KZN petrol station employee redefines ‘good customer service’
Durban - A petrol station attendant at a Total garage in Ramsgate on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal has been praised by South Africans for his immensely generous act of kindness towards a customer in need.
Laine Herman, a resident from the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal experienced car troubles around March last year.
In a post on Facebook, Laine detailed the events that transpired on the day which led to petrol attendant, Clement Nicki, lending her his personal car to use.
When Nicki witnessed Herman distressed over her car problems, he approached her to find out what was happening.
She explained to him that she and her family were new to the area and had nobody to help them.
Herman’s car was low on oil and not selecting gears and she was not able to go pick up her kids from school.
“This amazing petrol attendant (Clement) without any thought asked me if I could drive a manual - before I knew it he parked his car next to me with the keys in the ignition and continued work as normal. I managed to fetch my kids on time.
“I'm so thankful, he trusted me with his prized possession without knowing my name or driving abilities - When I returned he allowed me to drop my kids off at home, and for my husband to return with his car.
“Clement organised a tow truck (flatbed) and someone to fix the car. Thank you Clement you were truly the Knight in shining armour,” she said.
IOL got in touch with Clement Nicki, the Harding-born resident who now resides in Gamalakhe, a township on the south coast.
We asked him why he decided to help the lady and this was his response.
“I could see that the lady was stressed out because she was talking about her kids. I said that it must be tough because they were new to the area. The kids probably didn't have any friends or know anyone.
“I felt bad for her kids and so I leant her my car. I think she was a bit surprised because she asked me whose car this is. I said it's mine and you can use it,” Nicki said.
The Total garage attendant owns a 1999 model Toyota Corolla.
When we asked him if he was scared that his vehicle would be damaged, he said he didn’t mind, because “I was worried about the kids.”
The post was shared thousands of times over social media with South Africans commenting on the incident, all of whom commended Nicki for his gesture.
IOL