Madam –
Visiting Home Affairs used to be the bane of my existence.
I’d make every excuse under the sun to delay the dreaded trip, simply because I cannot bear the thought of standing in a queue for hours on end.
The ‘chore’ seemed relatively avoidable, until the day I got married.
I knew the clocking was ticking, and I needed to apply for a new ID, as well as a passport.
Last Monday, my husband and I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and get our ‘house’ in order.
When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised…
The queues weren’t all that long, and the staff seemed to be in good spirits.
After collecting our tickets at the information desk, we proceeded to the relevant waiting area. Granted, we were there a while, but hey, that’s life!
When we were called to counter 6, a woman greeted us with a smile and served us within minutes. I wish I could remember her name, as she deserves recognition for going the extra mile.
She accommodated us to the best of her ability, and for that, I cannot thank her enough!
One week later…
I’ve heard several stories about patrons waiting weeks for the documents and passports to arrive. However, in my case, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
I received an SMS just seven days after my applications were submitted to let me know that my Smart ID and passport were ready for collection.
I popped into the offices just after 12.30pm, and I was out of there by 12.45pm.
Now that’s what I call service!
I will gladly return to the Home Affairs offices here in Newcastle. The staff know exactly what they’re doing and deserve some form of reward for all their hard work.
All that’s left to say to the staff members who crossed our path is, “Thank you!”
The Le Granges