Hailing TheCab’s Compassionate Driver

Dear Pamela,

I was at my doctor’s office at Queen’s and really felt bad. Usually I take TheBus to go home, but I did not feel well enough to walk down to King Street to catch the bus to Waikiki. I decided to call a cab, and to my good fortune I got Joe as my driver.

When we got home, he took my credit card and tried to get it to work. The machine was giving him trouble and, unfortunately, I did not have any cash with me.

After several minutes, Joe got a card, wrote his name and number, and said, “You are not well, and I cannot make you wait until this machine works, so when you get the money, just call me.”

He then helped me out of the taxi and off he went. Later, I called him twice to make arrangements to meet him, and finally he said, “Just buy yourself something or use it next time you need a cab. Have a blessed day.”

I want to thank Joe and say that TheCab is lucky to have him. My heart is full with gratitude that Joe was so compassionate. I shall never forget his kindness, especially when I needed it most.

God bless you, Joe, and have many blessed days.

Benay Smith
Waikiki

Dear Benay,

Joe Leauanae says he could tell you were uncomfortable. “Just came from the doctor, yeah? She’s a very nice lady. You have to take care of the elderly. That’s why I do it. I didn’t want to make her wait. She can use the money for something else, yeah?”

Dear Pamela,

Earlier this year, I endured a long roofing/remodeling of the back half of my house. For four months my daughter and I lived in cramped quarters in the front. The project was nearly complete, and all that had to be done was for the roofing company to put gutters along the back part of the house.

I told the roofing contractor over the phone to tie the gutters into the existing down-spouts, but his workers put in a new downspout in the middle of the back half of the roof. Then Tropical Storm Wali came along, letting loose several inches of rain within a two-hour period. That rain collected on the roof, flowed down that misplaced down-spout and flooded the entire back half of the house!

So, once again, we had to move to the front half of the house. I was in Oregon when it happened and called the roofer, who said he vacuumed up all the water and it was all good … right?

Wrong. The roofer merely took the misplaced down-spout and tied the gutter into the correct downspout. By the time I got home, the water had been sitting, spreading mold in the house for two days.

When I called several flood-restoration companies, they were either too busy, no-showed to appointments or did not return after taking measurements. Three more days passed, when relief came in the form of an angel named Kevin Cordes of PuroClean Property Restoration Services. He got started the day I called. Because of the delay, the job was not easy, but he and his co-workers worked tirelessly for two weeks to repair the damage. His responsiveness and communication were representative of the best customer service I have received in 15 years in Hawaii. Kevin gave me his cell number and would respond within an hour, no matter where he was or how busy he was. The job was thorough and of the highest quality.

All this, and the price was well below that of the other companies I had called.

Thomas A. Cummings
Kailua

Dear Thomas,

Kevin Cordes of PuroClean says the job at your house may have taken a while, but they wanted to do it right.

“Normally we can complete a restoration like this in two days, but there was insulation behind the walls,” he explains. “The door was warped, there were containment issues and power-supply problems. We tried to dry everything without doing any cutting, but we had to, especially because there was a time issue; he had guests coming. His APPLAUSE letter brings tears to my eyes because this is why we work so hard, to take care of our customers. Everyone here, starting with Michelle Ramos, is instilled with this spirit of cooperation and care.”

Aloha Pamela,

I want to give a big mahalo to two young men, Ikaika and Jacob, who work for RRR Recycling Services. As my mother and I left Costco Hawaii Kai, we heard a flapping sound and were signaled by a van of women that our tire was flat!

I quickly pulled into the recycling center across the street and was going to call for help. Ikaika came and offered to change our tire so we wouldn’t have to wait. He was joined by Jacob, and the two worked together and had us on the road in no time.

They are true gentlemen and service-oriented to the community — an asset to their company and a reflection of their upbringing and family values!

Joanne Suzuki
Manoa

Dear Joanne,

A spokesperson for RRR Recycling Center says, “It’s wonderful to hear the good deed done by our employees. As a family business, customer service is important to us. Knowing our employees lend help to someone in need is exceptional. Ikaika and Jacob were glad to be of assistance.”

If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her. pyoung@ kitv.com