The Sweet Service Award goes to VIP Locksmiths, who came to my assistance when I called them to unlock my car boot, into which I had inadvertently locked my car keys in the V&A Waterfront. My regular locksmith was unable to open a Mercedes-Benz, and recommended VIP Locksmiths. I was quoted R850 for the job, for which I only had half the cash with me. The owner was tough in demanding immediate payment in cash on completion, and I had no choice but to agree to their terms, even if it meant driving to my house to collect the balance of the money. I asked a family of shoppers if their child could climb into the open-roof car, to unlock the door, which set off the immobilisor, and therefore did not allow me to release the boot from inside, or so I thought. Only when the locksmith arrived did I test the boot again, and was delighted when the boot opened without any assistance of the locksmith. He offered to only charge R300 for his call-out fee. I have vowed to ever make this mistake again!
T
he Sour Service Award goes to Media 24, which sent a misleading e-mail, ‘inviting’ one to become part of the ‘exclusive Media 24 MySay online community’. To ‘join’, one had to do a survey, and it turned out to be market research about their magazines, including requesting the insulting question of one’s race, by which time my hackles were on high alert! It would appear that Media 24 will be sending e-mails to market their magazines, a most unprofessional and unethical market research procedure! This is the e-mail received (I am not a reader of any of their magazines, so one wonders how they got hold of my e-mail address!): ‘Dear Reader, We would like to invite you to be a part of our exclusive Media24 My Say online community. As part of this community, you’ll be invited to participate in online surveys and discussions where you’ll be able to give your opinion on a variety of topics as well as help us understand your ongoing needs and wants. Join today and your name will be entered into a lucky draw to stand a chance to win a R10,000 cash prize at the end of this year. You also have the opportunity to win other monthly prizes for surveys and discussions you participate in. HOW TO JOIN? It’s simple… click the link below and complete the short registration survey to become part of the Media24 My Say community. Click the following link to JOIN NOW! WHY JOIN? As an exclusive member of the Media24 My Say community you’ll get a chance to: • Share your ideas and experiences – and be heard! • Win big as well as smaller prizes. You’ll also: • Help Media24 with the development of our products and communication • Hear what other community members have to say • Receive feedback from some of the studies you participate in Join our exciting Media24 My Say community today and have your say! The Media24 My Say Team.’
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 whalecot@iafrica.com. Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog. DURING THE DURATION OF MASTERCHEF SA SEASON 3 WE ARE MOVING THE SWEET & SOUR SERVICE AWARDS TO SATURDAYS.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: click here
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