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A 28-year career in Customer Service

A 28-year career in Customer Service

At the state-owned Namibia Wildlife Resorts where climbing the corporate ladder is what most new employees are focused on, it its always refreshing to meet someone who has been at their trade for over 28 years and still takes pride in it.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts has this type of person in Mrs. Cornelia Thierauch who started on 01 September 1987 as a filing clerk and a telex operator at the then Central Reservations Office (CRO) which fell under the Directorate of Tourism in the Department of Nature Conservation.
Cornelia was drawn to the tourism industry due to it being a customer centred industry. “The reason I choose to come work in the CRO was because a lot of people always complained about it then and I wanted to know whether this was truly the case So I applied and initially did not get the job as I could not speak German though after some time I was called back and given the job. When I look back, I can firmly say this was the best decision I took” said Cornelia.
Over the years Cornie, as she is affectionately known to her peers and clients, has occupied various positions within the department with her current position that of Customer Care and Front Office Supervisor. The thing that puts a smile on her face is when she has assisted a client and they are satisfied.
When she looks back over the years, she names two experiences that left firm impressions on her mind and help build her formidable experience. The first was once when she was in a hurry to leave the office and requested a colleague to balance her float for the day. However, when she came back from leave she realized not only was it not closed off properly but the money was missing. She was grateful that at no point the resort let her go, but rather made her take responsibility for her mistake. She said she was truly grateful for this.
The second time was when one of the big tour operators requested that one client’s booking be cancelled. She accidentally cancelled the whole booking and the resort where the clients were going was nearly full which resulted in her having to move some of her other clients to other resorts. At the end of the day she was very happy that her clients did not complain but were very satisfied instead. The lesson here, she said, was that when one goes the extra mile people always appreciate it.
When it comes to relaxing, she enjoys spending time with her family especially her two grandchildren. She said they are certainly one of the reasons she has stayed in this trade. In conclusion Cornelia advises young people to stay true to themselves and focus on their studies and their work.

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