Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Dear Heloise: I was interested in the article about unplugging electrical components for several minutes to reset them if an error code appears.
My grandson and his friend were playing around with the TV set, continually shutting it on and off until it wouldn’t come on at all! His dad called several repair shops for an estimate, and it was very expensive. The last shop told him to unplug the TV overnight and in the morning plug it back in and try it. Sure enough — it worked!
What a great guy to tell him that — he didn’t have to. He could have charged him to bring it in and done the same thing. My son told him he would recommend him to everybody he knew and would pay him. He said, “No, there is no charge!”
My son sent some gift cards from a restaurant, he was so grateful. It’s good to know there are honest people out there, and I hope this might save someone else some money. Carolyn G., via e-mail
Carolyn, there are lots of nice and honest people out there! I’m glad your son sent gift cards as a thank-you. It’s important to reward good customer service, so readers, take a few minutes to say “job well done, and thanks.” Heloise
Dear Heloise: I know it is important to remove information from empty medicine bottles before disposing of them. To do this, put a small amount of liquid dish detergent directly on the label and rinse under warm water while scrubbing the label until the ink disappears. You can dispose of the bottles, and no one will be able to read your medical information. Linda, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: Here’s a suggestion: As you’re entering a grocery store and you walk past the cart rack, take one in with you. Think of it as recycling. I’m sure there are plenty of other things for employees to do inside the store. Lita from Texas
Dear Heloise: We buy a national brand of coffee, and I noticed the grounds are big. I put them through my grinder, made them very fine, and we get more coffee!
We are trying to save money anywhere we can, and this helps a little. When I make just one cup or two, I can use only about 1‚Ñ2 or 3‚Ñ4 of the old amount. Coffee Lover in California
Dear Heloise: I had neck surgery and was required to wear a soft neck brace all the time. I found that the brace got dirty and was hard to clean. I came up with the idea of wrapping a bandage (long, elasticized bandage for sprains) around the brace and put it on my neck. Now, I can easily remove the bandage for washing, and the brace stays clean. Rudi Ann in Colorado
King Features Syndicate