Game Vaal Mall just doesn’t give a fart…

Shopping is supposed to be fun and stress-free, you can imagine the kind of feeling I had when I endured it recently and by the end of the day I was so exhausted like a person who had done so for the whole day. For some time now I had been monitoring this latest tech-gadget with a roving eye and when it landed on my path I didn’t hesitate but decided to put my money where my heart was. It never crossed my mind though that purchasing a mere gadget would take over two hours at such a reputable chain-store. On my entry to the store I went straight to the section or unit (as they call it) as I knew what I was looking for and where to find it, to my surprise it was not on display despite being advertised in their leaflet for the second week in succession. When I enquired from Nataniel Mtimkulu (one of the staff) he gave me a lame excuse, “see we were supposed to have received the stock two months ago and by far we are awaiting forty-two products as we already have more than ten customers who placed orders and soon as they’re available they would be notified, this could take a day or two”. This was too good to be true but enough to convince me to follow suit, I mean I could have opted for another model but my heart and soul was on this one and waiting for an extra day wouldn’t hurt I guess. We agreed that I would go run some errands then come back to conclude the deal. On my return I approached Simon Tsoela (the salesperson) whom I was referred to, “hi, someone said you will assist me” I said “what, who is that?” He asked with aggression. Aren’t these people hired and getting paid to help customers? After relating my plea, he took a piece of blank paper and requested I jot down my details, geez where will that note end-up? In the trash I believe. I blatantly refused and demanded he take me serious, he then asked I be patient as he was helping one customer and left me wandering. Prior to my journey to the store I had sent an email to their head office and enquired about the product availability. While I was left there to browse at the goods for the umpteenth time I decided to check my inbox and there was a response from Karin Henning (store manager) confirming the availability of the gadget in question. I approached one staff member to lead me to her office but instead diverted me to the “Information Centre” where the salesperson I had been patiently waiting for was at doing absolutely nothing and met Peter Malema who was reluctant to let me go see the manager but at-least that fuelled some action. Malema and Tsoela ran around with the product’s barcode and as they tagged along like newly-weds to the storeroom to physical check for the product, while another manager took over the paper work and when we were done he instructed me to go pay at any of the tills and the closed I got was with a cashier named Nomasonto who gladly accepted my hard-earned cash and smacked me with a bomb-shell of a lousy response “you can go, they will deliver it to your home” she said. Wow I didn’t know such gadgets are now delivered and yet another ignorant staff who couldn’t even care less to check the type of products I was paying for let alone his colleague’s number (for commission which he is wrongly entitled to by far). I politely told her the goods is in stock and that I was waiting for it, guess what, much as the salesperson went away in order to search for my product he was nowhere to be found and had to be called. Bear in mind that by now I had overstayed my ‘welcome’ and was now resembling their goods, as I was ushered to the storeroom and waited further for the salesperson to get hold of the person with the keys, to my shock in a trolley packed with new stock there were more than ten products of the same kind still in their retail packaging, when I enquired why they are not on display since they’re available, was met with “It’s a lot of work unpacking and packing them again” response. Now you tell me what to make of that? Just when I thought I’ve had enough and was now finally on my way home the incompetent salesperson delayed me once more as he ran around looking for what heaven knows with my already paid gadget in his possession. I therefore instructed Xolisa Majeke (the store security) to open the product for me to double-check IF indeed it’s the right product as I didn’t get the privilege to do so and there he went tearing the box I mean really, now, how hard can it get?

Take Control – You are what you think (by Motsumi Mathe)

At a book launch which was exclusive as it was accessible per invite saw moi being fortunate to be one of those to graze it. The dooh which was held on the weekend at the lavish Riviera on Vaal Hotel and County Lodge didn’t disappoint. In a room full of strangers the only recognised faces for me were that of Sedibeng Executive Mayor Mahole Simon Mofokeng with her entourage and CAF Executive Member Molefi Oliphant. The book which consists of five chapters relate about-: How the mind works, the value of introspection, get up & do something, you have the key and the don’ts. It is not a novel (which you can read for your kids around a brazier as it was a norm back in the days) but a reference one can relate to on a daily basis. The book make for an interesting read in a fast-paced world where technology has taken over and reading or print is seemingly fading i must say you need not be a bookworm to go through a chapter or two. It is motivating and makes one to appreciate being alive irrespective of the circumstance they find themselves in. It was not surprising when an author whose book was also launched on the same night spitted fire about how his manuscript was rejected for the umpteenth time before it was published and the utterance by the Managing Director at Writes Associates Morakabe Seakhoa when reciting an incident which took place where a budding author wrote to a publisher and the response read like so “dear author, i am sitting in the loo while reading your book, note that when I’m done it will be behind me” was harsh but a reality. If you want to learn about how to set goals and go after them, coming to understand the importance of resilience and ability to accept change, move out of your comfort zone through adopting one of the creative approaches and how to align your actions and needs to achieve personal success then the book is a must-have as it gives you the ability to take charge of your mental, behavioural and emotional programming. In a nutshell, it enables you to ‘Take Control’ of your life. Below is a piece taken from the book and is badly written, it is said that should you be able to read it then you are a genius as your mind came to your rescue, you decide. EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK Aoccdrning to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what order the ltteers in a word are, only that the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pcleas. The rset can be a total mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by ilstef, but the word as a wlohe. The book is retailing at R100 at exclusive book stores nationwide