Philips Sonic Care Gives Good Service!

Last week, our rechargeable toothbrush for kids by Philips began vibrating very loudly and the shaft, which connects to the toothbrush heads, was coming loose.

Now I know this is not earth-shattering news, but, I figure when you encounter good service that you should acknowledge it in any way you can.  It is why I have an account with TripAdvisor, Yelp and I always send a quick e-mail when I receive particularly good or bad service.

The toothbrush cost us close to $100 and has been worth every penny.  Having had to revert to the manual toothbrushes, I can honestly say that the sonic care brushes help me to make sure that the kids teeth are as clean as they can be.  Anyways, I spoke to an client service rep. via a chat client and within 5 minutes of giving the rep. the serial number and my personal information, I was told they would send a replacement handle and it would reach us within 5-7 days!!  Now that's service!  So thank you Philips for a great product and great follow up service.

This is the second such article I have posted recently:  My last bout of adulation was for SimpleHuman.  It seems that when you go with a product which is well made to begin with, even though price may initially seem exorbitant, it actually pays off in the long run.

Hurray for consumerism!

The Last Nail and Other Goodies

 

Source: MakeUseOf.com

Dr. Duane Sewell

My wife's cousin and our friend passed away on November 26th. Duane was an ENT Surgeon and a cancer researcher, but more than this, he was gentle, brilliant, kind-hearted, a great father and, as I've written before, exemplary in every way. And this is not only the kind of praise one doles out at the death of someone...but it is heartfelt and true to the last word. Marsh and I will both miss Duane greatly.

I have appended below an obituary that appeared in the Baltimore Sun recently:



Dr. Duane Anthony Sewell, a highly regarded head and neck surgeon and researcher who was also a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, died Nov. 26 of gastric cancer at his Mount Washington home.


Dr. Sewell was 44.


"I can't think of anybody who better exemplified what it means to be a physician than Duane Sewell. He combined excellent surgical and research skills, and making his patients extraordinarily comfortable," said Dr. Kevin Cullen, director of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center.


"His illness came as a complete shock because he had been so vibrant, and it went too fast," said Dr. Cullen. "He was part of a strong team, and Duane's death is like losing your quarterback. He was a critical and revered member of the team, and now it's going to be a real challenge for his patients, care and research."


"Duane was a brilliant physician, and his brilliance I'd argue was defined by his incredible passion for his patients and a burning passion to investigate the unknown things we didn't know about the biology of cancer and how it impacts us. He was excellent in both arenas," said Dr. Mohan Suntha, associate director of the Greenebaum Cancer Center and professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.


"There has been an outpouring of emotional response to the impact of his death by his patients, colleagues and those he trained. … That will be his lasting legacy," said Dr. Suntha. "We've lost a tremendous colleague and friend. Duane's death has moved us all in a unique way. He was a man who was blessed with both intellect and curiosity."


Dr. Sewell, whose father, Dr. Trevor E. Sewell, was a psychologist and former dean of Temple University's School of Education, and whose mother, Fay Barbara Sewell, was professor of mathematics at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, was born in Milwaukee. He was 7 when he moved with his family to Abington, Pa.


After graduating from Abington High School in 1985, Dr. Sewell earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1989 from Harvard University.


He briefly contemplated a legal career but decided to pursue medicine.


"I think Duane was driven by his desire to help people, especially underprivileged people. That was a big factor in his choosing medicine, plus he was good at science," said his wife of 15 years, Dr. Catherine Sewell, a gynecologist and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, whom he met when both were students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.


After graduating from medical school in 1994, Dr. Sewell completed a surgical internship at Union Memorial Hospital in 1995. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the department of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1995 to 1997.


He completed a residency in 2000 in the department of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and from 2000 to 2001 was a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania.


From 2001 to 2002, he was a head and neck surgery fellow in the department of otolaryngology at Penn.


Before coming to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2007, Dr. Sewell was an assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania, and was also a staff surgeon at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center.


"He was extremely soft-spoken and humble," said Dr. Cullen. "We all respected his thinking and his final word enormously. He was marvelous at unraveling extraordinarily difficult situations."


"Duane was able to balance his career and at the same time be an incredible family man. I'm willing to bet that his wife and children were the most important thing in his life, and he made his patients feel the same way," said Dr. Suntha.


"From the moment they were diagnosed with cancer, he understood the challenges of the diagnosis and wanted to make sure that the patient and their family were taken care of," he said.


"He was wonderful at calming them, and the bitter irony was that he had to deal with his own at the end of his life," said Dr. Cullen.


In an email Monday to staff members of the Greenebaum Cancer Center, Dr. Cullen wrote: "Duane's compassionate yet commanding demeanor instantly (and rightly) put all of his patients at ease, be they an ambassador with all possible privilege or a homeless person clinging to any hope. He saw them as equals and provided them the best care possible."


At the end of his life, Dr. Sewell, while technically on leave, maintained an interest in his work and research, said his wife.


He wrote many journal articles and abstracts. He also was section editor of "Comprehensive Overview of Otolaryngology," published in 2003, and was the author of several book chapters.


His professional memberships included the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association of Cancer Research, American Head and Neck Society and the American Association of Immunologists.


A physically active person, Dr. Sewell was training for a triathlon when his cancer was diagnosed.


"He enjoyed camping, and reading African-American and sports history," his wife said.


He was an avid Eagles and Phillies fan.


A memorial service will be held
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Dr. Duane Anthony Sewell, a highly regarded head and neck surgeon and researcher who was also a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, died Nov. 26 of gastric cancer at his Mount Washington home.


Dr. Sewell was 44.


"I can't think of anybody who better exemplified what it means to be a physician than Duane Sewell. He combined excellent surgical and research skills, and making his patients extraordinarily comfortable," said Dr. Kevin Cullen, director of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center.


"His illness came as a complete shock because he had been so vibrant, and it went too fast," said Dr. Cullen. "He was part of a strong team, and Duane's death is like losing your quarterback. He was a critical and revered member of the team, and now it's going to be a real challenge for his patients, care and research."


"Duane was a brilliant physician, and his brilliance I'd argue was defined by his incredible passion for his patients and a burning passion to investigate the unknown things we didn't know about the biology of cancer and how it impacts us. He was excellent in both arenas," said Dr. Mohan Suntha, associate director of the Greenebaum Cancer Center and professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.


"There has been an outpouring of emotional response to the impact of his death by his patients, colleagues and those he trained. … That will be his lasting legacy," said Dr. Suntha. "We've lost a tremendous colleague and friend. Duane's death has moved us all in a unique way. He was a man who was blessed with both intellect and curiosity."


Dr. Sewell, whose father, Dr. Trevor E. Sewell, was a psychologist and former dean of Temple University's School of Education, and whose mother, Fay Barbara Sewell, was professor of mathematics at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, was born in Milwaukee. He was 7 when he moved with his family to Abington, Pa.


After graduating from Abington High School in 1985, Dr. Sewell earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1989 from Harvard University.


He briefly contemplated a legal career but decided to pursue medicine.


"I think Duane was driven by his desire to help people, especially underprivileged people. That was a big factor in his choosing medicine, plus he was good at science," said his wife of 15 years, Dr. Catherine Sewell, a gynecologist and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, whom he met when both were students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.


After graduating from medical school in 1994, Dr. Sewell completed a surgical internship at Union Memorial Hospital in 1995. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the department of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1995 to 1997.


He completed a residency in 2000 in the department of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and from 2000 to 2001 was a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania.


From 2001 to 2002, he was a head and neck surgery fellow in the department of otolaryngology at Penn.


Before coming to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2007, Dr. Sewell was an assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania, and was also a staff surgeon at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center.


"He was extremely soft-spoken and humble," said Dr. Cullen. "We all respected his thinking and his final word enormously. He was marvelous at unraveling extraordinarily difficult situations."


"Duane was able to balance his career and at the same time be an incredible family man. I'm willing to bet that his wife and children were the most important thing in his life, and he made his patients feel the same way," said Dr. Suntha.


"From the moment they were diagnosed with cancer, he understood the challenges of the diagnosis and wanted to make sure that the patient and their family were taken care of," he said.


"He was wonderful at calming them, and the bitter irony was that he had to deal with his own at the end of his life," said Dr. Cullen.

The Missing Girls of India



Why an estimated 40 million girls have gone "missing" in India. 

simplehuman

I bought a dual recycling can from Home Outfitters made by simple human about a year ago. It is a rectangular can divided into two separate bins with their own independent lids. One side is for organic waste and the other is for cans, bottles and plastics.

It has served us well and well it should, because it cost us somewhere close to $100.00! I was feeling guilty about buying a garbage can for such an exorbitant price, but nothing quite fit the bill as this recycling can did.

Unfortunately, the lid on the left side somehow broke off last week. So off I went to the interweb to find a replacement. What I found was that the bin I have is no longer made by simple human, that there is nowhere else to look for the lid as the can carries no identifying numbers or model name. I then went to the simple human again and used the parts and service page to send an e-mail describing our recycling can.

I soon received an automated message confirming receipt of my e-mail AND on the first business day after I sent the e-mail a reply arrives saying...

Dear Zahir Paryani,

Thank you for your inquiry and we apologize for any difficulties you are experiencing with your can. We will be glad to send you that replacement lid free of charge. Please allow 7-10 business days for the delivery of your replacement part. Your order will be shipped via UPS to the address you provided on the online form. You will also receive a confirmation email when your order has been processed and shipped.

At simplehuman, we stand behind our products 100% and are working to offer the best possible service. We hope that our products can continue to serve you well for the years ahead.

Best,
Olivia

How cool is that? That, ladies and gentlemen, is customer service! Thank you simple human.