Makro makes it better.

On a shopping trip to Makro, a well known mass merchandiser and cash and carry operator,  I had one of those moments that can really ruin your day.

Pushing a trolley loaded with festive goodies and gifts  back to the car, I discovered I had lost my car keys.

I looked at my locked car, still sitting safely in the parking lot, but for how long? Panic beseiged me. I weighed up my options. Either abandon my trolley and my car and run inside to raise the alarm, or wait to see if my car would be hijacked with my own keys.

I am approached by a nearby casual car guard. Within minutes the head of security is at my side. He deploys two security guards to watch over my car and escorts me back inside.

I am handed over to a health and safety officer by the name of Mokgadi Kgatla, who calmly but assertively asks me to indicate the route I followed during my shopping spree. The head of security radios a description of my dress and immediately goes to work on tracing my movements on their security system. All the while trying to keep me calm.

The health and safety officer requests that we retrace my steps together, literally, as this might help jog my memory of where I had misplaced my keys.

Even the sanitation staff is called in to check the litter bins in the ladies room to see if the keys had not accidentally landed in the bins during my visit.

Soon the Risk Manager Vaughn Hume joins us to assist with the search.

Finally,  after a 90 minute adrenalin inducing search with several visits to the lost and found desk, we are approached by a friendly face.

Andrew, the owner of the nearby coffee shop, picked up a set of keys in the ladies room and assuming that it belonged to one of his patrons, started asking around. Noticing the commotion he made his way over and sure enough found the owner of the car keys.

I heave a sigh of great relief and smiling I return to my car. At the car the guards refuse me access, sternly informing me that the owner of this particular vehicle has lost her car keys.

Vaughn follows. He quickly assures the guards that I am the owner of the car and produces the lost keys. The guards submit.

Vaughn quickly helps me into my car and with a smile and a wave allows me to drive off.

Now that is customer service!