In the last few days I’ve been infuriated by internet transactions but had my faith restored in old fashioned service values.

Jo’berg was obviously very busy last week as Tempest, my preferred Car Rental outlet, almost lost me as a customer as I had to select different cars three times from their website before learning there were no cars available. I emailed Tempest to complain and they replied the next day to say that their internet interface treated each transaction as a separate one and wasn’t able to check if vehicles were available before actually checking if they were available. I appreciated their prompt response.

Avis was less forthcoming. I found their site extremely frustrating having to re-enter credit card and email details every time the site sent me back to complete the page correctly. I know I’m not one for detail, but using a dash between phone numbers isn’t the kind of thing I think should make me have to redo the page!

I was told when I collected my car in Jozie that it was the last one left – and because of that, I was given a brand new vehicle. I really enjoyed driving the Polo Classic (although I should have ordered air conditioning) and especially liked the soft-touch boot opener and drinks holder which nattily adjusts to the size of your beverage.

Only problem, which I found nearly by accident, was that the breaks required me putting my foot through the fuselage before the vehicle stopped.

Since dieting I am far more irascible so I fired off an angry email to Avis complaining that their website sucked and I wouldn’t use them again. I’m still waiting for a reply.

My relationship manager at ABSA is one of those sweet yes-gals who appears to do nothing with my requests.

Being the forward thinker that I am, I projected that come 31 January I may need a little more fat in my overdraft than usual as some of my clients only began working again the week before and I imagined they may be late with payments. So, with plenty time to spare, I wrote to Liesel Lee to ask for the extension.

I called a week before the date I needed the facility to enquire and she said she (as so many other people had made a similar request) had not submitted by request.

Despite promises that I would hear from her, nothing was forthcoming and I feel only gratitude to my fabulous clients all of whom paid on time so there was no need for the facility. I wrote to Liesel to register my displeasure and heard nothing; I then emailed her a week later to enquire if she had received my email – still nothing. I hope to meet the Banking Ombudsman at a Press Club lunch next week and I’ll raise the matter with him…

I needed some books as research for a presentation I’m giving on Blogs next month. I ordered then from Amazon and, because of the hurry, selected the second fasted delivery method. The delivery cost 10 dollars more than the books but what really pissed me off was UPS charging me R100 for paying out the VAT on the purchase on my behalf.

I imagine it is a standard disbursement fee, but when the disbursement is under R20, I think it is offensive to charge R100 for it.

Finally, a story about brilliant service. When I was in London in December I bought a fabulous tote bag at Fenwick’s’ sale. The bag, a tough Samsonite carry all, was 99 Pounds, marked down to 35 pounds. On packing my luggage before departure, the zip ripped. I had already thrown away all the Samsonite guarantees so my brother said I should return the bag with my mother who visited a month later.

I phoned Fenwick’s Brent Cross and, believe it or not, the woman in the luggage section apologized to me and said she would replace the bag with pleasure. Before hanging up she said she was sorry for the inconvenience I’d suffered and the fact that I had to call from SA. Wow, with service like that I’ll sooner shop at Fenwick’s than Avis any day.