Customer service can either make or break a business, organisation or institution because after all word of mouth is a powerful marketing mechanism.
In this scenario, disgruntled resident Conny Attwood is appalled by the service she received at the Licensing Department recently.
Ms Attwood visited the Estcourt News two weeks ago, looking visibly distressed and related an incident she had experienced minutes ago at the department in Loskop Road.
On Tuesday, July 7 Ms Attwood went to the office just after midday because she suspected that the log book she required was misplaced at the Licensing Department during a previous visit. At the outset Ms Attwood said she noticed tension between the counter clerk and the man in front of her at the queue, which she said resulted in the man storming out of the office.
She thereafter approached the counter and explained to the staff member she required a log book so that she could register a trailer and remarked that the documents could have been misplaced during a recent visit. She explained that the service she received thereafter was ‘rude, arrogant and bad behaviour’.
“The lady took my papers, looked at it and said ‘no logbook’. She was rude and unhelpful. She then started speaking on the phone and signalled for the next person. When I said that I wanted to ask a question, she asked me “do you want me to now put the phone down?’ I said no and she proceeded to serve the next person. I told her I would like to wait,” explained a distressed Ms Attwood.
While waiting Ms Attwood decided to act against the alleged bad service she received and queried from other staff members about the name and surname of the staff member she had dealt with. “Everyone just ignored me, instead of helping me. “One of the ladies told me the staff member’s first name but said she did not now her surname,” commented Ms Attwood.
After a short wait, Ms Attwood was helped and she fully explained her story of the missing logbook, saying that it could’ve been ‘dropped’. Upon realising that Ms Attwood had been asking about her personal details and taking photographs, the staff member allegedly responded with continuous ‘yes mam’ replies. “She did not even check if the logbook was in the office but took the next customer.
“I kept my cool and told her that she forgets who pays her salary. She replied with ‘yes mam’ and was not interested at all. “She then gave me the papers and told me to go to Mooi River and retrieve the original papers before coming back to Estcourt. “I live 35 kilometres out of Estcourt and only come to the Licensing Department once a year.
“The service I received amounts to bad behaviour and I feel that I was treated in a bad manner. The attitude is too much,” concluded Ms Atwood. Responding to these concerns, Umtshezi Acting Municipal Manager Elphas Dladla said last Tuesday that after an investigation, the following was established: “The Motor Licensing Clerk stated that Ms Attwood came to request a duplicate log book for a vehicle that was registered in Mooi River.
“The vehicle, which she requested a copy of the log book for does not belong to her and that, does not make her the rightful person to request a duplicate logbook. “When Ms Attwood walked in the Clerk was allegedly on the phone with Choice Numbers, arranging personalised number plates for another customer. She said she advised Ms Attwood that only the rightful owner of the vehicle can request a duplicate and the rightful office is only Mooi River.”
