I nearly fell over in a dead faint the other day - I heard about something that was not going to be ready by 2010. It's probably just as well - that particular deadline is somewhat overcrowded, but there is something we should add to it, anyway... Good service! Now, I gave up years ago expecting a smile from the customs and immigration people, and don't get me started on banks, but we have only a limited time to get it right before, apparently, hordes of soccer-mad fanatics descend on us and the wiser ones among us head for the hills. In the past couple of weeks I've heard of a waitress being given a tip of about R5 on a dinner bill of about R1150, disabled passengers having to crawl off an SAA plane because the lift was bust, and someone ordering a meal, which duly arrived - sans cutlery or serviette. Now, while the issue of the tip could simply be a case of a mean diner, the others are simply bad service, but it is something we can put right by the time the said hordes arrive. One report of bad service is one too many, and when it comes to tourists, they are fickle - and they talk - and they put others off, and that means fewer tourists, fewer souvenirs bought, fewer cars hired... the list is endless. So let us see if we can get at least one thing right, and make our service excellent. Oh, and while we're about it, I know this will be a struggle, but let's try to not rip them off with higher prices.


Rod Baker, Content Manager