Servant Leadership Service received from Builders Warehouse Nivana - Polokwane, Limpopo Employees (Lesiba Segodi, Lucky Mapea and Strike Makhuvhele) on 28 June 2022

Gratitude for the phenomenal service rendered by Builders Warehouse Nivana - Polokwane, Limpopo Employees (Lesiba Segodi, Lucky Mapea and Strike Makhuvhele)

I went to town which is 60km from my village and after work I had to go to Builders Warehouse to buy x2 bedroom doors as requested by 70years old mother.

I thought I knew where Builders Warehouese was but with pregnancy hormones one becomes forgetful now and then, so I got to this place that I thought Builders Warehouse was based and then I realized that I was in the wrong place. Then only when I saw that I went to the wrong place did I then decide to use my GPS.

The eta from where I was to Builders Warehouse as per my GPS was another 15minutes meaning I will be arriving at Builders Warehouse Nivana in Polokwane at 18h00 sharp which is the time that the store close.

I was panicking as I started driving towards there because if I got there and the store was closed, I will have to explain myself to my mother but worse with this crazy petrol/diesel price I would have had to drive 60km back home and explain to my mom that I got lost resulting in me being late.

Then the following day I would have had to drive another 60km into town to go to Builders Warehouse to buy the doors and then drive another 60km back home.

So I decided to call Builders Warehouse Nivana and I explained my situation to the lady who answered the phone, she then asked that I give her my number as she will engage one of the manager and ask them to call me back. I was doubtful that they will call me and I thought to myself, "I am just going to be one of those customers that called and their call was never returned :(:

While driving and praying that I make it on time and going through robots etc., and 2 minutes after speaking to the Lady, one of the manager (Lesiba Segodi) called me back and I explained my situation to him and he could hear that I was panicking so he asked me to calm down and drive carefully and then asked me where I was, I explained that I was on this certain street and told him that my eta is 18h00 which is the time the store will be closed.

He first explained to me the risk posed by opening the store past closing hence that can't reopen the store just for me he then told me that if there are customer inside the store still they will assist, if not sadly they cant assist as protocols have to be followed. I then asked him if it's possible to put thw two doors together for me so that I can just collect and pay when I get there and to not put them at any kind of risk, he told me that the doors can be collected when I arrive from the shelf as they have various options.

To cut long story short, I got to Builders Warehouse few minutes before 6pm and I panicked as I saw that the main gate on the other side was closed. I then called the store number again, the store manager answered the phone and rudely told me that they have closed the doors and that employees have left already. I then explained to him that I called earlier and spoke to one of the manager and told them that I will be at the store maybe at 18h00sharp, he then told me that he is the only manager there and asked me for the individual's name, I told him that I didn't asked for it. He told me that there's lots of people working there hence he need a name but he then asked me to hold the line.

While holding the line, I drove around to the other gate (Pnp side) whereby I got in, while holding the line I could hear this manager speaking to Lesiba on the other line asking him about me and I heard that Lesiba was waiting for me outside the store as customers where still in the store, I subsequently saw a man on the phone waving hands and I realised that it must be Lesiba as I had my hazards lights on.

We rushed inside the store and when I got in, it was exactly 6pm and Lesiba Segodi, Lucky Maepa and Strike Mkhuvhele assisted me to get the doors swiftly from the shelves to the till to pay and exit the store and the whole thing took below 1 minute .

I compiled this long message as I deem it fit to talk about the service I received from these absolutely amazing, phenomenal employees that really embodies true servants leadership etiquette plus we usually and/or normaly write long message when we complain so I wanted to write a different long story.

I am humbled to have been assisted by them, they could have easily told me that they have knocked off and that they are on their way home, but they saw a need to lend hands and they did that.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you Lesiba Segodi, Lucky Maepa and Strike Makhuvhele, you saved me a 120km (in and out of town) trip #Deep Customer Obsession right there

May Builders Warehouse employ more employees with values that you embodies.