Mike Killan, owner of Total in Saldanha, was chosen as the winner of the Service Excellence Hero competition run by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
Other nominated finalists were:
- OK MiniMark Saldanha’s Lizaan Damoen;
- Cartol Vleis Saldanha’s Marita Fransman;
- Pick n Pay Laguna Mall’s Jo-Linda Gertse, Damian Solomons and Olga Lombard; and
- Protea Hotel Saldanha’s Chantelle Lawson.
The finalists each received R2 000 and the people who nominated them gift packages.
The competition was run on Radio West Coast 92.3 fm’s Breakfast Show on Friday mornings from 4 August to 8 September.
An article about each finalist was published in Weslander.
The competition was run as part of the department’s Journey to Service Excellence Programme (J2SE), which trained employees from businesses in Saldanha and Langebaan, both tourism and non-tourism businesses, in June and July.
The programme helped increase service levels and to foster a culture of service excellence.
Leadership training was also given on 4 August.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, held on Tuesday 26 September at Blue Bay Lodge, Annalie van der Merwe of Saldanha Bay Tourism emphasised that being good isn’t good enough any more, “we have to be the best.”
The training at the workshop made a difference to Sheppard Narilile of Blue Bay Lodge. “I have confidence in my work now,” he said. He enjoyed learning about conflict resolution, new technology, customer care, the importance of feedback and follow-up, consistency, effort and devotion.
Tuli Rala, a waitress at Windtown, said she learned the value of communication with clients and to communicate with the chef beforehand.
Anita Senekal from Jane’s Guest House said the leadership training, especially, has changed her life. One of the first things she did afterwards was to change the guest house menu. She is more positive and looks forward to using the knowledge she now has about marketing.
Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said in closing that every person on the West Coast must remember that they are part of the “front desk” of the West Coast, and therefore has to deliver excellent service so tourists will return.
