Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

The Sweet Service Award goes to Artscape for hosting the Youth Music Festival in the Artscape Theatre last Saturday, providing a platform for twelve talented musicians to perform with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.  The concert celebrated exceptional musical talent in the Western Cape, musicians ranging in age from 10 years (violinist Nicholas Bosman) to 25 years (soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi).   All were beautifully dressed, especially the young girls, wearing lovely silk dresses.  Pianist Lourens Fick brought the house down with his Liszt performance.

The Sour Service Award goes to Col’Cacchio Foreshore, in the Spearhead building in Cape Town.  A first visit to this branch, after supporting the Franschhoek and Camps Bay branches in the past, was really bad, with a cheeky waitress Neena, and a non-effective manager Patrick.   It seemed obvious that there is no management hand in this outlet after hours, and that Neena had not been taught how to speak to customers.  She did not bring the company’s newspaper with the bill, nor the Lindt chocolate advertised in the bill holder, and had a silly excuse for forgetting these.  The massive footballs hanging from the ceiling look very dated, one month after the end of the World Cup.  Having to pay to park in an empty parking lot to eat at the restaurant in the evening was a further irritation, the cost of which should be borne by the restaurant.

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 Ian of Exclusive Books in Sea Point, who kept the store open on a Sunday afternoon so that I could pop down quickly from Fresnaye to buy the ‘New Concise Larousse Gastronomique”, it being the only branch in Cape Town to stock the book.

The Sour Service Award goes to Woolworths, for misleading consumers through a promotion which is downright dishonest.  I am a regular purchaser of its 240 gram cheddar and gouda cheeseblocks, and noticed a “save R6″ flash in the top left corner of the pack.  I asked Lance, the duty manager of the Piazza Da Luz branch, what the exact price is, as the shelf price showed R25,95. He seemed out of his depth in answering my question, as I showed him a slip of two weeks earlier, when the same purchase had also cost R25,95 without the promotion.   He went to the till to scan the products (one pack with, and another pack without the R6 flash), and on scanning them, both showed the price to be R 25,95.   Lance took no interest in how long I had to wait for him at the cheese shelf, and took other calls while I waited for him.  He made no attempt to call Head Office, saying the offices were closed on a Saturday afternoon, and refused to call his store manager and the Customer Care department.  He took my details, and I only heard from Nazeem of the Woolworths’ Customer Care department five days later.  He was full of excuses about his delay in making contact, had not been briefed by the store, and I still have not been called by the Promotions department of Woolworths, even though my complaint was picked up by the Woolworths Twitterer, and I was promised contact on Monday.  After almost a week, I am still mad about this dishonesty, and at Woolworths for not caring about its customers!

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 Rick Taylor, Group Marketing and Sales Exewcutive of the Vineyard Hotel, who came to the rescue when an ordered lamb burger had not been brought to the table at the hotel’s The Square restaurant after half an hour, the waiter coming back to say that the kitchen had run out of seeded rolls, and needed to bake more, requiring another 15 minutes.  I was not happy that the Restaurant Manager nor the F&B Manager understood how poor the service in the restaurant was, and therefore asked to speak to Rick, a friend of many moons ago, in our advertising industry past in Johannesburg. With his charm and chattiness, Rick made me forget my frustration, I stayed far longer than planned, and I left with a positive attitude towards the hotel. 

The Sour Service Award goes to Pick ‘n Pay Express in De Waterkant, the second Sour Award it has received for exactly the same reason – the problems in taking EasyPay payments.  I had brought a cheque, and wanted to pay the balance with my credit card.   It took half an hour to put through the 20 payments I was making, due to the slow Pick ‘n Pay EasyPay system.   The real challenge came when it took the manager Trevor another half an hour to try and put through the cheque payment – first he had to call for special permission to accept my cheque, and once he had received this, he did not know how to deal with a cheque payment on the till.  Trevor called the Pick ‘n Pay helpline, and they confirmed to me that the total amount can be paid by two payment methods.    I noticed that the Manager was not answering the questions the screen was asking, i.e. the branch number and the account number, questions to which the manager kept entering the amount to be paid, and therefore was getting an ”input error” message each time, at least 20 times!  It took an hour to make the payments.  For a 24-hour outlet, one would expect a more competent manager to be on duty when the owners have gone home.   

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 Kulula.com, nominated by Hilary Djolov.  Hilary writes:  “Kulula … put us onto a BA flight when our flight was delayed by two hours and upgraded us to business class, because we were travelling with a three-year-old who otherwise would have made it home after midnight.”

The Sour Service Award goes to SAA, who seem intent on discouraging tourists to visit South Africa in the afterglow of the goodwill created by the recent World Cup.   Robert Landecker wrote that last December he paid about $800 for a ticket from Sao Paulo to South Africa - now he has been quoted $1500 for the same journey in January next year.

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 Jannie from Franschhoek Motors, for replacing the clutch of a Chrysler PT Cruiser, which he had replaced eight months before.  Not only did Jannie collect the car from Cape Town, and tow it to Franschhoek, but he also demanded that the clutch supplier Luc Repco replace the clutch at no cost. 

The Sour Service Award goes to Value Car Hire, a supplier of good value cars for Whale Cottage clients for the last twelve years and previously a Sweet Service Award recipient.  Due to the clutch repair of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, we had to rent a car for five days, and chose to support our supplier.  Being neurotic about a blanket authorisation hold on my credit card, I called our contact over all the years and senior manager of the company, Munier Abrahams, and agreed that no such authorisation would be held over my credit card, as I would pay by EFT once the car was returned.  I told him that I had not signed the form, and in fact had scratched out the card payment authorisation on the form.  When the car was driven, it was badly aligned, the steering wheel wobbling badly.  We called Munier, and a replacement car was brought to Stellenbosch.  We were surprised that the Value Car Hire driver Bradley had not picked this up when he delivered the car.  Later that day I noticed from my bank statement that the company had put an authorisation hold of R1500 on my credit card after all, despite our agreement.  This was reversed three days later, after I expressed my dissatisfaction to Munier.  On the day of the return of the car, R1181 was booked off my credit card without permission, for the rental as well as a petrol fee, despite the car having been refueled prior to handover and our agreement that I would pay by EFT.   I called Munier, and he promised to sort out the problem, even though he was on leave.  I noticed that the credit card reversal had not come through, so called Munier again, and reminded him about his promise.  He apologised for not having been there, but said he was on the way to the office, and would sort it out.  I called at the end of the day, and we had a war of words on the phone, Munier denying any of the terms of our telephonic agreement.   I gave him until midnight of that day to reverse the payment.  The payment has still not been reversed, and therefore we have approached our bank for a chargeback of the payment, and have found a new car rental company for our guests. It would appear that a take-over of Value Car Hire by i-Drive has changed the attitude to doing business with their customers.

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 the 1500 Capetonians who participated in the Madiba Unity Fan Walk on Sunday, in honour of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, and to retain the unity amongst Capetonians developed during the World Cup. The Fan Walk was initiated and organised by Jacqui Biess and her daughters from Charly’s Bakery. 

The Sour Service Award goes to the parking guards in the Cape Town city centre, who seem to have been appointed on their degree of rudeness and harassment towards city shoppers, rather than on their ability to efficiently collect the parking monies with charm!   With their orange bibs and blue overalls they are highly visible, and have become a deterrent to many wishing to go into the city.  Recently I parked near Marcellino’s Bakery, a 5 minute stop at most.  As I came out of the bakery, the parking guard was already at my car, and refused to get out of the way when I tried to close my car door.  I had to ask the CCID security guard, who was standing with him, to call the police, so that I could protect myself from him, as I did not know what he would do to me, in my own vehicle.   Similarly, a guard in Barrack Street threatened to clamp the car wheel if I did not pay upfront - in Sea Point we pay afterwards. In both cases the communication came with extreme rudeness.  The cost of parking is more than the cost of buying two bread rolls at Marcellino’s Bakery, hardly an incentive to go there now, except on a ’drive-through’ basis!

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 Mercedes Culemborg, and was nominated by Eamon Mack, for the service recovery, after the appalling customer service he received when he went to collect his car.  “It had been towed in to Culemborg a week ago as it would not start. The fault was speculated to be the key or the ignition system. I was told my car will be ready at 4pm today. I took a taxi to the Foreshore and met the service advisor who was dealing with me. After a lot of hanging around she found the key for me, and presented me with a bill for R2300. I said fine, looking at it, and said that I’d pay 30% as I had one of those mobi plans. She said no, that I was due to pay 100%. I said, no, that I had spoken to a number of Mercedes people over the phone and they all had said 30% only was due.  She went into the Service Manager Peter Kruger who loudly said, “Tell him no, he must pay 100%, he has no cover as we do not pay for lost keys”. The service advisor came out and told me this and I stood my ground, explaining that I had not lost the key, but that it had malfunctioned.  At this stage Mr.Kruger appeared from his office with a bunch of files in his hand. I asked him what was going on.”You lost the key, you must pay 100%” he said. I said I had not. He asked where it was then, that they did not have it. I said it had gone in to Culemborg with the car. He denied this, saying that they never got the key. I protested and he said that the issue was between me and the towing company and that I had to pay 100%. He then turned his back on me and walked off.  At this stage I was left standing with the service advisor and a young woman who had spent the time while I was there ringing customers asking them if they had been happy with the service they had received, and to rate Mercedes on a scale of one to ten. How ironic.  She asked me what the issue was and I quickly explained, my blood pressure rising.   I recommended that they all sort it out amongst themselves and call me when they had a solution. I was offering to pay 30% of the bill and that was that. The service assistant said I must pay the full 100%, or I would not be allowed to drive the car away. I looked at her and reminded her that it was my car, and that I was going to drive away. She said I couldn’t as they were going to trap me in the garage by not raising the boom. I said I was going, and if they did not raise the boom I would drive through it. I couldn’t believe it!  Held hostage by Mercedes for a bill I did not owe. Incredible stuff.  I saw my car through the window, out in the garage and went over to it. I unlocked it and climbed in, started the motor, and drove towards the boom. Nothing happened. I wound down the window to ask the gateman to open the boom. I was prepared to give them one last chance. He didn’t budge.  I drove towards the boom, fully intent on escape.  Suddenly the customer services assistant appeared like magic at my window. ” Oh we’re going to let you go……..blah blah” I cut her off.  “I am very angry, young lady” I said, “and I am not going to finish this conversation with you now. Get your attorney to send me a letter”.  She raised the boom, and I drove off.  This is the worst customer service experience I have ever had in my entire life, bar none. I am still shaking with anger. Threatened with being trapped in Mercedes Culemborg with my car for a bill I did not owe.  Totally and completely outrageous and unacceptable.”  Eamon has since written, to say that the bill has been written off in full by Mercedes Culemborg, and an apology made to him.

The Sour Service Award goes to Paarl Motors, who have previously received three Sweet Service Awards.  The dealership’s Debtor’s Clerk Marietjie Brits handed a matter related to a cheque for a service to their lawyer, which had been rejected by their bank (Nedbank).  The Dealer Principal Jaco Kotze and the Workshop Manager did not try to intervene and resolve the matter.   The service from the Workshop has been outstanding over the past 5 years, and therefore the poor service received was disappointing.   Even more shocking was the attitude of Mr Kotze, who did the “my staff are perfect” customer alienation routine when called by the customer, without having taken the trouble to contact the customer proactively.   The client’s ABSA bank approved the banking of the cheque. No apology has been received from Paarl Motors.

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 the England supporters, who so bravely and in a sportsman-like manner accepted the outcome of their Round of 16 match against Germany just less than 2 weeks ago.   Despite the loss, they partied and no reports of hooliganism were received, something which has been associated with English soccer fans in the past.

The Sour Service Award goes to Enver of African Eagle, for the poor service a group of Whale Cottage World Cup guests, who had booked the company to do a day-tour to Aquilla, received.   The company’s guide called the Whale Cottage Camps Bay Manager Marianna at 5h45 to obtain directions!   They called again, to say they could not find the house, and were given the correct address again.   It took a further 30 minutes for them to reach the guest house.   An hour later the guests returned, saying that they had asked to be returned to Whale Cottage Camps Bay, as the driver was still looking for other clients at 8h00, when they should have reached Aquilla already and had breakfast there!   It took Enver 24 hours to return Marianna’s call of complaint, due to a message that had not been passed on to him by his staff.  When he took ownership of the problem, Enver immediately apologised and explained that he had used a new Portuguese-speaking guide, who had been requested by other booked clients, but who did not know Cape Town well.   Enver promised to drop off bottles of wine for the Whale Cottage guests and chocolates for Marianna, to apologise for the poor service.   The guests have long since checked out and the promised wine and chocolates have not been received! 

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 the new 15 on Orange Hotel, and its Food & Beverage Manager Werner Geere, who invited a guest back to the hotel, to enjoy a drink and canapes, for a group of four, in the spectacular Murano Bar of the hotel, which is only allowed to be used by hotel guests normally.  The hotel’s bottle of Cape Velvet could not be found on the guest’s first visit, and the hotel does not stock Baileys, which could have been an alternative choice.  On the night of the return visit the barman prepared a lovely Cape Velvet Don Pedro.   The canapes were yummy sushi platters.

The Sour Service Award goes to Grand Daddy Hotel in Long Street, Cape Town, and was nominated by Rosanne Turner.  She stayed at the hotel on 17 April, and had her Mini Cooper convertible valet parked by the hotel.  The car keys were kept by the hotel.  Later that evening Rosanne received a call from the hotel management, informing her that her car had been taken by a member of their staff, taken for a drive 50 km away and involved in an accident.  She was assured by the hotel’s manager that they would take full responsibility, that she would not be out of pocket, nor inconvenienced by the incident.  The hotel made a rental car available for a while.   The hotel’s insurance company did not view the car after the accident, and refused to pay out.  Rosanne’s insurance paid out the full value of the car, as it was a write-off, but she had to pay an excess of R 9 500.   She has had to appoint a lawyer to deal with the matter.  Earlier this week Rosanne wrote that the hotel has reversed its decision, and that she has received a refund for the insurance excess and the legal fees from the hotel, probably with the help of the exposure about this matter on www.2oceansvibe.com, to whom Rosanne had also written.

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 the Camps Bay branch of Vida e Caffe, which has a team of happy and friendly staff, who efficiently take the customers’ orders, and even help carry the ordered drinks outside if one needs help.  The music level is moderate, allowing one to receive calls, unlike at some other Vida e Caffe branches. 

The Sour Service Award goes to the Cape Town Stadium branch of McDonald’s, which must be one of the worst managed branches in the world. One would have thought that the outlet would have had the best staff in the country allocated for the duration of the World Cup, given its proximity to the Stadium, to be able to serve customers efficiently.  Up to 1 000 World Cup volunteers, police staff and media covering the World Cup, as well as soccer fans on match days, come into the outlet to buy food there.  The opposite is true - every day there are queues, not all till points are manned, they run out of food (chicken in particular), and appear highly irritated when World Cup volunteers hand in their daily voucher of R 60 and want to order to obtain full value for it.  McDonald’s does not supply change for the voucher, and does not allow one to use it for two meals a day.  The service is slow, inefficient and rude, probably because they have a captive audience.  No management is visible.   

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.