In what can only be seen as a record week here in the Jackson house, I received my third in a trifecta of great customer service experiences today. The first “win” being an unsolicited week of free service from Skype, the second being a direct response to a query from the author of Murach’s Java SE 6 about a missing tutorial, and the final victory today when I received a favorable response to a an exchange request from Audible.

While browsing around Audible for something new from the pen of Dickens with which to aid my slumber, I had the crazy idea that I might try to redeem some value from a book I had purchased, but which was unbearable to the ear due to the droning monotony of the narrator. Specifically, I had purchased Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, narrated by Jim Killavey some months ago, only to find that Mr. Killavey’s voice is exceedingly painful to listen to, and adds no depth to the narration whatsoever. The quality was so dreadful that I was unable to get past the first chapter, and the book has sat un-listened to for months.

As I said, I was browsing around Audible for something new. By chance I ran across the same book, but narrated by Robert Whitfield instead of Mr. Killavey. I sent an email to Audible asking if it would be possible to exchange the Killavey copy of the book for the Whitfield copy. Imagine my surprise and deslight when I recieved an email this morning not only telling me this would be possible, but that my library at Audible had already been updated to reflect the change!

Needless to say, Whitfield is a superb narrator, and has filled my head with countless hours of windmill chasing from the pen of Miguel de Cervantes, and many more hours seeking justice for Nicholas Nickleby. Now, Whitfield will continue to partner with Dickens, and Our Mutual Friend Audible, to bring many more hours of literary enjoyment into my life. Who could ask for anything more?