The Sweet Service Award goes to Hope @ Home, organised by and performed at the Berlin home of violonist Daniel Hope, who entertained music lovers from around the world with classical music, swing music, and more genres, in performing with established musicians as well as new up-and-coming artists, broadcast by arteTV and streamed live, a weekend highlight initially, and a daily one in a second series. Daniel must be the busiest musician in the world, in making music and managing concerts and orchestras, writing books, broadcasting, recording music, and creating publicity for all of his endeavours in conventional media as well as in Social Media.  What made the concerts so special for me is that Daniel was born in Durban, and that his father used to live in Johannesburg,  Christopher Hope being an esteemed writer.

The Sour Service Award goes to Discovery, and its Medical Health and Insure divisions, chalk and cheese in how they deal with a lapsed payment. In answering the call on the Medical Health/Vitality side, Nozipho was calm and patient in dealing with me, after I had given up with Discovery Insure, the latter’s call centre staff being useless. Nozipho told me that I had two options to do the catch up payment, by existing Debit order, which could only be taken in 5 – 8 days, or by EFT, so I chose the latter, as I wanted to do the payment immediately. She held my hand d throughout the 45 minute process, giving me an 18 digit reference number to put into the bank payment. I was worried about the payment going into a private account, but the delayed debit order payment was an even worse option. Nozipho told me how to send the proof of payment immediately via the Discovery Get Help system, which I hadn’t used before.  I was angry when I was bombarded by emails and sms messages for the Medical as well as Vitality Services the following day, stating that my benefits were put on hold. Only two days after the payment did I receive messages to confirm that my cover and benefits had been reinstated. After first trying to do the Discovery Insure payment with Lebo, Regan, Bongani, and Jolan, and being so frustrated in getting through to the right person, I called back 24 hours later, and was fortunate to get Dylan on the line, who did a Debit Order payment one two three, to go through in one or two days, I was promised, and gave me an 8-digit reference number, all completed in under ten minutes!  How bizarre that the insurer has separate Billings departments and procedures. I was reminded again what luck one has in finding the right person in a Call Centre, in how one perceives a Corporate!

 

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog. Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at chrisvonulmenstein [at] gmail.com. Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide

 

About Chris von Ulmenstein