The Sweet Service Award goes to Babylonstoren for its precise delivery timing, communicated to online orderers in the morning on the delivery day. Earlier this week my delivery time was communicated as 13h09, and the driver arrived at 13h00!
Tag Archives: Sweet & Sour Awards
Sweet Service Award goes to the Travel Clinic; Sour Service Award goes to Discovery Vitality!
The Sweet Service Award goes to the Travel Clinic, and its Dr Etienne Fourie and assistant Debbie Gresak, who managed to squeeze me in with no booking for a Yellowfever vaccination for an overseas trip, having been recommended by Grant from the Bantry Bay Pharmacy. Debbie did the paper work, spoke to the doctor to squeeze me in before a delayed patient, and offered to claim for part of the cost from Discovery! Excellent friendly service, Continue reading →
Ria’s Pools Sweet Service and Pick ‘n Pay Franschhoek Sour Service Awards
The Sweet Service Award goes to Ria’s Pools in Franschhoek, a previous recipient of a Sweet Award. I called Ria to ask for assistance with a garden service and DIY service, and she was able to organise both on the same day, not only in terms of a quote, but also the execution of the services, an unheard-of service level in Franschhoek!
The Sour Service Award goes to Pick ‘n Pay’s Liquor department in Franschhoek. In one day last week I received poor service twice! I had to return Amstel beers which we had ordered via our weekly Whale Cottage Franschhoek shopping on two occasions, having first received them in glass bottles, and then in large cans purely because they were out of 330ml cans of Amstel. Every error means another piece of paper. I was not called, which is the procedure, to check on which size of Amstel we wanted. I was looking for a champagne stopper, and called the store, and this department specifically, to ask if they stock them. I was told that they do, and that they have different kinds, so I said I would come and check which one I wanted to buy. When I arrived, I was taken to the sparkling wine section of the store, when I asked after the ‘champagne stopper’! When the staff member was questioned about this by her manager, she insisted that I had said I wanted “champagne”!
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.
Nedbank Sea Point Sweet and Nedbank Business: Tygerberg Winelands Sour Service Awards
The Sweet Service Award goes to Mari Bremner, new Manager of Nedbank Sea Point, for taking a long-standing Nedbank client from the Nedbank Business: Tygerberg Winelands branch under her wings. Ms Bremner shows empathy and customer service relative to many of her colleagues in Nedbank, who seem to have lost their service touch. Ms Bremner swiftly corrected cheque book charges when requested, due to an overcharge by the Tygerberg Winelands branch. She has made time to meet with the customer, and is helping her to move her banking back to the Sea Point branch, even if the main banking account was opened in Sea Point in the first place and has a Sea Point account number.
The Sour Service Award goes to Nedbank Business: Tygerberg Winelands. The customer has had a number of business managers handling her account since her most amazing Business Manager Karen Swart left Nedbank to join ABSA a year ago. The manager of this branch did not inform customers of Ms Swart’s departure, nor as to who would replace her. At least three managers have dealt with the customer in the past year, Nedbank constantly changing the allocated Business Managers. The latest Business Manager, Dirk de Villiers, has made no attempt to meet or build a relationship with his customer, and believes that he is a good manager when he sends his customer an e-mail at 7h20 when the account limit has been exceeded. The latest such e-mail was headed “Business relationship”, as if this is what the customer wants from the bank! He has never proactively contacted the customer about anything else, he does not reply to e-mails requesting clarification of unauthorised charges, constantly allows charges to be booked off the customer’s account without explanation, ripped the customer off in charging double the bank’s cost for new cheque books, and appears to charge the customer for anything he possibly can. His bosses Andre Moller and Leon Potgieter have closed rank, and refused to entertain the client’s request to not have Mr de Villiers service her account, requesting a female manager instead. The client was accused of sexism by the management, hiding the fact that they have hardly any female managers in the branch! The branch refuses to allow the account to move back to Nedbank Sea Point, despite the client’s request to migrate back to her original home branch. The senior managers have also refused the customer access to the e-mail address of Tom Boardman, the bank’s CEO (“Hi Andre, The client requested Tom Boardman’s contact details. As instructed I’ll ignore the request.” – Piet Smit)!
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.