Personal references are always the most reliable as the services you seek have been tried and tested.

Getting the woodwork done in a new flat was a priority on a visit home in December. So, family and friends were consulted and I was given several contacts. Making a choice wasn’t hard as one of the carpenters had done work in the houses of several people known to the family. The owners were very pleased with the work done and what clinched the deal for me was the comment, “He’s a ‘thinking’ carpenter”.

I called the “thinker” immediately and was surprised by his response. He came over at once, which was a big plus point for me as I was rushed for time. He sketched various combinations of cupboards and quoted his price. He was soon at work and, by the time I had to return to Dubai, the work was done and the flat transformed. Some might say, “What’s so miraculous about that?” To them I say getting hold of a handyman back home in India, who keeps to his promises and time frame, is a rare experience.

I only went to the flat once initially to show him what I wanted and where and thereafter left him to do his job while I went off on a mini holiday to Sri Lanka. Imagine my surprise on seeing the work completed to perfection by the time I got back. No having to run around and he never once switched off his mobile phone.

My only concern is that he will go on to bigger projects and become too busy to do any more work for me some years hence. But let me worry about that later and not cross bridges prematurely. I am one happy bunny for now.

Some of the best movies I’ve seen and books I’ve read have been recommended by friends or family.

Such suggestions are even more important when one is seeking medical advice. With so many hospitals and doctors to choose from and so much conflicting feedback, it is difficult to decide in whom you should place your trust. When someone tells you of a medical practitioner who has successfully diagnosed and treated his problem, you are convinced that this is the person you should consult. There is relief at having found someone who will make you as fit as a fiddle again as well as the end of procrastination and agonising over who is best suited to treat you.

Of course, there can be lapses in judgement. Or perhaps the doctor you went to on someone’s recommendation has a bad day and isn’t able to solve your problem to your satisfaction.

However, it is extremely gratifying when you make a recommendation and your friend gets back to you and endorses your choice. However, there can be a down side to this. That’s when the star rating you gave to a certain establishment is such a huge hit and soon it is the talk of the town or your particular circle of friends. So, you should be rejoicing, right? Well, not always, because sometimes credit is not given where it is due. To hear your ‘find’ being talked about as if it were a recent discovery by the very same person to whom you divulged the secret can grate on the nerves.

If you step into the conversation with a gentle reminder that it was you who sniffed out this particular gem, you might be met with a blank stare and a nonchalant “Did you really? I can’t remember who told me”. This dismissal of your kind act of spreading the word can hurt. It might even make you resolve to keep further finds to yourselves and not let anyone else into your voyage of discovery.

Maybe that’s what I’ll do with my ‘thinking’ carpenter. The search for rare gems can be exhausting work. So, when you find one, don’t shout it from the rooftop. Remember, ‘Finders keepers, losers weepers’.