And that mantra applies to your suppliers’ staff as well

If suppliers have great staff – who are your main point of contact – then things should go smoothly. This brings me to Haresh (Harry) Karia, who runs a Best-one in Harefield.

I last featured Harry in our 14 December issue with a farcical tale of it taking three weeks to get a proper bill from Smiths News for a Vogue title he had ordered instead of the Vogue Property he had been charged for. In the end it was sorted by Stevie-Jayde Lamont, a charming complaints handler at Smiths.

I mention her because Harry had occasion to complain again to Smiths over missing credits for 16 Magiki Unicorns. He emailed me to say that she had helped resolve the issue “efficiently and without escalating to crazy levels as they did last time”.

He writes: “All too often we only contact people in the press to make complaints, but fail to do so when credit is due. I thought I’d advise you of Stevie’s competence and helpfulness and give her full 10/10 marks!”

I rather hope Harendra Bhatt can find someone like her, too. Things have gone wrong between his Universal News in Islington and Smiths. Latest was his order for Vanity Fair. Instead they delivered Classic Motorcycle Mechanics. I know… easy mistake.

So Smiths, what you need is a few more Stevies.