The Sweet Service Award goes to Pick ‘n Pay Gardens Centre, and to its staff member Annie Hendricks, for the excellent service we receive in the compilation and delivery of our weekly order for Whale Cottage Camps Bay.  Since Annie has taken over our order, we never have errors, she is proactive in requesting an order when it has not been received, she always has a smile, she double checks our order for missing items, is prompt in answering text messages, will drive to other (often non-Pick ‘n Pay) stores to find an item they may have run out of, and is reasonably punctual in the delivery time.  She is a pleasure to deal with.

The Sour Service Award goes to Hotflo, and is nominated by Jeanne Collisson of Stormsvlei Farm Stall and Restaurant in Swellendam: ‘I would like to nominate an Actom Company – Hotflo for a Sour Service Award (http://www.satchwell.co.za/enquiries.asp).  We needed a new element for our display fridge and this is the only company that makes them in the Cape Town area. (The alternative was Durban, and how I wish I rather went with them!) We placed an order for the element and were advised from when we make payment it would be ready in 3 weeks. When I followed up after 3 weeks, I was advised that it would be another week; eventually we were told that we can arrange for our courier to pick it up and a date. (This was after numerous calls) On the day that we were told it would be ready, I double checked with the company’s representative, Alex and she advised me it will be ready after 3pm, our courier arrived about 3:30pm and was advised it was not ready. Alex advised the element was with their rep and they will have it there the next day, my courier went again and once again it was not ready. I then advised them that when it is ready, they need to arrange for a courier to send it to me and I expect them to pay the no show charges for the courier as we were told it the item was ready. I was told that they will pay this. We received our courier statement on 18 March and I contacted Hotflo for the no show charge of R100.00 via email, I never had a response. I contacted them again on 22 March via email and again no response, I contacted them again on 3 April and again no response and then again on 6 April.  I finally got an email back from them on 8 April to advise that they will discuss the issue with their manager, and come back to me. (This was in answer to an email I sent on the 8^th) Needless to say no one came back to me; I chased them up again today and got the following response: Good afternoon Jeanne, The message was discussed with my manager Marge Hendricks, however she is stuck in meetings today, but do feel free to give her a call 0829258428. I do apologise for the delay in feedback, but hopefully you will have an answer today. The manager should be aware of my issues, as she has been copied in on my emails of 6 April & 8 April. I have never in my life dealt with a company that offers such appalling service. They just do not seem to care‘.  Jeanne wrote subsequent to sending the nomination, saying that Hotflo had agreed to pay for the ‘no show’ charge, but felt that the nomination was still valid, given that it took three weeks to get a response.

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 info@whalecottage.com.   Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog, and in the WhaleTales newsletters on the www.whalecottage.com website.