The fish always rots from the head down

Trafalgar used to be the (non-executive) Managing Agent of over 20 years of our sectional titles complex in Port Elizabeth with more than 100 residential units. The Trustees were not really happy with their service in recent years and things turned from bad to worse in 2017 when Trafalgar parted ways with experienced staff and contractors, apparently to replace them by cheaper personnel. This resulted in faulty financial reports, late payment of invoices leading, for instance, to a blocked account at a hardware store and many more issues. We decided not to renew the service agreement with Trafalgar in 2020, but still payed them through December 2019 and for the financial report which is the basis for the legally required 2019 Annual Financial Statement (AFS). This last report again contained several questionable figures, not suitable for transfer to the AFS. When I complained in my capacity as Finance Trustee, the Trafalgar accountants, apparently unexperienced and untrained concerning our specific requirements, after 5 weeks and a reminder issued a new, improved December 2019 report. But there were still open questions concerning inconclusive figures. I mailed a request for further clarification and corrective action and copied the Branch Manager of Port Elizabeth and the Director of Property Management. Response from Branch Manager: “Please forward any further queries to myself which will be considered at an ADDITIONAL HOURLY FEE. “ Response from Director: “All further queries must please be directed to (the new Manging Agent).” For many years I have worked on 2 continents as a Quality Manager. But never before I came across a supplier where top management had the audacity to request payment for fixing a product delivered with faults or to refer the customer to a company with no responsibility at all for those faults. When the quality of products and services from a supplier goes to the dogs, we have an old saying in my profession: “The fish always rots from the head down”.