Service with a frown
29/05/2008 13:13  - (SA)  

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Georgina Guedes

There are a few companies and products that I am fairly loyal to. I like Alpen muesli (although they don't have a wheat-free version), I use Sensodyne toothpaste, I like driving Toyotas and wherever possible, I will fly with Kulula.com.

I just feel that Kulula has got it right. They communicate simply and with a sense of humour, but this is backed up with a high level of professionalism, from the efficiency of the website and the call centre staff to the check-in staff and the people who look after you when you're on the plane.

It was brave of them to choose such an informal approach to their customer interface. I wonder if there were boardroom discussions about whether passengers would be scared away from something as risky as flying is perceived to be by a slightly whacky approach to service. People will buy a Nando's burger because of humorous marketing, but will they buy a plane ticket?

Well, they went with it, and they seem to be doing well, if their new fleet is anything to go by.

Incidentally, Nando's is the only other brand I can think of that tries to convey such a sense of humour rather than uptight seriousness in its product offering (don't even mention that ridiculous Meerkat - seriously). Unfortunately, while they do represent a well-perceived brand, the humour isn't necessarily backed up by brilliant service at their stores.

Flying down to Cape Town

I am digressing. Back to Kulula. I didn't even examine the prices offered by other airlines down to Cape Town when I flew down there last week. Kulula got my dollar. And after brilliant service offered even by a temporary Czech crew (Kulula are borrowing Czech planes while they ready their new fleet), I arrived in Cape Town with a spring in my step.

My step got decidedly less springy over the course of the weekend, as I encountered shoddy service in situations where I was trying to provide stroppy and surly people with my custom. I was made to feel like a brash American waggling a bundle of dollars in the faces of diffident foreigners, trying to get someone, anyone to crack a smile.

A love of clutter

One situation requires a little explaining. My grandfather is a fairly well-known architect and artist. His house has paintings - cross my heart, I kid you not - on the ceiling! Sculptures are piled on the floor next to teetering stacks of books and countless other things. It's interesting, but it's chaos.

As a reaction to the clutter she was brought up in, my mother is all about minimalism and clean whiteness. As a reaction to the house I was brought up in, I like colour and variety. Heaven knows what my children will do.

So, I have been trying to compile a dinner service of mismatched antique plates. The going is slow, but I have some pieces I really like. But, while I was walking around a market in Cape Town, I encountered a porcelain painter, who had a variety of different plates on display.

I mentioned to her that I might be interested in buying "a set". She looked at me as if I had crawled out from under a rock, and explained that each plate is individually painted and fired, and she doesn't sell sets.

I tried again. I explained that by "a set", what I meant was that I wanted to buy more than one - twelve maybe - but that I didn't mind if they were all different, in fact, that was why I approached her in the first place. She sighed and explained that a lot of work went into making plates and she could only fire four a week.

Given that buying "a set" of plates would require a Cape Town friend to visit her shop and act as an interface, in which case she would need to be helpful rather than acting as if the offer to make a big purchase was a burden on her, I have decided to continue with my plan to buy antique plates, and leave her alone.

What's wrong with people?

A couple of other wangles punctuated my weekend, including a coffee shop owner who was reluctant to let me use the advertised wireless internet access because "people download music and order ten glasses of water", when I had said I would be ordering breakfast and only wanted to check my e-mail.

After two days in a quirky city with great food, good views, nice weather and a mountain, I was very happy to make my way back to Johannesburg, with its crap weather, rampant crime, muggy pollution and people who crack a smile when you talk to them.