My avid readers to the blog are in for a treat, for today I get to do both, and coincidentally it's about a product from the same brand.
About a month ago, I walked into my local Spar and did what I do almost every day for the past few years. I purchased a large bottle of Ice Tea. Considering that I spend my entire day driving around between different sites, this has become my staple refreshment. On this particular day, I noticed that there was a new brand perched enticingly next to my usual Lipton Rooibos.
Amila Ice Tea Peach.
Now I'm willing to try anything once, so I figured this was worth a shot.
Luckily I decided to open the bottle and take a much needed swig before climbing into my vehicle, or I may have needed to send my car in for a full valet!
Ice Tea was never meant to be a fizzy drink. Neither was it supposed to taste like a cheap wine fermented in a backyard shack in Kimberley!
This drink managed to achieve both.
Since there was no contact number on the offending bottle, I Googled the company, sent them an e-mail, and recieved an immediate response.
0 points for product.
10 points for Customer Service at this point.
Apparently the problem was due to fermenting of a batch of Ice Tea's which were being bottled by a new sub-contractor. Fair enough. A valid excuse which I was impressed that they were honest enough to share with me, instead of the usual "We have no idea what went wrong" drivel.
I was promised feedback and told I would recieve a replacement within a few days.
It's been a month and I have recieved neither.
Well that's not completely accurate. I did recieve 3 emails apologising for the delay/oversight/and/and/and.
0 points for product.
0 points for Customer Service.
My final verdict : A brand whose ice-tea should be flat and handling of customer service fizzy. Unfortunately they have it the wrong way around.
I am never one to complain about wine (okay sometimes) but fizzy fermented iced tea?! Blech! I don't even understand how that's possible. I have worked with thermal process validation and it sounds like the company and their new subcontractor could be in a world of hurt if anyone got sick!
ReplyDeleteIt was revolting, but the taste in my mouth after their lack of decent customer service is worse.
ReplyDeleteI'm a ranter :) Part of the reason why I became a blogger.
I hate poor customer service, and SA is notorious for the worst customer service ever! And no one should be subjected to fizzy fermented iced tea - yuck!
ReplyDelete