Glasfit | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

The Sweet Service Award goes to Glasfit in Montague Gardens, who arrived less than half an hour after we called them to remove the hinges of an armour plated glass door, which they had installed a few years ago, and which had shattered when forced open by a guest. While they were there they serviced the hinges of all the glass wardrobe doors too.

The Sour Service Award goes to The South African Butler Academy, and its Recruitment Manager Adriaan Coetzer, who initially welcomed feedback about one of the graduates of the Academy, Hettie Novacovic, with whom we had worked for a few days and whose butler training was a core reason why we had appointed her. However, in a very short period of time her performance deteriorated, she was poor at following instructions, and made mistakes, the SA Butler Academy training clearly leading to an arrogance in its students, and being too short at 8 weeks to teach students any depth. Coetzer telephonically said that our feedback confirmed what other clients had reflected and their own experience of her, but then lashed out in a subsequent e-mail, disputing our feedback and being defensive about his graduate!

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.

The Sweet Service Award goes to Glasfit in Worcester, and was nominated by Michael Mackenzie of McGregor: “I should like to nominate Walter Schonborn of Glasfit, Worcester for his exceptionally friendly and helpful service and indeed to the efficient service of Glasfit in general. A stone thrown up from a passing lorry cracked my windscreen, fortunately I was close to Worcester on my way to Cape Town. I stopped at Glasfit and Walter spontaneously noted all the details of my car, contacted my insurance brokers, completed a insurance claim document and telephoned the Glasfit garage in Cape Town and arranged for them to obtain a new windscreen and fit it for me once I arrived in the city. On my way, Elmo from Glasfit Cape Town, telephoned me to confirm the arrangements, offered to give me a lift if I required it and ensured that the job was completed during that afternoon – and at no cost to me!”

The Sour Service Award goes to Premier Shoes on Kloof Street in Cape Town, for quoting ‘R100 – R135’ to have a new numberplate made, but charging R165 when calling to say it was ready. The owner could not explain the reason for the increase (two plates cost R220), and would not budge from his quoted price, even when I mentioned the Consumer Protection Act, saying that I did not have to take the numberplate, as he could re-use it. I decided to not take it, on principle, and had it made elsewhere, and got it for a more reasonable price, and more quickly.