Debono Ltd accordingly. It is indeed satisfying when we deal with and resolve such cases. After all, that is all we expect. However what makes it more meaningful is the simple fact that, as I repeatedly write, in such cases the customer ends up with a better impression/opinion of the respective trader than the customer would have got if the bad situa-tion/problem never occurred in the first place.

In this spirit, I encourage suppliers and traders to look at complaints as an opportunity to make a positive impression on the customer.

Another positively concluded car case

Here is another case involving cars. This time the company involved is UCIM, and the car is an Alfa Romeo GTV.

As with the Toyota Yaris case I will just feature the last 'concluding' letter sent in by another satisfied customer:

Dear Mr Muscat Inglott,

I refer to my letter dated February 12 regarding a complaint I had with the repair of my Alfa Romeo GTV carried out by UCIM Co. Ltd.

I am pleased to confirm that following further discussions with UCIM, we were able to find an amicable solution with which I am very satisfied.

I would like to thank you for your attention regarding this matter. (Daniel Sciberras)

I thank and compliment UCIM.

In conclusion I take the opportunity to encourage you to maximise on this column.

I can assure you it is an effective tool which you can use effectively. All you have to do is to read and abide by the terms and conditions published with every column.